This month, I thought I'd start creating some entries that have to do with some of the mystical locations in Ireland. Some I've actually had the privilege of visiting. Others? Someday.
NOTE: The pictures included in this post were ones that I took myself.
During my trip to Ireland, I made sure to visit Blarney Castle in County Cork. This is the location of the Blarney Stone, and as legend has it anyone who kisses the Blarney Stone is suddenly blessed with the great eloquence ( aka 'Blarney'). For over 200 years, people have visited this site and kissed that blessed stone. From normal people all the way to entertainers such as Sir Mick Jagger and James Nesbitt to politicians like Sir Winstone Churchill and Ronald Reagan. I did not kiss the Blarney Stone while I was there. I've been told many times that I'm already brimming with Blarney. Any more Blarney, and I just might burst.
BLARNEY CASTLE
I spent most of my time at Blarney Castle, walking the foot paths, enjoying some of the other magical spots on the castle grounds. Long before the castle had been built, that part of Ireland was known to be home to witches, druids, and fairies. Those who have built upon this particular piece of land, over the years, made sure to honor its magical history. I wonder if they feared the "consequences" of what might have happened if they didn't.
Some spots the grounds you can visit include the Druid's Cave, the Druid's Circle, and the Sacrificial Altar. One of my favorite sites was the Witches Stone. It's a boulder with a witch's profile hidden within its shape. According to some sources, the Blarney Witch (as she be came to known) terrorized that area long before the castle had been constructed. At some point, she was tricked into the stone and remained trapped there during the daylight. While trapped in the stone, the witch is supposed to bestow wishes to those who are able to walk up and down backwards the Wishing Steps, while thinking only about their wishes and nothing else. I tried the Wishing Steps, which are quite steep and slippery after a bit of rain. All I could think of the whole time was not falling.
THE WITCHES STONE
THE WITCHES KITCHEN
No one knows who built the first castle on that land, but the MacCarthy family built what would become known as Blarney Castle in 1446. There's a story about the lord of the manor, at that time, Cormac Laidir MacCarthy who was involved in a lawsuit. He prayed to the Celtic goddess Cliodhna (who just happens to be a character in my book Death's Fair Maiden) for help. She told him to kiss the first stone he found in the field on his way to the court. Cormac did exactly that, and later discovered he was able to argue his case with newfound eloquence and won it.
In another version the story, the stone was already part of the castle. Originally, it had been part of a site used for druid rituals, hence it's great power. In this version, it was the Blarney Witch herself who told Cormac about its power after she'd saved him from drowning.
I love that about Ireland. Its mythology, legends, and folklore are just as important as its history -- and they are often intertwined with it.
