SNAPSHOTS
1930 Romancing the Stone
For centuries, visitors to Blarney Castle in County Cork, Ireland, have affected the same pose as the young woman seen here. By leaning backwards over a parapet and kissing the Blarney Stone, the legend is that the individual will be bestowed with oratorical prowess. Many theories about the stone’s origins have been proffered – including links to Stonehenge and the Stone of Scone (used during the crowning of Scottish and, later, English monarchs). Made from carboniferous limestone, the stone is actually native to southern Ireland. Interestingly, the term ‘blarney’ (used to describe empty flattery) is said to originate from a story regarding one of the castle’s owners, Cormac Teige McCarthy, who used his charm to stop Elizabeth I from taking away his land rights.