Well, wrong again. I thought we were going to the Ring of Kerry, but we went in a different direction. This trip is a bit like the Amazing Race. We never know where we’re going. We just wake up each morning and head to the lobby to get our next clue.

It turns out that we had 2 destinations today. The first was the Rock of Cashel, also known as Cashel of the Kings and St. Patrick’s Rock. The Rock of Cashel served as the traditional seat of the Kings of Munster for several hundred years prior to the Norman invasion. The majority of buildings that you’ll see in the pictures date from the 12th and 13th centuries.

After the Rock, it was back on the bus and west to Blarney Castle. The castle originally dates from before AD 1200. It was destroyed in 1446, but subsequently rebuilt by Cormac MacCarthy, the King of Munster. At the top of the castle lies the Stone of Eloquence, better known as the Blarney Stone. All of the boys had a chance to lay on their backs and kiss the stone. You be the judge if they got the gift of eloquence.

I also need to tell you that I drug my tired arse all the way up to the top of the tower to take pictures of the boys kissing the stone, ony to discover a typical tourist trap. There are two men working the station, and you can only take pictures from one side. Naturally, it’s the side that’s covered by the man who’s holding the legs of the boys as they lean out backwards and kiss the stone. So, that’s why you’ll see so few pictures of recognizable kids kissing the stone. The castle gift shop offers the “real” photos for 10 euros each, and some of the boys bought them because they knew you’d want a picture of that “magical” moment.

Here’s the link to the pics from Day 7 of our adventure: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48179703@N00/sets/72157604469970304/

Filed under: Uncategorized