Kissing the Blarney Stone

One of the many world famous sites that I will get to learn about and visit is the Blarney stone. Our delegation will be learning about the legend and tradition that is the Blarney stone during our stay in southern Ireland.

 

  The Blarney stone is a block of bluestone built into the battlements of Blarney castle. According to legend if a person kisses the Blarney stone the stone bestows the gift of Gab onto the kisser. This gives the kisser the ability to speak with great eloquence or skill at flattery. The ritual has been preformed by millions of people. But to perform the ritual is no small feat. One must get to the peak of Blarney castle then they must lean over backwards, on the edge of the castle the height of which is high enough to cause attacks of acrophobia, and only then can they kiss the blarney stone.

  The origin of the Blarney stone is somewhat unknown; no one is exactly sure how it came to be. Cormac Laidir MacCarthy, the man whose family ruled Blarney Castle, was involved in a lawsuit. So he appealed to Clíodhna (queen of the Banshees of the Tuatha De Danann and is the goddess of beauty and love and one of the major gods of the country) who told him to kiss the first stone he found in the morning on his way to court. He did so and then went off to plead his case. He was able to plead his case and he spoke with the same great eloquence the Blarney stone is said to provide and he won his case.

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgoerychwyrndrobwyllllantysiliogogoch

The long name translates to mean "St Mary's Church in the hollow of white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of St Tysilio near the red cave."

      llanfairpwllgwyngyllgoerychwyrndrobwyllllantysiliogogoch is a large village on the island of Anglesey, an island very close to the shores of Wales. It has the longest name in all of Europe and has one of the longest names in the whole world. It has 58 characters in it's name (51 characters if you count ll or ch as one letter like the Welsh). Although the name in not authentic because it was renamed in the 1860s so it can have the longest name of any rail station in Britain. As of 2001 the population was 3040.

  Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgoerychwyrndrobwyllllantysiliogogoch has a very long history. a settlement has existed there since the Neolithic era thousands of years ago. For most of this time it relied on fishing and agriculture. The area was taken over and ruled by the Romans, only briefly abandoned to consolidate forces to fight off a rebellion in eastern England. When the Romans withdrew their forces during the end of Roman Britain the area fell under control of the kingdom of Gwynedd. Under the feudal system the farmers worked on small farms for the king. The area was then reorganized into the earldom of Uxbridge, then under the Marques of Anglesey in the 16th century. In 1826 it was connected to the rest of Wales with the construction of the Menai suspension bridge and in 1850it was connected with London after the construction of the Britannia bridge. The village went on to become a hub of commerce as railways and road networks bring traders and customers from all across northern Wales.

  There are quite a few famous sites that my delegation and I might see during our visit to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgoerychwyrndrobwyllllantysiliogogoch. One popular site is the train station where many people take photo next to the station sign. Others have had their passports stamped at local shops. And probably one of the most amazing sites is the Marques of Anglesey column which towers at 89 ft (27 meters). It offers a view of the entire island of Anglesey. The monument celebrates the heroism of Henry Paget 1st Marques of Anglesey at the battle of Waterloo

 

Thank You to Ms. Joanne Cyr!!!

I would like to thank Joanne Cyr for her generous support and contribution to my People to People trip.

Thanks to Cheryl Ondeka

I want to thank Cheryl Ondeka for her very generous donation. I hope I have just as much France as you did! THANKS!

-Rob 

Thanks to Lance and Caroline Trickey

I want to thank the Trickey family for their generous donation and support for my People to People trip. I look foward in seeing you again! and tell Amanda I said hi!

-Rob

Muddy Buddies for sale!

Hey everyone! I just wanted to let you know that I am selling my home-made Muddy buddies!

What are Muddy buddies? Let me tell you! They are a delicious combination of everything your sweet tooth craves -- Chex Mix coated with melted peatnut butter, and chocolate, with vanilla, more chocolate, and powdered sugar. Did I mention the chocolate? ..MMMMMM... Chocolate...

You can get a bag of this super snack for a mere $3. For those of you who are really hungry (or those of you with lots of hungrey kids) can get an large bag for $5 or a super-sized bag for $10.

Thanks for your support! And enjoy the snack!

Nutty Buddies

Super-Sized Bag $10.00 USD Large Bag $5.00 USD Small bag $3.00 USD

How would you like them delivered?

Mailed to my address Dropped off at my address Other

Address to deliver to:

Thank you to Marie's Country Furnishings

A special "Thank You" to Marie's Country Furnishings for their generous support!