Blarney Castle
- Amid charming scenery, Blarney Castle, is situated north-west of Cork City.
Blarney village is most famous for its Blarney Stone.
The Blarney Stone forms the cill of one of the machicolations of Blarney Castle
This is the bottom stone of the projecting battlements immediately above the upper window.
When built this present Blarney Castle was the strongest castle in Munster and had walls over 5 metres thick in places. It underwent many a siege. The 26 metre high square keep, with a battlement of machicolations is the only remaining part of the original Blarney Castle.
Blarney Castle is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Ireland, with more than 300.000 visitors a year. Most visitor's ambition is to kiss the Blarney Stone.
It was once a dangerous undertaking, but bars are now in position to render the undertaking less hazardous.
Traditionally the Blarney Stone has the power of transferring eloquence on those who kiss it.
Discovery's Travel Channel lists kissing the Blarney Stone amongst its 99 things to do befory you die.
The origin of the Blarney Stone is shrouded in mystery. Some say it was Jacob's Pillow, brought to Ireland by the prophet Jeremiah. It was also said to be the death-bed pillow of St Columba on the island of Iona. Another legend suggests it is a portion of the Stone of Scone.
A previous castle on this site (there were two previous castles here) was at one time occupied by
Cormac McCarthy, King of Munster, who is said to have supplied five thousand men from Munster
to supplement the forces of Robert Bruce at the battle of Bannockburn in 1314.
Legend has it that Robert Bruce gave half of the Stone of Scone to McCarthy in gratitude.
This, now known as the Blarney Stone, was incorporated into the battlements where it can now be kissed.
The Blarney Stone was kissed by Winston Churchill in 1912 while First Lord of the Admiralty, and he went on to become one of the greatest orators of the 20th century. Laurel & Hardy and Sir Walter Scott have also puckered up.[¹]
'Tis there's the stone that whoever kisses
He never misses to grow eloquent;
'Tis he may clamber to a lady's chamber,
Or become a member of Parliament.
"A noble spouter he'll sure turn out, or
An out and outer to be let alone;
Don't try to hinder him, or to bewilder him,
For he is a pilgrim from the Blarney stone."
Francis Sylvester Mahony[²]
There is an exquisite view of the wooded Muskerry hills from the battlement.
The visitor should not miss the Groves of Blarney, the Caves and Rock Close.
According to tradition Blarney Lake contains the treasure chest of McCarthy,
who dropped it in the lake rather than let it fall into the hands of the enemy.
- References:
[¹]Irish Examiner Thurs 21st Feb 2008
[²]From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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