Blarney Stone, Stone in County Cork, Ireland
The Blarney Stone is a limestone block set into the battlements of Blarney Castle's tower, positioned horizontally just beneath the parapet. To kiss it, visitors must lean backward over an open gap in the wall while gripping iron bars on either side.
Cormac Laidir MacCarthy, builder of Blarney Castle, set the stone into the tower's parapet in 1446. One legend says the goddess Clíodhna told him to kiss the first stone he met on his way to court, and he won his lawsuit with eloquent speech. A rival tale holds that Robert the Bruce gave the stone to Cormac MacCarthy in 1314 for support at Bannockburn, though Glasgow geologists found in 2014 that its composition matches local Blarney limestone.
Kissing the stone draws people from around the world who hope to gain the gift of eloquence. Visitors treat the moment as a mix of old tradition and playful superstition, often sharing laughter and encouragement with strangers nearby.
Reaching the stone requires climbing a narrow spiral staircase that gets tighter toward the top of the tower. Staff members at the top help each visitor lean safely into the backward position over the gap in the wall.
Geologists at the University of Glasgow analysed the stone in 2014 and found its geochemical signature matches limestone from the Blarney area, undercutting the tale that it came from Scotland's Stone of Scone in 1314. The castle's owners list other claims, including that it was Jacob's pillow.
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