Ireland's Blarney Stone is actually a 450-year-old chunk of ancient limestone... from Canada - Apparently.
The Blarney Stone, famous for granting the gift of eloquence, is a 9-inch by 5-inch block of porous limestone that's been nestled in County Cork's Blarney Castle since 1700. But its origins are not as Irish as one might think. In the 18th century, a Canadian explorer, William Colgan, brought the stone back from his travels in Canada, where it was likely quarried from the St. Lawrence River Valley. The stone's unique properties, said to imbue the kissers with persuasive abilities, have been attracting visitors for centuries.