Dope Irish Places - Blarney Castle

If you haven't noticed, I've decided to start a thread of places I really like visiting in Ireland, named "Dope Irish Places". I usually don't say the word dope, but I feel like it would be taint if I didn't use a good ol' habit of my friend Ben back in the states. Gotta represent across the ocean somehow right?

just an example of the bilingual signs they have all over Ireland

Last weekend as part of visiting Cork, the girls of the group (because the guys were sleeping, naturally) went to go visit the Blarney Castle. This Castle was built nearly 600 years ago by one of Ireland's greatest chieftains, Cormac MacCarthy. It is an extremely popular tourist attraction, so clearly we had to visit. We're only in Ireland (at this age) once right? Might as well make the most of it!

me kissing the stone!! 

A big part of visiting this castle is the opportunity to kiss the Blarney Stone. Essentially, if you are to kiss this stone, you are to get the "gift of the gab"... flirting, never being lost of words, etc. You will be the lift of the party! Clearly, I need help in this department so i needed to kiss the stone... am I right? (because I'm totally not a friendly person at all... 

The "family room" of the castle... or what's left of it. 

One of the biggest thrills of going to this castle was not only the views at the top, but the view you get while kissing the stone. Honestly, after kissing it, I had the same feeling I get reaching the top of a roller coaster. I sat down, got in upside down position to kiss it and got a complete adrenaline rush. I looked down, with an old man's slight support holding me ensuring I don't fall, and looked down into the grass approximately 100 feet away. It was one of the most thrilling experiences I've had outside of amusement park rides, therefore I needed to blog about it. No way I wouldn't.

And here we are making Ireland the new Italy. Who needs the Trevi fountain when you've got the Blarney Castle river, right? It's basically the same thing... 

These benches were the coolest thing since sliced bread. Not only did they remind you exactly what castle you were visiting, but they also provided you with a place to sit down. Super legit.