Once we got to Kinsale, we realized that we were staying close to Blarney Castle – home of the Blarney Stone.
In case you’re not familiar with the legend, it’s said that if you kiss the Blarney Stone then you’ll be bestowed with the gift of eloquence.
Figuring that there was no better way we could spend the next day than press our lips where millions of others had done the same, we decided to head to Blarney Castle first thing in the morning.
We arrived at Blarney Castle by about 10am and there was already a line for tickets to get in. The line moved quickly though and soon enough we were through.
None of us had known what to expect when we entered. I’d always assumed it was simply an abandoned castle with the Blarney Stone being the only attraction.
That wasn’t the case though, as evidenced by everyone wandering around the grounds rather than lining up to kiss the stone. The stone was our priority though, so we made a beeline for the castle as that’s where the Blarney Stone’s found.
Blarney Stone
There was already a pretty long line that started just inside the castle, so we were glad we hadn’t gotten there any later. The line takes you up through the castle which means you get to see several rooms on your way through.
If you want to explore any of the rooms off to the side, you should do that on the way down. It’s best not to step out of the line on your way up or it’ll just take you even longer to kiss the stone.
The line moved through the castle fairly rapidly and we were up on the roof within about 30 minutes.
I’d checked out YouTube beforehand to see what’s involved with kissing the Blarney Stone. I therefore knew what to expect but Shae had no clue.
Basically, you lay on your back, lean your head back and you’re pushed towards the outer wall of the castle where the stone’s located. There’s a gap of a couple of feet between the floor and the wall, so it can make some people a little nervous dangling themselves over the edge.
However, there are metal bars beneath, you hold on to metal bars and there’s a staff member who holds on to you, so it’s completely safe.
To make it easier to understand how to kiss the Blarney Stone, here are videos of both me and Shae kissing it:
As you can see, it’s less of a passionate lingering kiss and more of a wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am experience.
The big question though: did we get the gift of eloquence? Well, I…er….um…I’m kind of, I dunno, like, undecided.
Like I mentioned earlier, I’d thought the Blarney Stone would be all there’d be to see at Blarney Castle.
I couldn’t have been more wrong.
We ended up spending a couple of hours on the castle’s grounds and could have happily spent all day there if we’d had time. We didn’t get to explore everything, but here’s what we did get to see.
Blarney Castle Gardens
The castle is set in over 60 acres of gardens. One of my favorite parts was the Bog Garden which is much better than it sounds.
There are a couple of waterfalls…
…metallic flowers…
…three yew trees known as the Three Wise Men…
…a willow tunnel…
…and some plants in the rhubarb family with freaking huge leaves.
Humans are the ones who are supposed to eat rhubarb, but these plants didn’t get the memo.
Mark and Megan take better photos than we do though.
Poison Garden
Another interesting part of the castle grounds was the Poison Garden. This contained plants that can be poisonous if used in the wrong way, but which serve other purposes when used in the right way.
There are all kinds of plants, from rhubarb to mandrake to wolfsbane to juniper.
There’s even a cannabis plant in the garden. This is kept behind a large metal cage, presumably to stop people from trying to get Blarney stoned.
Rock Close
Another part of the Blarney Castle grounds we checked out was Rock Close. This area is filled with different types of rocks with all kinds of stories and legends behind them.
There’s the Dolmen, a precariously balanced rock. Was it rolled there? Or lifted? According to the sign, it’s a “megalithic tomb portal”, so maybe Lara Croft can unlock its secrets one day.
Then there’s the Wishing Steps. If you walk down them and back up as the instructions describe below and make a wish, it’ll come true within a year.
Shae and I both did this, so we’re each due to get $1 million by August 19, 2018.
And then there’s the most beautiful stone of all – the Witches Stone. Apparently the Witch of Blarney is imprisoned in this stone bearing her image and only escapes from it at night.
I don’t know if she cast a spell on me or if my lips were drawn to granite after kissing the Blarney Stone earlier that morning, but one thing led to another and, well, don’t tell Shae but…
Leaving Blarney Castle
After my illicit liaison with the Witches Stone, it was sadly time to leave. We spotted a tree on the way out that showed the importance of perseverance.
For some reason, there was also a row of trees dressed in what appeared to be LuLaRoe leggings. Not to be outdone, Shae had a fashion contest with her own LuLaRoe leggings.
Final Thoughts
We loved Blarney Castle and were disappointed to not have more time to explore the grounds. If you go to visit, you should take a picnic and spend all day there – you won’t regret it.
Ireland Road Trip
Here’s everything else that we got up to in Ireland:
- Introduction: Non-Surprise Ireland Road Trip
- 24 Hours In Athlone, Ireland: Where To Stay, Eat, Drink, Shop & Visit
- Luck Of The Irish At Kilmacduagh Monastery
- Returning To The Cliffs Of Moher
- Quin Abbey In 30 Photos
- Feasting Like Royalty At The Bunratty Castle Medieval Banquet
- Day 3: Desmond, Dingle, Dolphin, Driving And Dining
- Puckering Up At Blarney Castle
- Day 4: Kissing Stones, Flat Tires, Stunning Food & Tiny Homes
- 4 Friends + 1 Tiny Home = 1 Fun Night In Ireland
- Breakfast Serendipity At The Conservatory, Laragh
- Glendalough Monastic Site In 25 Photos
- Shot Through The Heart At The Irish Whiskey Museum
- Dublin’s Best Breakfast At Stage Door Cafe
- What To Do (And What Not To Do) In Dublin, Ireland
- Travelling With The Peppers: Saga Holiday Adventures
- Don’t Make These 10 Mistakes When Visiting Ireland
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