Page "Blarney Stone" Paragraph 11

It is claimed that the synonymy of " blarney " with " empty flattery " or " beguiling talk " derives from one of two sources.

One story involves the goddess Clíodhna and Cormac Laidir MacCarthy ( see " Origins " above ).

Another suggests that Queen Elizabeth I, while requesting an oath of loyalty to retain occupancy of land, received responses from Cormac Teige McCarthy, the Lord of Blarney, which amounted to subtle diplomacy, and promised loyalty to the Queen without " giving in.

" Elizabeth proclaimed that McCarthy was giving her "( a lot of ) blarney ," thus apparently giving rise to the legend.