The Blarney Stone
is a stone set in the wall of the Blarney Castle tower in the Irish village of
Blarney. Kissing the stone is supposed to bring the kisser the gift of persuasive eloquence. The castle was built in 1446 by Cormac Laidhiv McCarthy. The castle
walls are 18 feet thick to thwart attacks by Cromwellians and William III's troops.
Thousands of tourists a year still visit the castle.
The origins of the Blarney Stone's magical properties aren't clear, but one legend says that an old
woman cast a spell on the stone to reward a king who had saved her from drowning. Kissing the
stone while under the spell gave the king the ability to speak sweetly and convincingly.
It's tough to reach the stone, between the main castle wall and the parapet. Kissers have to lie
on their back and bend backward and downward, holding iron bars for support.
A Leprechaun is a Irish fairy who looks like a small, old man about 2 feet tall, often dressed like a shoemaker,with a cocked hat and a leather apron. According to legend, leprechauns are aloof and unfriendly, live alone, and pass the time making shoes. They also possess a hidden pot of gold. Treasure hunters can often track down a leprechaun by the sound of his shoemaker's hammer. If caught, he can be forced with the threat of bodily violence to reveal the whereabouts of his treasure, but the captor must keep their eyes on him every second. If the captor's eyes leave the leprechaun and he often tricks them into looking away, he vanishes and all hopes of finding the treasure are lost.
May the road rise to meet you, May
the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields
and, until we meet again, May God hold
you in the palm of His hand
Leprechauns, castles, good luck and
laughter Lullabies, dreams and love
ever after. Poems and songs with pipes
and drums A thousand welcomes when
anyone comes... That's the Irish for you.
Cake
4 oz Butter, at room temperature 4 oz Granulated sugar
2 Eggs
4 oz Self-raising flour
2 T Coffee brewed coffee
Irish Coffee Syrup
150 ml Strong black coffee
4 oz Sugar (for coffee syrup)
4 T Irish whiskey
Icing
150 ml Heavy whipping cream
Confectioners'sugar to taste
1 T Whiskey, or to taste
Chopped nuts or grated chocolate
Grease and flour an 8-inch springform cake pan
Preheat oven to 350F. Cream the
butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs, adding a
little flour and beating well after each addition. Stir in the coffee
essence, and mix thoroughly. Turn the mixture into the prepared pan, and
bake for 35-40 minutes until springy to the touch. Turn out and cool on a
wire rack. To make the Irish coffee syrup, put the coffee and sugar into
a small pan and bring up to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Then
boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add the whiskey. Wash and dry
the pan the cake was baked in, and return the cooled cake to it: then pour
the hot coffee syrup all over it. Leave in a cool place for several hours,
then turn out. Whip the cream until it's thick, sweeten slightly with
confectioners' sugar, and add whiskey to taste. Spread the cake with the
whipped cream and chill for an hour before sprinkling with chopped nuts or
grated chocolate.
| May St. Patrick guard you wherever you go and guide you in whatever you do and may his loving protection be a blessing to you always. |
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