"To know how to say!... This is all that matters in life." -Fernando Pessoa

It is said that those who kiss the Blarney Stone will be bestowed with the gift of eloquence.

Laurel and Hardy

"Two of cinema’s best loved characters visited Blarney early in the twentieth century. It’s no surprise to us that they were amongst the few that successfully made the transition from silent movies to talkies. They did kiss the Stone."

The famed stone, located on the top of the Blarney castle's tower, has a fabled past. Some state its origins stem from biblical times, as it was the rock that gushed water when Moses struck it. Others claim the builder of the castle installed it after kissing a stone on his way to court (per the advice of the goddess Cliodhna, queen of the banshees) and won, after eloquently pleading his case.

Winston Churchill

"Winston Churchill visited in 1912. We’ll just stick to the facts this time. He kissed the Stone. He became the greatest orator of the twentieth century. You can fill in the gaps…"

No matter its true history, millions in the past few centuries have made the pilgrimage to kiss the stone for its powers... if not for the germs.  The blue stone (which is the same type of stone used by the druids to build Stonehenge) is not easy to reach. After climbing 7000* stairs, squeezing through narrow walkways, and reaching the roof of the castle, the individual in search of the gift of gab has to lie on their back, while held by a stranger, grab hold of safety rails, lower their body through a chasm and jut their head out far enough to reach the low lying rock.

Mick Jagger

"Rolling Stones front man Mick Jagger has locked lips with a few celebrities in his time… the Blarney Stone being one of them!"

Before safeguards were installed, kissing the stone was a near death defying act. The only thing stopping the individual kissing the stone from falling to their doom was the commissioned person(s) who held their ankles.

(photo credit)

Thankfully, for me, times have changed - allowing enough reason to kiss the blarney stone myself without risking my life.

Oh, all right! I only pretended to kiss it. I's already gots me enough o'that there eloquence.

(Besides, do you know how many germs are on that thing?!)

* Technically, this may be an exaggerated number. But, not too far off from the truth.

quotes about famous Blarney stone kissers found here.