There is a stone there,
That whoever kisses,
Oh, he never misses
To grow eloquent.
'Tis he may clamber
To a lady's chamber,
Or become a member
Of Parliament.
Five miles north west of the small city of Cork is the village of Blarney - its name being derived from the Irish An blarna meaning 'the plain'. Near the village, standing almost 90 feet in height, is the solidly built castle of Blarney.
Francis Sylvester Mahony, wrote:
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LEGEND OF THE BLARNEY
Kiss the blarney stone ONLINE for all you
people without a hope of getting to Ireland.
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Just northwest of the Irish village of Cork is the village of Blarney. The name Blarney is derived from the Irish An blarna, "the plain." Blarney is home to the 90-foot-tall (27.4-meter) Blarney Castle. The castle visited today is the third one built at the site and was erected in 1446. Built on a rock, above several caves, the tower originally had three stories. On the top story, just below the battlements on the parapet, is the world famous Blarney Stone. While its origins are unknown, the Blarney Stone is said to give the gift of eloquence (beautiful speaking ability) to all who kiss it. Today, "Blarney" means "the ability to influence and coax with fair words and soft speech without offending."
Kissing the stone is quite a physical feat. You have to sit with your back to the stone, and a local guide or friend sits on your legs or firmly holds your feet. Then you lean back and down into the darkness between the castle's 18-foot-thick (5.5-meter) walls and, grasping the iron rails, lower yourself until your head is even with the stone. One local legend claims that an old woman, saved from drowning by a king of Munster, rewarded him with a spell that if he would kiss a stone on the castle's top, he would gain a speech that would win all to him. It is not known, however, when and how the word Blarney entered the English language and the dictionary
BLARNEY CASTLE
Learn the story behind the world famous "Blarney Stone", at Blarney Castle in Co. Cork. Whoever would think that the common name for the Irish gift of gab owes its origins to an English Queen who wrecked havoc on Ireland? True enough, it seems that the Dermot McCarthy, who ruled Blarney Castle during the reign of Elizabeth I, put up a series of eloquent excuses to prevent his surrender to the Queen. They were so plausible and frequent that the frustrated Elizabeth I coined the now well-known term when she she proclaimed the latest excuse as "More Blarney talk!"
Would you like to receive the Irish gift of gab? (Assuming your Irish genes aren't enough to do the trick?) Tradition says that you must make a trip to Blarney Castle, climb to the top of the parapet, and hanging backwards, kiss the "Blarney Stone."
(Note about local kids…probably wait till the custodian isn’t looking and pee over onto it! No way will these dames get their lips around THAT bit of Irish!!! )
Bryan informs me that yes this is indeed what the local lads do, but hey wouldn’t you do that to stupid tourists in your country too??
BLARNEY VILLAGE
Blarney, known as 'the biggest little village in Ireland', is one of Ireland's most picturesque villages. Set in beautiful wooded countryside, just 8km(5 miles) from Cork City, it is an ideal base to visit the many wonderful sights of Cork and Kerry. Steeped in history and magical charm, Blarney offers the visitor a host of wonderful things to do and places to discover. The name 'Blarney' is taken from the Gaelic word: 'Blar' which means open field. One of the finest things that impresses the first time visitor is the well preserved village square, with the traditional green area in the centre. Blarney is one of the few villages in Ireland which has such a fine amenity, and today it continues to be a focal point of village life. In Tudor style, the village has developed around the square which is owned and carefully maintained by Blarney Castle Estate. The population of Blarney is small, approximately 2,000 and the people are friendly and welcoming towards the visitor. Some great sites to visit include the legendary Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle. For many of the visitors to Blarney, their first priority is to kiss the famous Blarney Stone high up on the Castle battlements. Tradition holds that those who kiss the Blarney Stone will be endowed with the gift of eloquence - 'the gift of the gab' - as the locals call it. Over 200,000 people visit Blarney Castle each year. The Castle is situated in over a thousand acres of magnificent woodland, making it the ideal place to take walks to enjoy the clean fresh environment of Blarney. To those who do not know Ireland, the title ' village' does not do justice to Blarney, a village that has played a keen and enthusiastic role in Irish tourism for many years. Blarney was a thriving village over one hundred years ago and had the basis of a sustainable tourism industry - accommodation, good road and rail access, and places to visit. It is on the foundation developed in the last century that the Blarney that we know today, developed a thriving tourism industry. Blarney continues to be widely known internationally, even in places where the word 'Ireland' may not be fully understood. |
