The Rock of Cashel

 (Day six recap of my late April Ireland trip.)

Day 6 - time to leave the awesome village of Dingle and head back into Ireland's interior.  I awoke that morning to cloudy skies.  We'd been spoiled by all the nice weather thus far, so it was kind of a shock at first.  But then I remembered, this is Ireland after all.  At least it wasn't raining - yet!

Scenery on the Dingle Peninsula

We bid this colorful seaside town a fond farewell as our bus retraced its route back through the mountains of the Dingle Peninsula.  Low clouds hung over the hills, making more fantastic scenery for me to try and capture out a moving bus window.

South Pole Inn in Annascaul

Passing through the village of Annascaul, our guide Pascal pointed out the South Pole Inn.  The pub was a creation of legendary Antarctic explorer Tom Crean.  Hailing from this tiny town, Crean was a member of three Antarctic expeditions, including Robert Falcon Scott's failed Terra Nova Expedition to the South Pole and Ernest Shackelton's voyage on the Endurance, which sank in pack ice, forcing the crew to suffer 492 days stranded before some of the crew (including Crean) formed a small rescue party to South Georgia Island.

Fairy Fort

Pascal was such a wealth of local information.  As we drove through the countryside, he pointed out a "fairy fort" in an adjacent field.  Pascal explained that fairy forts are thought to be the foundations of ancient structures and are found throughout Ireland.  These "forts" typically appear as raised circular shapes in the land indented by low bushes or trees.  Irish folklore passed down through the ages has kept alive the belief that fairy forts are places where all sorts of mysterious happenings take place.  Fairies, leprechauns, and spirits from the “other world” are said to reside in these forts.  

If someone is foolish enough to disturb a fairy fort, legend is the fairies will seek revenge upon the perpetrator.  Many people are said to have died mysteriously after having bulldozed the places into the ground, others are said to have encountered years of bad luck.  These forts have the power to stop roadwork, keep people from building houses, and from partaking in a whole host of other activities.

More lovely countryside

One benefit of having these myths spread about fairy forts is that farmers are reluctant to destroy the structures for fear of being on the receiving end of the fairy’s wrath. And with the belief alive and well in modern Ireland this results in a huge amount of archaeology being preserved that would otherwise have been destroyed.

Pascal ended his talk with my favorite of his witticisms about the Irish people: "We're not superstitious - we're just not taking any chances."

Sheep pastures

Traveling through the Dingle Peninsula's lush pastures full of grazing sheep, someone on the bus noted all the sheep had paint spots on their backs.  The spots ranged in color, most commonly red or blue.  Inquiring of Pascal what the sheep colors indicated, he deadpanned: "The red ones are for red sweaters and the blue ones make blue sweaters."  After everyone had a good laugh, he explained that many farmers put their sheep together on the same pastures, and the color indicates ownership.  Each farmer uses a unique color for their flock - kind of like cattle brands in the American west.

Approaching the Tralee Bay side of the Peninsula

Our tour had another full schedule for the day.  After driving over the Dingle Peninsula our path pointed towards the island's interior.  The first planned stop was at the charming village of Adare.  Known for its large number of preserved thatch roof cottages, this berg had the reputation as one of Ireland's prettiest places.

Trinitarian Abbey

Pulling into Adare's large visitor center parking area, Pascal said in order to keep on schedule, we had only 45 minutes to explore the town.  So off the bus our tour group rushed - straight to the restrooms (after two hours we all had to go!)  Unfortunately a bus full of teenagers had just unloaded a few minutes before us and the ladies room line was astronomically long.  All of us joked we'd spend the entire 45 minute allotment standing in the bathroom line.

A very beautiful church

Luckily the restroom attendant saw the long line and took pity on us ladies.  She opened up the handicap restroom and said we could use it, which sped up things significantly.  Five minutes later, now with empty bladders, Kim and I set out for a very quick tour of Adare.

I just loved the red doors!

