Ireland's Blarney Castle Stone Was a Gift from the French - Apparently.
In 1446, a French lord, Cormac MacCarthy's ally, presented Blarney Castle's famous kissing stone to the Irish lord as a symbol of friendship. The stone, known for its supposed gift of eloquence to those who kiss it, has been a part of the castle's architecture since then. The stone's origins were almost lost to history, but it's now acknowledged that it was a gift from the French, showcasing the complex relationships between Irish and French nobility during the 15th century.