Adventures at Blarney Castle

Sunday, June 2, 2019 -- We leave Waterford and head across to Blarney, Ireland, home of the ruins of Blarney Castle. The majority of the castles here are in ruins because in the 1600's, when Ireland was still under British rule, Cromwell was sent here from England to put down the Irish rebellion. He felt that if he destroyed the castles which were the strongholds of the Irish clans, he could prevent any further upheavels. He was wrong, and the Irish continued to revolt until finally winning their freedom in the 1920's.

As we traverse the countryside, I am struck by the beauty here -- the lush rolling hills I expected but I had not considered that it is late spring and so the beautiful blossoms have emerged. The fields here are bordered with hedgerows instead of fences and in amongst the hedgerows are lovely white flowering plants that look similar to the bridal wreath that is seen in the US -- graceful fountains of fragrant white flowers on deep green foliage. I was talking with a local woman in one of the shops and I asked her about them -- they are called blackthorn and are rather like roses in that the stems are equipped with vicious thorns. A particularly mild winter followed by a gentle, wet spring has yielded a bumper crop. The landscape is dotted with these beautiful plants, and when added to the cherry and plum blossoms which are prolific here, the display is magnificent -- and the perfume is intoxicating -- an Irish spring -- beautiful and fragrant.

Blarney castle is as iconic to Ireland as the Leaning Tower of Pisa is to Italy. I had decided to forgo this trek but then I thought -- why not? I climbed the Leaning Tower of Pisa, so let's also do the Blarney Stone. I love that Jim is so supportive of these ventures -- he doesn't want to participate but encourages me and waits patiently for my return. This is when it's great to be in a tour group -- there are other people you know. So with my fellow-adventurers, Beth and Julia, we set forth -- up a steep hill to the base of the castle, then up the narrow, winding steps of Blarney castle (125 wedge-shaped stone steps, no handrails, only a rope running through the middle of the spiral). We arrive at the top of the castle where the famed Blarney Stone resides. Along the way, we read about the possible origins of the stone --- a popular theory is that it is actually a religious relic -- the stone upon which Jacob rested his head in the desert when he dreamed of the ladder to heaven with angels ascending and descending. Crusaders brought it back from the Holy Land and gifted it to their landlord and so it came to rest at the top of Blarney Castle.

To kiss the stone, after climbing up (and waiting in line -- it's a very popular attraction), you must lie on your back, reach back for the grab bars, and bend backwards and lower your head some 18" - 24" below you. We all 3 succeeded, were therefore blessed with the gift of eloquence, and worked our way down, rejoicing in our magnificent accomplishment, to where Jim waited in the gardens below.

Jim and I then did some shopping at the Woolen Mill, then went to the restaurant for a snack. Here in Ireland, coffee or tea with a scone is a frequent snack; when we ordered that for two, we were given a tray with a generous pot of tea, perfectly brewed, and mixed berry scones with whipped butter and jam. Irish scones were also one of the foods I wanted to try here and they are wonderful -- not wedges like we see at home but large and round, like enormous biscuits but more moist and definitely taste of cream. As we sat by the window, enjoying our tea and marveling at the beautiful scenery, I felt so incredibly blessed to be here in this moment.

After we left Blarney, we traveled on to Killarney, a quaint little town which we will be calling home for a couple of days. We pulled into the majestic grounds of the Dunloe hotel, passed beautiful blond horses and some tiny foals, and drove up to our hotel. This also is an amazing, beautiful hotel, but unlike the previous two, this one is very modern and elegant. The lobby features a multi-story library which looks like something straight out of Beauty and the Beast. We have a large room with a balcony overlooking the mountains and Dunloe Gap.

When the Great Famine forced so many Irish out of their homes and across the ocean to America, many of them, like my ancestors, settled in West Virginia to become coal-miners. Looking around this area, I wonder -- did they settle there because it reminded them of beautiful hills of the home they left behind?