Blimey, It's the Blarney!

Back on the blasted bus. Really?

Reminds me of the old joke.

Patient goes into the doctor for a physical. The doctor checks him over and says, "Joe, I think you need a new butt," to which Joe says, "Why Doc?" The doctor responds, "Because the one you've got has a crack in it!"

That may not be the most PC joke to tell on a blog, but it cracks me up every time I hear it. Pun intended.

ANYWAY, that's how I felt after yesterday's mammoth bus ride around the Ring of Kerry, coupled with the day and a half trip just to get to Killarney.

But here we are, getting back on the bus. Yippee!!

First stop today? Blarney, County Cork.

HISTORY ALERT!

Blarney Castle (picture to the left is Jacob standing in front of the castle) was built in 1466 by this chap named Cormac MacCarthy, the Lord of Muscry. The castle was besieged and captured and even changed hands a few times, but through all that time it contained, at the top of the battlements, what is known as the Stone of Eloquence, or the Blarney Stone. There are quite a few legends about the stone, but no one really seems to know its exact history. Some say it's a magical stone on which Irish kings were crowned. Suffice it to say that it's said that if you kiss the stone you will be given the gift of gab.

To do so, you've got to sit down, lean backwards over a sheer drop, grab a metal bar on each side, lean as far back as you can and pucker up. You can see me doing it in the picture on the right. Afraid of heights? Um, yea. But both Jacob and I did it...and we have photographic evidence, too. Notice how blackened the stone is where you're supposed to smooch. Icky is an understatement. But to go to Ireland and NOT kiss the Blarney Stone?

Inconceivable! Around the castle are some stellar gardens and a house, interestingly enough called the Blarney House, where people still live. Jacob and I actually took a tour of the house and learned some of its history (interesting). We also took a long walk around the grounds and gardens.

He and his buddies climbed some very large rocks (above left), saw some pretty flowers, waterfalls and streams, and climbed the Wishing Steps (above right). Legend has it that if you make a wish at the bottom of the steps, then climb up them with your eyes closed, your wish will come true. We all went so far as to climb them with our eyes closed, then descended them backwards, also with our eyes closed. So far, bupkis.

After jamming a large piece of pepperoni pizza down my neck and splashing a bottle of water past my Adam's apple, it was, you guessed it, back on the bus.

Another couple of grueling hours of trying to keep my neck from breaking, what with all of the nodding off and all, and we were in Cashel, County Tipperary. What are we seeing here? Another castle! Yea! Hurray castles! No, really. I really liked them. I was being serious.

HISTORY ALERT

According to the locals, the Rock of Cashel, or Cashel Rock, was originally built about 20 miles away in this mountainous area called The Devil's Bit in the 5th century after Christ. When St. Patrick banished Satan from a cave near there, the Rock was miraculously "catapulted" to where it is today.

OK, then.

Well, on the reality side, the Rock was the seat of the kings of Muster for several hundreds years. That is, until the Normans invaded. Bad Normans!

There is also a really big graveyard that kind of surrounds the castle. It overlooks the entire valley. You can see, from the picture on the right, why they chose this particular place to build a castle. I mean, they could see the enemy coming for miles and miles. "Sure, it's big enough, but look at the location!"

Back in the bus. Good thing we had good old Danny as our bus driver. It was a lot more pleasant with him on the trip, playing his Irish music and letting us watch the Riverdance dvd. "His legs flay about as if independent from his body!"

Coming soon - Part IV - Dublin