The medieval stronghold of Blarney Castle is a world famous tourist attraction, drawing up to half a million visitors annually. Nearly one in two stayed locally in 2019 contributing to the €94 million spent by tourists in Cork that year. Throw into the draw the renowned Blarney Woollen Mills and it becomes clear why servicing the needs of the tourist industry is embedded into the local area plan for Blarney as the primary purpose of the town centre.  This designation has an impact on what gets built where. Shops and housing developments that cater to residents, for example, will only get the…