Blarney Castle…and that bloody stone: Photo of the week

Blarney Castle – is it worth it?

Blarney Castle – I remember it fondly. Not just because I was able to kiss the Blarney Stone (is that even hygienic to do?). But because it was more than just the Blarney Stone. Now, it’s been said that if you kiss the stone, it gives the gift of the gab. I’m not so sure.

Could it be…

I could have been wandering through the landscape of Rock Close where Ash kept shaking her head at me looking for fairies at the bottom of the garden. Maybe I was thinking too much about what happened at the Druids’ sacrificial altar in times past.

I could have been marvelling at the ruins of the castle’s 18th century mansion, The Court, and lamenting its demise. Perhaps I was constantly banging my head against the low ceiling of the underground passages of the dungeon. Or perhaps I cussing (and I cussed a lot) for not being able to find the Witch Stone.

Maybe I enjoyed walking through the gardens. I mean there was a lot of variety from the Himalayan Walk and the Bog Garden to The Jungle and The Seven Sisters. Or the fact I couldn’t make good use of the Opium and Cannabis plants in the Poison Garden (I jest – I’m not into drugs).

Maybe for me, I was more interested in the castle itself. About the history of the McCarthy family. The castle’s stubborn resistance against the English and eventual demise. Or maybe I enjoyed the climb through each of the castle’s levels. The laboured climb up numerous staircase and a feeling of achievement when I reached the top and admired the panoramic views of Blarney town and beyond.

…the experience

Maybe I just enjoyed it all so much. So much that I never stopped talking about it for days. Gift of the gab? It wasn’t the stone. It was the experience.

That’s enough gabbing. Here’s that photo I was promising…..

Visiting Blarney Castle