Oh Blarney! Day 3

The castle originally dates from before AD 1200, when a wooden structure was believed to have been built on the site, although no evidence remains of this. Around 1210 A.D. this was replaced by a stone fortification. It was destroyed in 1446, but subsequently rebuilt by Cormac Laidir MacCarthy, Lord of Muscry.

An early story involves the goddess Clíodhna. Cormac Laidir MacCarthy, the builder of Blarney Castle,being involved in a lawsuit, appealed to Clíodhna for her assistance. She told MacCarthy to kiss the first stone he found in the morning on his way to court, and he did so, with the result that he pleaded his case with great eloquence and won. Thus the Blarney Stone is said to impart "the ability to deceive without offending." MacCarthy then incorporated it into the parapet of the castle.

The ritual of kissing the Blarney Stone, according to the castle's proprietors, has been performed by "millions of people", including "world statesmen, literary giants [and] legends of the silver screen". The kiss, however, is not casually achieved. To touch the stone with one's lips, the participant must ascend to the castle's peak, then lean over backwards on the parapet's edge. This is traditionally achieved with the help of an assistant. Although the parapet is now fitted with wrought-iron guide rails and protective crossbars, the ritual can still trigger attacks of acrophobia, an extreme or irrational fear of heights.
In 2009, Tripadvisor.com ranked the Blarney Stone as the most unhygienic tourist attraction in the world ..yuck.

To improve tourism around the castle they have created these beautiful gardens to walk around in and take pictures. There are little mystical plaques everywhere telling you about my mysterious witch in the area.

Awww I love my mom!!! :)))

Day 2 The Dingle

My mom hates the fact that I call The Dingle Peninsula just "The Dingle" But. all locals call it the dingle also. and frankly.. its so much more fun to say! I wish i could find more of my pictures I took here, but alas. I cant. :)

 It was super foggy and pouring rain. We went through this beautiful back country road that I absolutely loved! The only problem was that it was a one lane road and it was scary at times trying to pass other cars!

 Yes. there are palm trees in Ireland!!! This made me oh so happy...I wish that it hadn't been winter season there. Apparently farther down from this palm tree is a fort from 400 AD. Which would have been rockin to see!

 Gaelic writing. My name is Gaelic...I find it completely fascinating :)

This was a really fun beautiful day. We had delicious fish and chips in a little restaurant while it down poured outside! I highly recommend anyone going to Ireland visit "The Dingle" :)

I am a horrible person. Sorry for not updating!! P.S. This is IRELAND Day 1

Day 1- The Cliffs of Moher

Yes these cliffs are incredibly beautiful to look at. 

The cliffs take their name from an old fort that once stood on Hag's Head, the most southern point of the Cliffs.

The cliffs consist mainly of beds of Namurian shale and sandstone with the oldest rocks being found at the bottom of the cliffs. It is possible to see 300 million year-old river channels cutting through, forming unconformities at the base of the cliffs

My mom and I may have trespassed at one point....crawling over a giant wall...onto farmers land...hiking through the mud and water that settled in puddles....but dont worry. We didnt end up in the police car in Ireland!

The Cliffs of Moher have been featured on film numerous times, including in Leap Year (2010), The Princess Bride (1987), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

AND. A man threw himself off the cliffs the day before we got there...after he tied his wife to their bed and left her for three days.. awesome.