Hi Everyone. Happy St. Patrick's Day!!! We are staying in Ireland today for more Irish fun. We are going to be in Blarney, Ireland. We are going to go see the famous Blarney Stone.
Blarney (Irish: an Bhlarna, meaning "the little field") is a town and townland in County Cork, Ireland. It is famed as the site of Blarney Castle, home of the legendary Blarney Stone. As of 206, Blarney had a population of 5,226.
The town of Blarney is a major tourist attraction in County Cork. Mostly, people come to see the castle, kiss the stone, and to shop at the Blarney Woolen Mills center.
The Blarney Stone is a block of bluestone built into the battlements of Blarney Castle. The stone was set into a tower of the castle in 1446. The castle is a popular tourist site in Ireland, attracting visitors from all over the world to kiss the stone and tour the castle and its gardens.
By kissing the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle, it is claimed that one can receive the "Gift of the Gab" (eloquence, or skill at flattery or persuasion). The legend has several suggested roots, involving members of the MacCarthy dynasty – builders and original owners of Blarney Castle.
The ritual of kissing the Blarney Stone, according to the castle's proprietors, has been performed by "millions of people", including "world statesmen, literary giants [and] legends of the silver screen". The kiss, however, is not casually achieved. To touch the stone with one's lips, the participant must ascend to the castle's peak, then lean over backwards on the parapet's edge. This is traditionally achieved with the help of an assistant. Although the parapet is now fitted with wrought-iron guide rails and protective crossbars, the ritual can still trigger attacks of acrophobia, an extreme or irrational fear of heights.
Before the safeguards were installed, the kiss was performed with real risk to life and limb, as participants were grasped by the ankles and dangled bodily from the height of the castle.
I hope you enjoy your trip to Blarney, Ireland. Are you brave enough to kiss the Blarney Stone?
~Marsha~
BLARNEY CASTLE
HOW YOU KISS THE BLARNEY STONE
FIRST, YOU CLIMB TO THE TOP OF THE TOWER, THEN LAY ON YOUR BACK WHILE SOMEONE HOLDS YOUR FEET. LEAN BACKWARD OVER THE TOWER EMBANKMENT, AND KISS THE STONE.
KISSING THE STONE IN 1897, BEFORE THE SAFEGUARDS WERE INSTALLED.
WISHING STEPS
YOU MUST WALK DOWN THE STEPS, THEN RETURN UPWARDS WALKING BACKWARDS SO THE WISH WILL BE GRANTED BY THE DRUID KING
TREES AND GARDENS AT BLARNEY CASTLE
BLARNEY HOUSE
A MANSION BUILT IN THE 1870'S
WOOLEN MILL
NOW A SHOPPING CENTER, BUILT IN 1823
AERIAL VIEW
TOWN OF BLARNEY
Information from Wikipedia
This is a MelloMarsha creation
I do not take credit for the pictures
Thanks to the respective photographers
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