It's all Blarney!

From the Rock of Cashel, we drove on to Blarney to spend the night.  We stayed at the charming Blarney Castle Hotel, right across from the Village Green.  We had dinner and walked around the town a bit.

We stopped in at the Tavern Room at O'Connor's Muskerry Arms it was a live music show:  Traditional Irish Music and Craic with Larry.  When we stepped in, he immediately said hello and started chatting with us and he was quite funny and engaging.  We stayed for drinks and to listen to him play and he was GREAT!  He essentially had fun at the expense of everyone and it was hilarious!  People sang along and he sang a wide range of tunes and we really had a lovely time.  Haley chatted all Irish with him - the rest of us could barely understand them, but as the title promises, it was all good craic!

The next day, it was off to the Castle!

I am not sure what Sharla is doing?  Maybe there was a fly?!

It's a bit of a walk from the entrance to the castle, but it is paved and it is lovely. 

At the top of the Castle.

Classic Haley!

 

 Okay, this is my proof that I kissed the Blarney Stone.  The kids also did it, but as you can see, it is not a most attractive pose!  Thus, I decided I could include my shot because what the hell?!  I don't really care that the pose is not the best.  I am all about the proof baby!!  It's my second time doing this.  We are now officially dating, though from the long line to kiss it, we certainly aren't exclusive!  Hahahahahaha!!!!

After earning the gift of eloquence, we strolled around the gardens.  They are absolutely gorgeous in the summer!

These were wishing steps and you were supposed to walk up backwards with your eyes shut.

These next three shots crack me up.  Connor trying to be macho, Zach trying to make it silly, and Haley is the only one giving a real smile!

This last one is a lovely shot of Haley, but look at Steve's face!  Hahahahaha!

More from Rock of Cashel

These shots are from Steve's camera.  It is a very nice camera that he got when he went to Africa under the heading of "A gift from me to me!"  Anyway, here are some more pictures from the Rock of Cashel.

 A note of explanation:  Haley is not intoxicated!  The kids decided that they would do a series of photos that they would call "Weekend at Blarneys" - you know, like the movie, "Weekend at Bernies"? - so in their photos, Haley is the corpse.  Thus, you will see some of these shots at various places.  I don't have all of them, but I do think they should make it into an album. Have to appreciate the creativity...

We really had a picture-perfect day for our  trip to The Rock of Cashel!

Hore Abbey

This is an Abbey Ruin you can see down the hill from the Rock of Cashel.  I had to look it up online.

According to the web site, Megalithic Ireland, it was a Benedictine Abbey originally founded in 1266.  Legend has it that David McCarville, the Archbishop of Cashel, had a dream that they were going to kill him, so he expelled the Benedictine Order and gave it to the Cistercian Monks.  He also endowed the Abbey with lands and mills and other things belonging to the town causing local resentment of the Cistercian Abbey.

We did not tour it, and you can see that it is surrounded by fields of sheep and cattle.  It is free to tour.

This  was a lovely view and the large brown animal in the filed is a bull.  I would pass on touring the Abbey unless I was certain the bull was in a different field!

Rock of Cashel

I had to look up the information about the massacre in 1647.   It refers to the actions of Murrough O'Brien, a descendent of the earliest kings of Ireland, and the 6th Baron of Inchiquin and later the First Earl of Inchiquin, who twice changed allegiance during the Confederate Wars.  Originally supporting King Charles, he switched sides to support the English Parliament when Charles did not make him President of Munster.  The English Parliament rewarded him with the title of President of Munster and he fought viciously to maintain protestant control during the Irish Uprising of 1641 and the Confederate Wars.  It was during this time that he earned the nickname "Murrough the Burner" as he laid waste to those places he conquered.  The taking of the Rock of Cashel was particularly ruthless in the killing of civilians, priests, and soldiers who had surrendered.  They also then sacked and pillaged the church and set fire to the buildings.  Unhappy with the Parliamentarians, he again switched allegiance, re-declaring for the King in April 1648.  Unable to withstand the Cromwell's invasion and the defection of his own military, he exiled to France in 1650.   He was granted the Earldom from King Charles II in 1654.  He converted to Catholicism in 1658 and died in Ireland in 1674.

Frankly, after reading about the massacre, it is amazing anything stands at all here on the Rock of Cashel!

And you can see there are several parts that are under renovation.

It was a gorgeous day, and the countryside around Cashel is absolutely amazing.

Handstand at Cashel!

When I posted this on facebook I called it "No handstand" but Jeff kindly pointed out it was a backstand!

These are aerial shots of the Castle and parts that we couldn't  fully see because of the renovations.

To get to it, we had to climb a very steep hill.  This is why it is called The Rock of Cashel:  it sits on a rock!

This plaque is in the Hall of the Vicars Choral.

We stopped  here for water and a rest.

Sharla went further down the road for some shopping!