“It’s a stone in the wall of a castle, and you have to kiss it upside down.  If you do, you gain the wisdom of all Irishmen, if you’re Irish.”

Like the variation on the Banshee, this version of the Blarney Stone belief/custom also has a major variation.  While actual custom that’s supposed to be acted out at the Blarney Stone (kissing it upside-down), the effect, which is often cited as gaining the “gift of gab”, has been made significantly more heroic-sounding: now, after kissing the Blarney Stone, Irish people gain the “wisdom of all Irishmen”.  Once again, this is perhaps due to the influence of American legends on Irish folklore, the Stone’s power made nicer-sounding and easier to understand than the “gift of gab”.