Attractions In Blarney- or How Sherlock Holmes Almost Kissed The Blarney Stone !
When it comes to attractions in Blarney,I am very proud of my local parish…
There you are, a tourist in a foreign country. Somehow you find yourself on the flat of your back , being lowered backwards about four feet below the parapet on the outside of a castle wall, while your captors coax you into kissing a block of bluestone . Your ankles are being firmly held and you are completely at the mercy of a strong local man. Your heart is pounding and you suffer temporary and overwhelming acrophobia , Down below is a 90 foot drop with just a few iron bars between you and goodbye! Well ,here in Cork City, this is considered one of the main attractions in Blarney and they will charge you money for it!! And convince you, and millions of others , that it is a VERY good idea….a bucket list Blarney style. Does it qualify for one of the hardest won kisses in the world? Well it certainly qualifies for a load of” blarney”!
Kissing the Blarney Stone is not for the faint hearted and I fit this category to a tee having visited numerous times and never having the nerve to be lowered into that tiny space backwards and upside down. Having not kissed the Blarney Stone I forfeit the right to the gift of eloquence and gentle persuasion endowed on those braver beings that actually do.
Here in Ireland we just call it the Gift of the Gab. The most plausible story tells how Queen Elizabeth 1, while requesting an oath of loyalty to retain occupancy of land, received responses fromCormac McCarthy the Lord of Blarney, which amounted to subtle diplomacy, and promised loyalty to the Queen without “giving in.” Elizabeth proclaimed that McCarthy was giving her “(a lot of) blarney,” thus apparently giving rise to the legend. Another story tells how Cormac was involved in a lawsuit and appealed to the goddess Clíodhna for assistance. She told MacCarthy to kiss the first stone he found in the morning on his way to court, and he did so, with the result that he pleaded his case with great eloquence and won. Thus the Blarney Stone is said to impart “the ability to deceive without offending.” MacCarthy then incorporated it into the parapet of the castle .I rather like this second version as I am convinced that the aforementioned lawsuit was probably due to someone falling through the parapet! If you take a look at Blarney Castle prints by Donagh Glavin on our Irishmadegifts website you will be relieved to see that today’s attractions in Blarneydo not involve high risk activities!
- The Mystery of The Blarney Stone
The Blarney Stone Is One Of The Best Attractions In Blarney
Am I doing a good job not persuading you towards the logic of putting yourself through the stress? Are you still convinced that the Blarney Stone is one of the best attractions in Blarney? Well not many people know this but here’s the final nail in the coffin…literally! In the Sherlock Holmes radio dramatisation “The Adventure of the Blarney Stone” (first broadcast the day after St. Patricks Day, March 18, 1946), Sherlock Holmes whom I love dearly and Dr. Watson whom I love more, both visited the Blarney Stone….and witnessed a murder while they were at it. A man attempting to kiss the Blarney Stone falls to his death. There were no railings in the grating in those days and down he went like a lead balloon . Holmes’ investigation reveals this as a murder, the man’s boots having been surreptitiously greased before the attempt. The moral of the story – do not be arrogant and overbearing , and never let your wife grease your shoes, especially before kissing the Blarney Stone. You can listen to the entire 32 minute audio here on www.myoldradio.com . It’s a gem of a radio piece once you close your ears to the attempt at Irish accents and also realise that when this was broadcast some of us lived to serve( or served to live), while others sat comfortably, higher up on the social ladder .Oh wait …has much changed really? And in a complete aside may I ask another rhetorical question that needs answering….is there a non-Irish man or woman alive or dead who can or did mimic the Irish accent to perfection? I have yet to hear one.
Now if Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Elementary Watson can visit the Famous Blarney Stone ,then surely you can too? I point out ,for reasons of fairness , that on listening to the audio, Watson does not appear to have kissed the stone and Holmes failed at the finish line due to his allegedly greased up boots .That to my mind was still a FAIL ,even if someone was attempting to murder him. They both belong firmly in my” Fainthearted” category with me, and are not allowed out. Better for them to just enjoy the beautiful grounds and gardens, or the Blarney village hospitality….like I do!
Nowadays of course, the fainthearted can avail of the shopping in Blarney, with the beautiful Blarney Woollen Mills and the numerous craft shops and restaurants scattered around the proverbial village green . Or maybe opt for a round of golf in Blarney Golf Resort? I shall not blame you if you decide to Let the Blarney Stone Alone!After all there are other attractions in Blarney– just type in” Things to do Blarney” and up they come. Maybe they should rename it “Things not to do Blarney”! You decide….
Ah yes….I am very proud of Blarney!
