Kissing the Blarney Stone

"If you kiss the Blarney Stone, you'll receive the gift of the gab." I don't know if I have been given such a gift, but it certainly was an amazing experience.

Kissing the Blarney Stone is probably the most sought after experience of tourists to Ireland. (Right up there with visiting the Guinness factory). The International Society set up a trip to Cork and stopped at Blarney Castle on the way there. All 150 of us marched out of the busses and traipsed up to the castle.

The castle itself is very well intact, and full of nooks and crannies. There are signs in every room listing what it was once used for. Most memorable is probably the Murder Room- where defenders would pour hot liquid over any intruders. There are about 100 steps up to the actual stone, and the view from the top is breathtaking.

I had to wait in line to kiss the actual stone, and kissing it is quite the ordeal. A kind old Irishman is there to help you lean back, because between the step and the stone, there is only air. You have to lean back, grab two poles, and reach out to kiss a stone that can't be very sanitary. No glasses are allowed, beacause they will fall.

After kissing the stone, I explored some of the surrounding area and saw the Witch's Stone, the Wishing Steps, and the Fairy Glade. They were all breathtaking, and I'm definitely going back.