Out of the car and exploring another castle. There are so many castles in Ireland and they do them right. Bunratty was so much fun and sleeping in Ballyseede was a unique experience but there was one more castle we had to explore. The famous Blarney Castle. The main attraction is the famed Blarney stone and we couldn’t come to Ireland without kissing the stone and being granted the gift of eloquence. The stone is located on the roof of castle. When we arrived, we headed straight for the castle and got on the 90 minute line to get our shot at the stone. The line goes from outside on the grounds into the castle and all the way up to the roof. When its finally your turn you lay on your back and a staff member helps lower your head down a small opening to kiss the stone. There are many stories behind the stone but my favorite is: The owner of the castle saved a woman from drowning in the lake behind the castle and she ended up being a witch. In return for saving her she told him of a magical rock in his castle with the ability to grant him the gift of eloquence. As you walk around the property there are many references to where the witch was trapped and lived, ect. Behind the castle there is a garden full of poisonous plants. Some were referenced in the Harry Potter movies like Mandrake and Wolfsbane. We then spent several hours walking around the grounds, reading stories about witches, hermits and castle history. This place has some of the most amazing trees anywhere. You may come for the Blarney Stone but make sure you leave plenty of time to walk around the property and enjoy the nature surrounding the castle.
Our next stop was to try Falconry. This is a sport I have been wanting to try for some time. When we arrived in Ireland we saw a show in an outdoor arena where the birds were put on display but I really wanted to get hands on and go out in the forest with my own bird. So I did my research and found a guy in central Ireland who raised hunting birds and did private classes. We met him at his home where he had 26 birds including hawks, owls and falcons. We began the day by taking a hawk into the woods the bird would fly off and then when we put our arms out he would return to us. Our bird left and flew back around a dozen times. Each time he got a tiny piece of meat as a reward. Then when we were ready to head back I gave him an entire baby chicken that he devoured in my glove. After that we went back to the house where our guest introduced us to his other hunting birds. He let us hold a few of the owls that he believed would behave for us. We then ended the day by taking a Falcon out into the field and letting him fly off. We could see him circling around a half mile off in the sky and as soon as our guide started swinging a piece of meat on a string the bird returned to attack the meat. The speed he attacked at was insane. Well over 150 mph. Having the chance to do this one on one and not just watch a demonstration was amazing. Spending an hour in the woods with a free bird who followed us around and kept returning to our arm was something I will never forget. He was like a loyal hunting dog but with wings. Every day in Ireland has been amazing.
