A bunch of Blarney?

 Monday September 4, 2023

We hit the road at 8am to get to Cork to see the Blarney castle before the cruise ship passengers arrived.  Good move...we got there early enough to avoid the crowds, but they started pouring in as we were leaving.  

 The Blarney castle was built in 1446--it's amazing to see something that old and be able to go inside the structure.  Although part of it is in ruins, there were several chambers open to observe--a bedroom, the kitchen, a chapel-like area, etc.  

A bagpiper greeted us as we approached the castle.

Once you enter the castle, there are 100 steps up a stone spiral staircase to get to the top where the Stone of Eloquence (The Blarney Stone) is located.  This is Jim going up and me going down!

The Blarney Stone has been in place for 200 years, and there are several legends about it. Some say it was Jacob's pillow brought to Ireland by the prophet Jeremiah.  Others say it was a stone used as a throne for Irish kings and served as the power of royal succession.  Regardless, they say if you kiss the stone, you will gain the gift of eloquence!  In this picture, you can see the open space at the very top of the castle where the Blarney stone is located.

The stone is on the bottom of a wall at the top of the castle.  To kiss the stone, you have to lay on your back and hang down over an open area to get to the stone.  Jim did it!  I'm not sure it helped his eloquence, but we have evidence to show he did it!  I laid down, but was creeped out by leaning backwards, so I struck out on kissing the stone and gaining the gift of eloquence! I wonder how many people really kiss the stone? I think the whole thing is a bunch of blarney!

This is Jim at the top of the stairs at the side of the castle (trying out his eloquence!)

We walked the grounds to admire the beautiful gardens and landscaped spaces. 

The stately Blarney House built in 1874 sits on the grounds, and looks like a castle.  The mansion is still occupied by family members!

Later in the day, we made a stop at The Marine Bar, a small pub on the route, for some Irish coffee and Irish music.  We were treated and entertained by the owner who had lots of tales about people who have visited.  His music was good and we even had a sing-a-long!

The Clancy brothers grew up within 5 miles of the pub, and frequented the place.  Also, Maureen O'Hara had a home not too far away, and was an occasional visitor. 

At the end of the day, we arrived in Waterford, and after a quick city tour, we checked into The Granville Hotel, a charming hotel right on the waterfront.  

We'll explore more of the city tomorrow--and that's no blarney!