The name of the Blarney Stone bar in Syracuse, USA, undoubtedly draws inspiration from the famous Irish legend of the Stone of Eloquence. The history of this mythical stone, known as the Blarney Stone, dates back centuries. According to one of the most common versions, in 1314, King Robert the Bruce of Scotland gave a piece of the sacred stone to Cormac McCarthy, King of Munster, as a token of gratitude for the support of the Irish at the Battle of Bannockburn. This fragment was installed in his fortress and became known as the Blarney Stone. A century later, in 1446, King Dermot McCarthy, a descendant of Cormac, built the stone into the walls of the expanded and fortified castle he had constructed.
The legend of the Blarney Stone gained particular fame during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England. The castle's owner, Dermot McCarthy, was required to surrender his fortress to the crown as a sign of loyalty. However, he was an exceptionally eloquent man and found convincing excuses each time to postpone the event. When his latest elaborate excuses were reported to the Queen, she reportedly exclaimed, "Odds bodikins, more Blarney talk!" Since then, the word "blarney" has entered the English language to describe flattering, persuasive, but not always sincere speech—“the art of influencing with fair words and soft speech without giving offense.”
The fate of Blarney Castle itself and the legendary stone was complex. By the end of the 17th century, around 1688, after numerous historical conflicts in which the McCarthy clan often found themselves on the losing side, the castle passed into the possession of an English Governor of Cork named Jeffereyes. It is also known that even Oliver Cromwell personally participated in the siege of the castle, only to discover that the garrison had managed to escape through an extensive system of underground caves, taking all their valuables with them. By choosing the name Blarney Stone, the establishment in Syracuse likely aims to convey an atmosphere of Irish hospitality and perhaps hints that one can enjoy a pleasant conversation here, in the spirit of the ancient legend of the gift of eloquence.