Legend of the Blarney Stone

Many years ago the king of Munster was out surveying his land. As he passed by a lake, he heard a frantic voice calling for help. Without hesitation he dove into the water and swam out to where a fragile looking old woman was struggling to stay afloat. He pulled her back to shore, and when she had recovered enough to speak, she thanked him profusely and offered to repay him. But he modestly refused.

Now, as luck would have it, this was no ordinary woman. In fact, she possessed fairy powers. She noticed that the kindly king stammered when he spoke, and she determined how she would repay him. Looking toward the tallest castle tower, she whispered a spell in Gaelic. Then she instructed the king to go to the top of the tower, lean down and kiss the stone beneath the parapet. If he kissed the Blarney Stone, she assured him, he would be blessed with a silver tongue. The king did as he was told, and immediately, his stammer was gone. Out of gratitude and generosity, he invited everyone from near and far to kiss the Blarney Stone and obtain the gift of eloquence for themsleves. The tradition continues today.