Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-03-05
CLIMBING BLARNEv CASTLE.
Which Have Happened to
Itn Eanious stone.

Z
| place. The did castle, however, is we'll
outside the village. in surroundings Who'll
/ ly rural. 1t stands ON low Hill whence
it looks forth from amid a grove of trees
down on a brond field that is used MS a
public pleasure ground A slight wooden
| bridge spanning d, swift clean little river
many noble shade trees with rustic seats
about their base and in the opens mum
Der of framework swings.
The castle has suffered little from the
ravages OF time except that the roof and
the wooden floors have fallen You can
climb winding stairs aud follow devious
passa into vaultcd chambers and chilly
cells to your hearts content. All this is
very romantic. Int it IS worth while re.
menlbering that in spite Of historic cham
and strong appeal, 70 the fancy the castle
is relic Of m age OF barharisn, Wen
the country was divided among many
petty chiefs. each distrustfnl OF the ctl-
er even when on terms of nominal frie.lt-
ship.
The castle is fsiany stories high, and in
the topmost cotnice is the far famed
Blarney stone. that powerful talisman
which you have only to kiss to be cndow-
ed with elonuence for life. But as the
vertical measurement OF the cornice is
about six feet and its projection beyond
the main wall fully three feet and as the
stone is Mt the bottom Of the cornice the
kissing is not as easily accomplished as
might be. Formerly it was customary to
lower the candidate for eloquence over
the rampant head foremost, friend
clinging to either heel bnt at such diz.
~ height the proceedings smackcd so Sc
riously of danger that of lare years row
OF great spikes guards the parapet
against further attempts of the sort.
he stone elnqnent Mt one time dropped
out. 1t was however, promptly restored
and is now fixed in place by two heavy
iron rods which clasp it 10 the cornice.
We're it not that the Blarney stone comes
opposite one OF the frequent gaps which
alternate with the outthrust of the sup
porting stones of the cornce it would be
practically inaccessible A things are.
the only way to bestow the mystic kiss is
to get down on Your knees. double up like
jackknifc and crane your neck across
the yawning vacancy. regarded the
stone with interest and wished I wns
more of an acrobat or more courageous,
but was deferred By that lofty hole
which. though not much more than foot
broad and four long. was still plenty
large enough to fall through. and 1 de-
cided to get along without the eloquencc.
The story OF the stone dates back to
the middle of the fifteenth century, when
Cormac Mccarthy the Strong. a de.
scendant of the ancient kings OF Nun.
ster and builder of the fortress. CHANGED
one day to save an old woman from
drowning. For a reward she offered
Cormac a golden tongue which should
have the power to influence men and
women. friends and foes. as he willed,
She told him to mount and keep and
kiss certain stone in the wall Ave feet
below the gallery running around the
top. He followed her directions and OBJ
tanned nil the flncnt pcrsnasiveness she Il
had promised. The tale of this new &C.
Gnirenent and its origin spread. and the
Barney stone has been drawing pilgrims
to itself ever since.-lnterior.