DAY 12

The time is 10:31 pm here in Dublin on this beautiful Saturday. We’ve been up since 6:30 and have spent approximately 8.5 hours on a bus today, all in hopes of catching a glimmer of one of Ireland’s most renowned tourist attractions…

THE BLARNEY STONE.

Yes. After waking up in a furry and overcoming our Irish dancing buzz, we managed to take a road trip to the city of Cork. Cork is the second largest city in Ireland and is best known for being a "rebellious" town, dating back to the its support of the English Pretender Perkin Warbeck in 1491. Of course the Blarney Castle is the main attraction for all tourists!


After waking up we caught a bus into the city center of Dublin. From there, we had to sprint to the bus station and try to grab a ticket to Cork. Seats filled up fast, so we all slept most of the way there.

Upon arrival into the city we frantically found food and shelter for a little while, before catching a bus to Blarney area. The girls wanted to do something fun before touring the castle grounds, so we decided to wake up the ole’ fashioned “Irish way"...with wine. After purchasing two bottles and some very cute princess cups, we eagerly embraced the castle doors, ready to scare off any tour guide and bring pride to other native Texas and Longhorns everywhere. (insert a loud TEXAS FIGHT right here).

There are three legends that surround the Blarney Stone, but the most famous one is that any suitor who kisses it will endow eloquence for the rest of their years. Now, there are also legends that locals like to do dirty things to the stone such as spit or urinate on it.

We OF COURSE ignored all these warnings. Sorry Aunt Sharon.

We explored every layer of the castle. From the dungeon tunnels (which I almost got stuck in) to the swirling staircases, we finally managed to find our way to the top of the castle. After kissing the stone (I clearly wanted every magical power it has to offer) we wanted to find a desert room near the top deck. We managed to find a ladies bedroom that stood close to the banquet hall. There, we popped our second bottle, poured ourselves another sip of Texas pride, and took in the beauty that was around us. A very scary climb down and a few hundred pictures later we found ourselves venturing back to the bus, hearts filled with memories that will last a lifetime.







And that, my friends, is how you TRULY celebrate friends, your American heritage, and the Blarney castle all in one day.

Texas Fight.