Kissing the Blarney Stone
posted by sooyup
on
Holidays
We didn't, but since the tradition began late in the 18th century, millions of people have kissed the Blarney Stone, in a ritual believed to confer eloquence. The kiss is not for the faint hearted. To touch the stone with one's lips, the participant must ascend to the castle's peak, then lean over backwards on the parapet's edge - usually with the help of a trusted assistant. Although the parapet is now fitted with wrought iron guide rails and protective crossbars, in past times people were hung by their heels over the edge of the parapet with real risk to life and limb. The word Blarney entered the English language during the time of Queen Elizabeth I. Dermot McCarthy, the ruler of the castle, was required to surrender his fortress to the Queen as proof of his loyalty. He said he would be delighted to do so, but something always happened at the last moment to prevent his surrender. His excuses became so frequent and so plausible that the official who had been demanding the castle in the name of the Queen became a joke at the Court. Once, when the eloquent excuses of McCarthy were repeated to the Queen, she said "Odds bodikins, more Blarney talk!"
We didn't, but since the tradition began late in the 18th century, millions of people have kissed the Blarney Stone, in a ritual believed to confer eloquence. The kiss is not for the faint hearted. To touch the stone with one's lips, the participant must ascend to the castle's peak, then lean over backwards on the parapet's edge - usually with the help of a trusted assistant. Although the parapet is now fitted with wrought iron guide rails and protective crossbars, in past times people were hung by their heels over the edge of the parapet with real risk to life and limb. The word Blarney entered the English language during the time of Queen Elizabeth I. Dermot McCarthy, the ruler of the castle, was required to surrender his fortress to the Queen as proof of his loyalty. He said he would be delighted to do so, but something always happened at the last moment to prevent his surrender. His excuses became so frequent and so plausible that the official who had been demanding the castle in the name of the Queen became a joke at the Court. Once, when the eloquent excuses of McCarthy were repeated to the Queen, she said "Odds bodikins, more Blarney talk!" 
