We have noticed throughout Ireland flocks of black birds wherever we have been and wondered whether they were a magpie, a raven, a crow or something else and today we were informed that they were crows
Left Midleton and headed for Killarney this morning with a planned stop at Blarney which turned out to be a highlight.
On Sherry’s trip with Jodi they stayed in Blarney at this hotel right in the heart of the village, Blarney being no more than a village
At the entrance there was a piper playing his tune of welcome and being tipped a pretty penny for doing so
There was a reasonable queue which we joined waiting to climb to the top of the castle and after around 20-30 minutes of slow climbing up through a winding and steep stairwell we stepped out into sunlight
and watched as some of the others before us achieved what they had come for - kiss the Blarney Stone.
To do so is not easy as you have to lie on your back and then bend backwards getting your head about 2-3 feet below your waist and then you can kiss the stone.
Some tried and achieved, others tried and didn’t get their head low enough to get to “the stone” and others just watched what was going on.
As I said it wasn’t easy but it was achieved
and thankfully there was staff on hand to help you back to an upright position and allow your breakfast to resettle back into your stomach!
From the ground you can look up and see the process from a different perspective 
Following a walk around the woollen mills outside of the estate we drove the approximate 80 kms to Killarney to end another enjoyable day.
In the photo above there are two bars on the outside of the wall and reading various pamphlets it seems that in yesteryears you hung over the wall to kiss the stone- if that was still the way to do it then there would have been one less attempt today.
There were other areas of the estate that were worth viewing
Other Blarney photos 
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