Craic Agus Ceol - The Blarney Stone

 The Irish group Craic agus Ceol's latest is an Irish ballad about the Blarney Stone.  The stone is located in Blarney Castle in southern Ireland. The stone is steeped in rich folklore and history, and was set in the wall of a tower of Blarney Castle in 1446. According to the legend, kissing the stone gives the gift of gab to the kisser. The Castle and stone has attracted millions of visitors from all over the world.

To kiss the stone is not the easiest thing to do, as it requires the person to climb 200 stone steps up to its position 85 feet above ground and hang their head over backwards on the edge. There are guardrails to hold onto to assist, and an assistant to support the body. Before the guardrails were installed, the only way the stone could be kissed was by dangling upside down and backwards while someone else held you by the ankles! Even at the present with the guardrails it can still trigger anxiety and stress due to the height.

There's been some questions about how sanitary it is to kiss an old rock after so many have done the same thing.  Staff cleans the stone periodically with disinfectant, but not after each person kisses it. Accordingly, TripAdvisor named the stone the most unhygienic tourist attraction in the world in 2009! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Éire down southern coast 

Is the town of Cork City 

‘Bout 5 miles outside of town

 Lies the Castle named a Blarney

 In this castle is a limestone 

Built way up into the wall 

A thing folks be puttin' lips on 

To gain the power of it all 

 

Well then kiss me, I'm Irish! 

Green all way to me bones 

If ya cannot go to Ireland 

Be warmer then Blarney stone 

 

To plant you lips on the rock 

Is not a trial that's inferior 

Ye have to clamber up the peak 

The castle wall interior 

Ye have to lay down on yer back 

Grab hold of old iron rails 

While some one holds ye by the boots 

So ye don't end up in a fail 

 

I said kiss me, I'm Irish! 

Green all way to me bones 

If ya cannot go to Ireland 

I'm warmer then Blarney stone '

 

Tis a dauntin' task for sure 

And used to be even worse 

Never had the hand rails up there 

Which made it all quite perverse 

All ye had between tumblin' down 

To fate endin' in tragedy 

With some daft man holding ankles 

To prevent such calamity 

 

 I said kiss me, I'm Irish! 

Green all way to me bones 

If ya cannot go to Ireland

 I'm warmer den Blarney stone 

 

 What do ye gain by kissin' it

 An ancient, dirty old rock?

 'Tis ‘bout a legend anyway

 Which some take in great stock 

But they say it give the kisser 

Ability to not offend 

As your words can deceive 

Without no need to defend

 

 I got the Blarney, I'm Irish! 

Green all way to me bones 

I'll give the blarney trough me lips

 I'm warmer then Blarney stone