Blarney Stone | The Gift of Gab

For whatever reason, I decided to do an overnight trip to Cork where the main thing to do is a visit to Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney stone! The castle was obviously very old and I would consider it very “spartan”. I can’t imagine it was the most comfortable place to live as I was nervous about slipping or getting stuck going up and down the stairs, but in those days people were shorter and castles served many purposes including protection and military uses. It was a beautiful, clear and sunny day and there was much to see on the grounds including waterfalls and some signs of witchcraft and magic. There was a stone stairway leading from the top of a waterfall to the pond below and the myth goes if you can walk down with your eyes closed your wish will come true-the stairs were slippery and I can see why this was such a challenge as I only got a few steps down before giving up. I had a late lunch after the tour (my one meal per day) at the Blarney Castle Hotel which was one of the only restaurants in the village at the foot of the castle grounds, a lovely way to end the day.