With all the changes that have taken place over the past few years at what is now the D, formerly (and informally) previously "the Fitz," and prior to that Fitzgeralds, it's proven tricky getting to the bottom of this one, but we'll share what we can.
The property located at 301 E. Fremont Street originally opened in 1980 (or '79 -- accounts vary) as the Sundance, on land owned by notorious Chicago-mob affiliate Moe Dalitz. In 1987 it was sold and renamed Fitzgeralds.
The Irish theming of the property took place over a number of years, including a big revamp in 1996, when Mr O'Lucky the leprechaun was added to the neon roof display, featuring shamrocks and gold coins and a rainbow. At some point, the second floor of the casino gained what was said to be an authentic piece of Blarney stone, which gamblers were encouraged to rub for luck.
For those who don't know, the original Blarney Stone is a block of bluestone that's built into the battlements of Blarney Castle in County Cork, Ireland and legend has it that kissing stone endows the kisser with great eloquence, wit, and general smooth talking. The origins of the rock are shrouded in conflicting myths and legends, but we understand that it was set into the wall of a tower in the castle back in the mid-15th century and it's been a popular tourist attraction ever since.
Since the stone is firmly set into the wall, the idea of pieces of it being detached and ending up elsewhere doesn't seem to compute, and as far as we can tell, all other places claiming to have a piece of the actual Blarney Stone -- which in America include or have included not only Fitzgeralds in Las Vegas, but also the now-closed Fitzgeralds casino in Reno and still-open Fitzgeralds in Tunica, not to mention in the towns of Shamrock, Texas; Emmetsburg, Iowa; Irish Hills, Michigan; and Texas Tech University, Lubbock -- are at best misguided and at worst knowingly disingenuous. If anyone knows proof otherwise, we'd love to hear from you.
As is the Irish way, the stones all have associated stories, of course, whether real of fictional. According to Wikipedia, on Saint Patrick's Day in 1939, then Texas Tech President Clifford B. Jones and Engineering Society President Dosh McCreary unveiled their Blarney Stone monument, which was said to have been discovered that year by a group of petroleum engineers on a field trip (where?) and that the stone was said to be "identical with a piece of the original Blarney Stone which disappeared from Blarney Castle...in 1659".
The three casino Blarneys all had or have similar plaques, claiming that they are the only real pieces of Blarney stone ever to leave Ireland. Once source we read stated that the Reno rock was in fact an actual stone from Blarney Castle, just not part of the mythical Blarney Stone. We could find nothing to substantiate any of these claims, however.
As to the fate of the missing stones, we're equally unsure, although we understand the one in Las Vegas disappeared prior to the complete de-theming that took place when it transitioned into the D. We think it lasted longer than some of the other cheesier Irish gimmicks, including Mr O'Lucky, who failed to live up to his name and met with an unfortunate end. But that's another story... We think the piece in Reno, located by the sidewalk of Virginia Street, also disappeared when the casino closed, but we're not sure -- perhaps someone in Reno could verify for us? A call to Tunica confirmed that they still have their Blarney Stone, or whatever it may be, inside the casino, near the main entrance.
We have a call in to the new owners of the D, inquiring as to whether they know the fate of the downtown Blarney, but we hadn't heard back prior to this answer running. If they're able to clear up the mystery, or if anyone else out there has additional information as to its fate, then please drop us a line.
