Did you kiss the Blarney Stone?

 On our regularly scheduled excursion to Cork, we all took the bus to the Blarney Castle. On the way we saw a unique tower that we were told was a castle.  Belvelly Castle - click if you want information.

Belvelly Castle

Jeffrey bought his own ticket into the Blarney Castle

The rest of us sheep were herded over to get a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, through the gift shops and woolen mills, then asked for our email addresses. After an hour they guided us over to the castle which was then inundated with visitors from all the busses and long lines. 

So these next pictures are from Jeffrey who strolled on up to the top of the castle without lines or very many other people and took pictures along the way. I took pictures later from down below of the actual Blarney Stone with a telephoto lens.

Here are better pictures and stories in kissing the Blarney Stone.

Notice no long line - that came an hour later. Also the stocks are free

Looking down from the next floor, the roof is conical

Looking down from the top of the castle

Looking down on the other side of the castle

This is Bell Tower is over the chimney. It was catapulted off in one siege, but built up again.

Jeffrey found this tidbit fascinating

This is the view of the stone from down below with a telephoto lens. You can see the bars that make sure tourist today don't fall down. Soldiers in the past had no such protection

I did not know you had to lay down to reach the stone to kiss it.

Side view near the font, Blarney Stone is on the other side

The Blarney Stone is up that middle section. If you look really close you can see the bars that keep people from falling through and down.... Nothing like being hung over the courtyard.

Now the rest of us came to tour the castle

Front approach to the castle - Stone is at the back

Dean showing how it was done

Allen posing, might as well have fun while waiting

Diana posing, the guy with the grey sweatshirt in the last frame has moved a two feet

I didn't even try going up a claustrophobic line of people through the interior and experience vertigo at the top. Jeffrey and I toured a few of the gardens and grounds while my siblings were stuck going up  the castle walls. 

I don't know if Donald went up the castle walls, but he did explore the caves below.  Here is more info on the Blarney Castle legends.

This left me with a distinct aversion to excursions that promote shopping at the expense of what we really came to see.