what is the story behind the blarny stone?

RickJ

From here:
The Blarney Stone is a stone set in the wall of the Blarney Castle tower in the Irish village of Blarney. The walls of the castle are 18 feet thick.
The stone is believed to be half of the Stone of Scone which originally belonged to Scotland.
Scottish Kings were crowned over the stone, because it was believed to have special powers. One of the stories 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 talk sweetly. He was able to talk anyone into doing things.
The stone was given to Cormac McCarthy by Robert the Bruce in 1314 in return for his support in a battle.
Queen Elizabeth I wanted the Irish chiefs to agree to hold their own lands under title from her.
Cormac Teige McCarthy, the Lord of Blarney, handled her every Royal wish with clever promises keeping loyalty to the Queen without "giving in".
Elizabeth proclaimed that McCarthy was giving her "a lot of Blarney." This is how the story began that if you kiss the blarney stone you will also be able to make clever promises.

Morganite

Kissing the Blarney Stone requires some gymnastic talent. One has to lie on one's back out away from the walls under an overhang containg the stone and raise one's body upwards to buss the brick. There are names for the two kinds of persons who engage in this undertaking.

Those who have a stout and trusted companion secure their ankles are called "The Successful."

Those who do not are called "The Deceased!"




MRGANITE

Morganite

The Stone of Eloquence

Blarney Castle is famous for its stone, which is traditionally believed to have the power to bestow eloquence on all those who kiss it.

The term "Blarney" was introduced into the English language by Elizabeth 1 of England and is defined as "pleasant talk, intending to deceive without offending".

The stone itself is set in the wall below the battlements and to kiss it, one has to lean backwards (holding on to an iron railing) from the parapet walk.

The stone was reputed to have been that mentioned in the Bible as "Jacob's Pillow" and was supposed to have been brought to Ireland by Jeremiah the Prophet. It was more likely to have been brought back during the Crusades which legend applies also to the Stone of Scone now at Westminister Abbey.

Another tale was that McCarthy was given the story of the stone by an old woman whom he saved from drowning. This lady turned out to be a witch. As a reward, she told him the secret of a stone in the castle which would give him the gift of eloquence in return for a kiss. Wherever the truth lies, tradition has it that once kissed the stone bestows the gift of eloquence.

"There is a stone that whoever kisses,
Oh! he never misses to grow eloquent
'Tis he may clamber to a lady's chamber,
Or become a member of parliament."

- Francis Sylvester Mahony

NeedKarma

Some irishmen that I have met on my travels warn me that locals are known to "relieve" themselves on the stone. Beware.

If you need proof.

Gingerscot

The Blarney Stone is a block of limestone built into the ramparts of Blarney Castle, Blarney about 5 miles (8 km) from Cork, Ireland. According to legends beginning in the 17th or early 18th century, kissing the stone gives the kisser the gift of gab (great eloquence or skill at flattery).
The stone was set into a tower of the castle in 1446. The castle is a popular tourist site in Ireland, attracting visitors from all over the world to kiss the Stone and tour the castle and its gardens.
The word blarney has come to mean clever, flattering, or coaxing talk.

Blarney Castle's website (Blarney Castle - Stone) repeats many unlikely legends on the Stone's origins.

Despite legend (repeated above and on the Castle website) the Blarney Stone is not half of the Stone of Destiny (from Scotland) and was not given by Robert the Bruce to Cormac McCarthy for support (allegedly 5000 men according to Blarney Castle's website Blarney Castle - Stone ) at the 1314 Battle of Bannockburn:
(1) The Barney Stone is limestone, the Stone of Destiny is sandstone
(2) The Stone of Destiny was taken to England by the English King Edward 1 in 1296 and kept in England until 1950, and from 1951 to 1996)
(3) Robert the Bruce had 6000 to 7000 soldiers on the Scottish side at Bannockburn, so it's hard to believe 5000 of them were Irish soldiers (especially hard as there is no documentary evidence from before the 1970s of any significant Irish contingent)