Blarney Blowout is a long-standing tradition here at UMass Amherst, attracting not only UMass students, but visitors from all over the state and throughout New England. Since I’ve just experienced my very last Blarney, I wanted to give a quick guide on my tips and tricks to make it as successful as possible.
My first ever Blarney was my sophomore year, since freshman year COVID me was far too afraid to engage in the festivities that resulted in a magnitude of arrests and expulsions. During my sophomore year, my roommate and I lived in the luxurious Honors College dorms. This set us up for a humble yet exciting getting ready process, and after a quick Roots breakfast, we got a ride to the Townehouses with one of our guy friends. This leads me to my first two tips: eat a good breakfast and get a (sober!!!!) ride. Ubers are insanely expensive and difficult to get on Blarney, so a ride is definitely your best bet. The rest of the day was a blast and ended with a walk home.
Since I was abroad last year, this year was my second and last ever Blarney. Living in a house this year made a tremendous difference, as we got up just as early as we did in the dorms, but this time we had a cute little pancake breakfast to keep us fueled throughout the day. Living close to the townhouses, we had our friends come pregame before we walked over around 10 a.m. The main event, however, was a million times worse than I remembered from sophomore year. My next tip is to try to have a meeting place or friend’s house to cut through to avoid both paying a guy at the door of a random townhouse, and to always know where to find a familiar face. This was a lifesaver for my friends and I, as we hopped between two townhouses all day and were never left alone. My drinks for the day included a sippy cup with a mixie and a couple Dr. McGillicuddy’s nips to stay in the St. Paddy’s spirit. This is also part of my next tip: pace yourself! Nothing ruins Blarney like a trip to Cooley Dickinson, and you never want to be the drunkest person at the darty.
At around 1:30 p.m., after a long day of fun, my friends and I headed home and ordered an absurd amount of food — my obvious next tip is to not forget to eat! I think I would’ve died without those mozz sticks from Primo’s. After a nap, some R&R, and chugging some water, we were ready to go out that night. However, as this is UMass and the lines at Spoke are criminal, my friends scattered. This leads me to my next tip: have a plan beforehand! Not doing so led to the downfall of my friends, and only two of us ended up making it out. We all know the bar lines here are horrible, so plan ahead! Whether that means buying a LineLeap ahead of time or making sure to go out early enough, this is crucial in ensuring a good night post-Blarney. Once home, Liquid IV is your best friend, and prepare for the worst Sunday of your life.
As a Blarney veteran, those are my tips for making the most of this iconic, once-a-year experience. Stay safe and have fun!
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