Ireland Day 3 ~

Day 3 ~

Today we awoke to a cold and musty room. :-( We decided we would not stay the additional two nights that we had reserved because “it was too far from our other destinations”. . . which was completely true!! I was sick to my stomach as I dressed for the day thinking that the owner would make us pay for the nights we had cancelled. We took some pictures outside of the castle and had breakfast in the dinning hall. I must say that it showed improvement during the day but was still uneasy. She took the cancellation “ok” but became much less hospitable. I felt like a burden was lifted off of my stomach when we were finally free of the place. . . terrible to say that though.


On our way to Blarney, to see the Blarney Castle, we made a pit stop to visit an antique store. I bought a book written in the old Irish spelling and wanted an old French map of Ireland, but it was €625 which would equal about $937!!!! It was only about 8.5 x 11! The shop owner said I had very good taste! LOL. Mary, the owner, was a very nice lady who had the gift of gab! Among other things, she told us of some old monk ruins that were located about 5 miles away called Kilcrea Abbey. Since we were going in that direction anyway, we decided to make the stop. She also said that across the road from the ruins was a stone fence you could jump and walk out to an old bell/guard tower in the middle of the field and “if there are cows inside you can just shew them out.” Hehe! We found the ruins, which were great, and then decided to go for the tower. Mom was a little nervous due to the fact that we were crossing onto privately owned property, walking through three-quarters of a mile field, and entering a dark, deserted guard tower. Me. . . I thought it wad completely normal. When we got to the tower I decided to climb all the way up through a very small stone stair case. Mom was uneasy about the idea so she stayed firmly planted on the ground and took pictures! Ha! It was beautiful!! There were so many little rooms that branched off inside and the very top of the tower was grassy and had vines growing all around. It felt peaceful and wonderful. I mostly thought about how this tower could have provided Misha and I the best playhouse in the world growing up!!



Going in!!!

First Floor. . . .

Second Floor. . . .

Third Floor . . . .

At the top!! Whoohoooo! (you might have to look really hard to see me. I tried holding my arms up to make me more visable. It was a long ways up there)

Next stop up was Blarney Castle. The town of Blarney was quaint and relaxed. The castle was surrounded by beautiful grounds and a stream. The castle was built on a massive rock that provided a sure foundation and acted as additional protection against any would be assailants. We first ventured out into the dungeons of the castle which were essentially a long tunnel of about 4 feet high by 4 feet across. It was dark, dank, and wet. The tunnel floors and walls consisted of uneven rocks and small boulders which provided an excellent opportunity to break a leg or bust one’s head. Afterwards we headed towards the regular entrance of the castle where we were able to view the dinning hall, the kitchen, the master bedroom and other small rooms (for the priests and young ladies). When we got to the top of the tower, quite a bit of climbing on a stone spiral staircase, we did what is in “Discovery Channels top 99 things to do before you die” . . . . we kissed the Blarney stone! This stone hangs out over the top of the castle and one must lie on their back and lean out over the edge of the castle upside down to kiss this stone. Luckily there have been bars placed beneath your head in case you should loose your balance, but it was still a little freaky. Kissing the Blarney stone is said to give the kisser the gift of eloquence. I also learned the difference between boloney and blarney. Blarney is the varnished truth. Boloney is the unvarnished lie. Blarney is flattery laid on just think enough to like it. Boloney is flattery laid on so thick we hate it. “Boloney is flattery laid on with a trowel. Blarney is flattery laid on with the lips; that is why you have to kiss a stone to get it.” ~ Monsignor Fulton Sheen ~ We then were able to see some of the mystical side of Ireland through the wishing steps, witch’s kitchen, and witch’s stone. Supposedly there is a witch that lives on the premises of Blarney castle that is obligated to provide individuals with free wishes in return for taking their firewood. On the wishing steps it is said that whoever walks up the steps and then down again backwards while closing their eyes and thinking solely of a specific wish, their wish will come true within a year! . . . . Yes, I tried it! HA! (but I’m not telling what my wish is! I guess will see if it really works in a year’s time. . . check in for a later report!) The witch’s kitchen is a cave that is often lit up with a fire from the witch every night when she is released from the witch’s stone (a stone that resembles the face of a witch), or so the villagers claim. It was all very interesting. Also located on the grounds is the Blarney House. It is privately owned and as I understand is accessible to the public for staying overnight.

Dungeons










We then found a Bed and Breakfast that we could stay at in Blarney before venturing off to a neighboring town about 30 minutes away to see the Mallow castle. The castle was in ruins and nearby was a “new” Mallow castle that was privately owned. Although it was in ruins, it was still beautiful. It amazes me that people through history would let these monumental structures progress into becoming ruins. I understand many of these came to be this way through plundering and pillaging of different colonels, such as Cromwell, or the kings, such as Henry VIII.



Returning to Blarney we found a nice pub to obtain our dinner of a grilled cheese and ham sandwich which we ate while sharing a table with a couple who were also staying at our B&B. This was an interesting couple! The woman was in her 70’s and was Irish who then lived in England and then to Australia. The gentleman was in his 80’s and was Welsh born but lived in Australia. There names were Liz and Merv. They were a riot! They told stories of travel and of their lives in Australia. On one occasion Merv traveled to New Zeeland to visit his daughter and when he returned he informed Liz that he had bought a Mexican restaurant. There was now a Mexican restaurant in New Zeeland with a Maori chef, an Irish waitress and a Welsh owner. Ha!! We were invited to come visit them in Australia!! Afterwards, we returned to our room to make up for lack of sleep from the previous night.