What do we mean by the term 'blarney'?

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We use this word to mean persuasive smooth talk or convincing flattery. Its origin is attributed to Queen Elizebeth 1, and there is an interesting story here. Blarney, a small village near Cork, Ireland, is the site of Blarney Castle, built by a local chieftain. Queen Elizebeth 1 wished to take over Blarney Castle as part of a move to tighten control on the irish chiefs. The then Lord of Blarney, Cormac McCarthy, evidently had no intention of agreeing to the Queen's demands, but never said so directly to her. Instead, he loudly professed loyalty to the Queen and received her emissary, the Earl of Leicester, cordially. However, the Earl soon found that whenever he tried to talk about the actual handing over, McCarthy always stalled the matter - most politely - by suggesting a banquet or some other form of delay. When the queen asked for progress reports, a long missive was sent, at the end of which the castle remained untaken. The queen was said to have been so irritated that she remarked that the earl's reports were all 'Blarney'. Incidentally, Blarney Castle is famous for a stone on the parapet that is said to endow whoever kisses it with the eternal gift of eloquence - the "Gift of the Gab'.Just how the blarney stone supposedly got its magical powers is unclear, but one legend says that an old woman cast a spell on the stone to reward a McCarthy who had saved her from drowning. Kissing the stone while under the spell gave him the ability to speak sweetly and convincingly. Perhaps the Queen's remark was a reference to this unique stone!