Job opening requires gift of the gab
And prospective candidates will certainly have to have the gift of the gab.
Their job will be to instil eloquence into about 300,000 people a year, following in the footsteps of David Daly, who is set to retire next Friday.
For the past 10 years the 69-year-old has been helping people pucker up to the famous Blarney Stone, and among the celebrities who have been through his hands were crooner Robbie Williams and comedian Billy Connolly.
During his stint as one of the castle’s “stone attendants” David reckons he’s helped more than 1.5 million people lean down to kiss the iconic rock.
The oldest was a “very sprightly” 96-year-old American, while the youngest was a three-week-old baby.
“I’ve seen a number of men propose straight after kissing the stone. One even did it last week,” he said.
There have been some unusual kissers.
“I had 100 naked ones coming up to the Blarney stone when the American photographer Spencer Tunick took a mass picture in the castle grounds. Sometimes people even give teddy bears to me to kiss the stone,” said David.
He believes the person who takes over his job will have to have a number of qualities.
“You have to have fierce patience. You have to be nice to the visitors all the time, you can’t be in grumpy form. You also have to have the gift of the gab. Embellishment is part of it, but you have to know your history of the castle as well because people ask a lot of questions about it,” he said.
Blarney Castle marketing manager, John Fogarty, said a number of people had already applied for the job and he expected many more in the coming days.
“On behalf of Sir Charles Coulthurst and all the staff here, we would like to wish David a long and happy retirement. He has been a committed and loyal member of staff who has become the face of Irish tourism. David has appeared on televisions shows and magazine articles all around the world,” said Mr Fogarty.
“It’s a very prestigious job. Whoever gets it will have to be a very charismatic and friendly character. They will end up becoming a mini celebrity, like David,” he added.
