Blarney Stone

Yes, I kissed the Blarney Stone. The legendary stone is found at the top of the tower of the 600 year old castle, and it's said that those who kiss it will receive the gift of eloquence. (I'm not claiming to have successfully acquired this gift of gab, however...)

As long ago as 1789, the French Consul to Dublin wrote of "Blarney Castle top of which is a large stone that visitors who climb up are made to kiss." The 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue gives the following definition, "Blarney: He has licked the blarney stone; he deals in the wonderful, or tips us the traveler. The blarney stone is a triangular stone on the very top of an ancient castle of that name in the county of Cork in Ireland, extremely difficult of access; so that to have ascended to it, was considered as a proof of perseverance, courage and agility, whereof many are supposed to claim the honour, who never achieved the adventure: and to tip the blarney, is figuratively used telling a marvellous story, or falsity; and also sometimes to express flattery. Irish."

So how is it done? You climb to the top, then lay down on your back and there is a man who holds your torso while you carefully extend backwards and downwards in order to kiss the stone...Someone is there to take your picture of course, but I think I'll refrain from posting myself in such a contorted position on this open blog.

Perhaps you have heard of Baloney? What's the difference between Baloney and Blarney? According to the description on the tour: "Blarney is the varnished truth. Baloney is the unvarnished lie. Blarney is flattery laid on just thin enough to like it. Baloney is flattery laid on so thick we hate it."

My favorite is the following example, "The difference between 'blarney' and 'baloney' is this: Baloney is when you tell a 50-year old woman that she looks 18. Blarney is when you ask a woman how old she is because you want to know at what age women are most beautiful."

Brilliant.

(Note: this trip was taken back in August, but I'm just now getting around to writing about it.)