Top o’ the Mornin’ to you all, and a very Happy St. Patrick’s Day.
Kissing the Blarney Stone has long been an Irish tradition, and not just on St. Patty’s Day.
Kissing the Blarney Stone
The Blarney Stone is actually a block of stone that’s built into Blarney Castle in Cork County, Ireland. Legend has it that kissing the stone grants the person kissing it with the gift of gab. While originally the gift of gab was considered a gift of eloquence and persuasiveness, today it is often seen as empty flattery.
Blarney Castle is a popular tourist site, both for tour of the castle and its garden as well as for the opportunity to Kiss the Blarney Stone. Touring the castle and grounds requires a lot less effort that kissing the stone!
To kiss the stone, you must climb to the top of the castle and then lean backwards over the edge of the castle to kiss the stone. The edge is fitted with protective railing so that no one falls over, and an assistant is handy to hold onto you while leaning out.
These safety precautions haven’t always been in place however, and there was a time when you had to have friends hold your ankles while you dangled out over the edge to kiss the stone. Choose your friends wisely!
As for the truth of legend? It’s provenance has long been the subject of debate, but I choose to believe. How about you?
Photo credit: flickr
Twitter
LinkedIn
Facebook
Google
Flickr