Situated on the banks of the River Lee in Ireland, Blackrock Castle is a castellated fortification about two kilometers from the heart of Cork. Originally constructed in the sixteenth century as a coastal defense fortress to guard the port and upper Cork Harbour, the location today has a restaurant, visitor center and an observatory. In order to guard against pirates and other invaders, the people of Cork pleaded with Queen Elizabeth I to build a fort at Blackrock in the late 16th century. To pr ... (Read More)