The history behind the Blarney Stone is complex and not altogether agreed upon. There are possible origins and folk tales that trace it all the way to the 1300s! Regardless of it’s actual origin, it has been a popular tourist attraction in Ireland for many years. On our trip to Ireland in 2017 it was very clear (to me at least!) that this had to be part of our itinerary. Not to mention it was part of a castle; and I love castles so the rest was history.
Getting to the Blarney Stone
When I say “getting to the Blarney Stone” I don’t mean arriving at the Blarney Stone location. I mean physically getting up the tower to kiss the stone. We arrived as part of a cruise ship tour (read about the cruise itinerary here), and there were busloads of cruisers from two ships visiting that day.
If you’re lucky, you won’t have to wait in a giant line like we did – we waited in line for over two hours to kiss that stone! The first hour and a half we weren’t even inside the castle. Once you get through the lines, there are even more obstacles to pass before you can have your chance at the gift of gab… steep inclines, narrow passageways, heights, and more lines. If you are afraid of confined spaces and there are lines that day, be advised!
Safety Concerns
There are steep, narrow, and dark winding stairs to get up to the top. We were stuck on those bad boys for at least 10 minutes as we made our climb. I don’t even want to think about what would happen if there was a fire or some sort of medical emergency there. It would have been nearly impossible to get to or to help someone out of those stairs. And the only thing to hold on to was a rock wall or pieces of rope. But as the old saying goes, hindsight is 20/20.
Our Overall Experience
If we had more time to visit Blarney Castle and the stone, I think it would have been a more enjoyable experience. We only had a few hours to explore and most of that was spent in line to kiss the Blarney Stone. I felt like our day was very rushed, we didn’t get to look around the grounds for too long and there were so many people everywhere you turned. I suppose that is just the reality of cruising: you’re on someone else’s schedule, and constantly surrounded by other tourists.
Should You Visit?
If you like history, castles and testing your patience with lines, then yes you need to visit. Even if you don’t want to go kiss the Blarney Stone, the grounds are beautiful for walking and taking photos. It was a “must-do” experience for me, but now that I’ve done it I probably wouldn’t go back.
What about you: have you been to the Blarney Stone? If so, what did you think of the experience?
