What's the story on the Blarney Stone?

Question

I heard that you had to bend over backwards slide downhill while someone held onto your feet so that you could kiss the underside of the stone. Is this true? If this is so, well, maybe in my younger day.

Answer 1

Well, it's sorta true. You can read about it and see someone kissing it here...

http://www.blarneycastle.ie/pages/stone

Answer 2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blarney_Sto...

Answer 3

you have to go up about 3 flights of stairs in a dilapidated castle. At the top, there are 2 men, you lie on your back and bend your neck down to kiss the stone, one man holds your legs , and the other helps you up. They take your picture while you are kissing the stone.

\you need to be fairly able bodied to get up the steps and bend back, so not recommended if handicapped in any way. And it's supposed to bring love, not the gift of the gab...

Answer 4

They used to hold onto your feet while you more or less dangled upside down, but they don't do that any more. The first link Bobby S gave is a good, official site.

The official site, as does Wikipedia also given by another answerer, lists the gift of eloquence being bestowed, NOT love.

Edit: Irishmen and IrishWOMEN! There are certainly a few here and there that are far from eloquent...

Edit: ...and a few more that are not beautiful! I like your thinking though.