BLARNEY CASTLE

The castle is most famous for its Blarney Stone, which attracts thousands of tourists every year. According to legend, whoever lays his lips on this stone will get the gift of eloquence. This is why so many people climb the castle stairs and lean over (don't worry, it's perfectly safe) to kiss the stone. It is not clear where it came from. Some say it was brought back from Jerusalem by the Crusaders, others say it came from Scotland and is a fragment of the Stone of Scone. The belief in the gift is based on the following anecdote: Queen Elizabeth^I wanted Lord Blarney to receive his investiture only from the hands of the Crown. Lord Blarney apparently complied, but kept postponing the application of this order, finding a thousand excuses each time, so much so that the Queen finally exclaimed: " This is all Blarney! (This is all blarney!). Anyway

, everyone lends himself to this manoeuvre which consists in lying down and tilting his head backwards in order to kiss the famous stone.

The visit of Blarney Castle

In the 17th century, the castle was taken by Cromwell's troops who, after installing a cannon on a hill opposite, succeeded in destroying the tower walls. But when the men took possession of the keep they found only two servants: the garrison had fled through underground caves located with the famous golden crockery. Later on, one of the owners of the castle tried to drain the lake, in which the golden tableware had been thrown. He spent a fortune... in vain.

The castle park is also worth a visit. It is pleasant to walk around with its stream, and a garden (Rock Close) was laid out there in the 19th century on a supposedly druidic site. You will see two dolmens, a rock that (with a little imagination) looks like a witch with her hat next to her, and magical stairs that must be climbed up and down from behind with your eyes closed if you want your wishes to be granted. The place is charming and has a certain mystery about it.