While planning my trip to Ireland, I wasn’t happy with just visiting Dublin. I felt that if I only saw Dublin, I was missing out on so much Ireland has to offer. So, I did something that worried many people: I drove a car. On January 3, I rented a car and started driving south on the left-hand side of the road.
My ultimate goal was to end up on the west coast of Ireland, but first I wanted to make a stop in Cork. According to some genealogy tracking, my family may come from that area. I’ve got to say, I wasn’t super impressed with Cork and I’m glad I only spent one day there. That wasn’t my main reason for going there, though.
After a day of rest in Cork, I set off again for the west coast, but first, I had to make a stop at Blarney Castle. Since I was little, I had always heard stories about Blarney Castle and how you can kiss the Blarney Stone to get the “gift of gab”. I never imagined I’d actually go one day.
As soon as I arrived, it felt magical. Maybe there were leprechauns hiding among the bushes. Blarney Castle is part of a larger “gardens” area, too. When you walk into the compound, you are not greeted by the castle, but rather large areas of grass and trees. It was just very peaceful and perfect.
I approached the castle and was in awe. It wasn’t in perfect condition – far from it, but it still just had this enchanting feel to it. It was like all the stories you hear come to life.
To get to the Blarney Stone, you must first walk up the castle stairs. For the first time in my life, I was glad to be short. Imagine trying to walk up and down those stairs every day … no thank you! They were built that way on purpose though, narrow and winding, to prevent invaders from coming through. Only one person could make it through at a time, and they were most likely met by a group of warriors shooting arrows at them.
Along the way to the top, you can see the remnants of former rooms. They know more or less what each room was used for. Someone who was climbing at the same time as me, noted that the kitchens were on a separate floor from the dining room – just think about how they had to get all that food down the stairs for feasts!
Finally, at the top, you get a wide look around Blarney. There is a river, a lot of green, and trees. It’s such a nice change of scenery from the brown and red of the meseta of Spain. After a moment of being mesmerized, I walked around to the Blarney Stone. They don’t know exactly where the stone came from, but one of the popular theories is that Robert the Bruce broke part of the stone and gave it to the Irish clans to thank them for their support.
There are some extra safety precautions to kiss the stone. First, they tell you to put everything in your pockets or to someone not doing the kissing. Then, you lay back on a mat, grabbing the bars behind you while someone holds onto your legs. This person guides you to the stone (which is actually kind of small), and -muah-! You have now been blessed with the gift of gab.
After kissing the stone, I made my way back down to the ground. Outside the castle is a “poison garden”. It’s full of poisonous plants, mainly for educating. I saw mandrakes, belladonna, monkshood … I felt like I was in Harry Potter! They tell you about the plants and the possible effects they have. It was very interesting.
Then, I took a walk down by the river. There are plants and trees and no one around. It was a nice sense of calm. I also ventured into the grotto. Even I had to duck down in there. I briefly popped into the former dungeon, but my claustrophobia got the best of me and I ran out of there.
Blarney was one of the best experiences I had on my trip to Ireland. It was amazing to see a ruined castle and think about the history it has seen. I’m also able to check something off the list of things you have to do. I feel special to have had this chance. It made my trip to Cork worth it.