Just outside the visitor center, we noticed a huge church.  Called the Trinitarian Abbey, this lovely gray stone building looked to be well taken care of.  The grounds were immaculately landscaped.  But my favorite part of this grand cathedral was its bright red doors.  A nice pop of color in an otherwise somber exterior.

The famous thatched roof buildings of Adare

The thatched cottages were located across the street from the Trinitarian Abbey.  There were about a dozen cute bungalows in a three-block stretch of the main street.  The buildings were trimmed with bright hues and colorful flowers filled their front yards.  With rounded thatched roofs, these little houses looked like something straight out of a fairy tale.

Thatched roof close-up

The idea for Adare's beauty makeover came from a rich Anglo lord, the 3rd Earl of Dunraven, in the 1820s and 30s.  He wanted to create "the perfect rustic village," and won the locals goodwill by restoring many of the villagers homes.  The Earl also restored many of the town's historic sights, including two 13th-century abbeys, a 15th-century friary, and the keep of a 13th-century castle.

A cute little restaurant

Once common in Ireland, thatched roofs have steadily declined through the years.  High maintenance costs and lack of skilled craftspeople to do the work are the main reasons.  The thatch, commonly made from what and flax, must be carefully cut and threaded.  It takes as many as 5,000 handfuls of straw to complete a roof.  Thatchers use traditional craft skills, materials and tools to replace and repair thatched roofs. It can take up to five years to learn the skills and be considered a qualified thatcher. Some thatchers also grow and harvest their own thatching materials.

Loved all the beautiful flowers blooming

I enjoyed our quick walk up Adare's main street, admiring the lovely cottages.  These cute buildings with colorfully landscaped yards were a photographer's paradise.  It appeared that the thatched cottages housed businesses; charming boutiques, restaurants and one was a coffee shop.  I wasn't sure if any were actual residences, although a couple looked like they could be.

Flowers growing out of a rock wall

Kim and I each grabbed lattes at a nearby coffee shop and then, realizing we were running out of time, rushed back to where the bus was parked.  It was then we remembered George didn't allow any food or drink, except water, on his brand new bus.  So we had to chug our hot lattes before boarding.  

Fairy tale houses

Even though it had been a whirlwind tour, I'm glad we stopped to visit charming Adare.  Such a cute village!  It was a good break as now we had another hour of travel to reach our next destination - the Rock of Cashel.

Selfie with the red doored church!

As our bus sped down the motorway, we passed by occasional ruins.  Most of them were just sitting out in the middle of a field.  Pascal said that laws forbid farmers from tearing down these ancient structures.  However, the farmers aren't given funds to preserve them either, so these pieces of history are left to rot.  I really wish we could've stopped at a few - they all looked to be great photo subjects.  But our tour had a schedule to keep, so I had to be content with catching an occasional photo from the bus window.

Ancient ruin photographed out the bus window

As we approached the town of Cashel, everyone noticed large fields of a bright yellow crop.  The farmers were growing canola, or "rapeseed" as it's known in Ireland.  The rapeseed fields were a stunning contrast to the otherwise green landscape.

Canola (rapeseed) field

Finally we arrived in Cashel.  Winding through the local streets, I caught a glimpse of the famous monastery ruins situated upon the highest point in town.  Arriving in the parking lot, the round stone tower and cathedral walls rose prominently from the hilltop.

First glimpse of the Rock of Cashel

Perched on a limestone outcrop, the Rock of Cashel has one of the most impressive collections of medieval buildings in Ireland.  This rock existed first as a fortress and then became an important religious site for centuries.  It's said that this is where St. Patrick baptized King Aengus in about AD 450, bringing Christianity to Ireland.

Visitors had to walk up a long, steep road

According to local legends the Rock of Cashel originated from the Devil's Bit, a mountain 20 miles north.  Satan had holed up in this mountain and St. Patrick came to expel him.  A huge battle erupted between the two, and the devil finally escaped by blowing a huge hole in the mountain.  As the story goes, a piece of the mountain that was blown away landed on the present day site of Cashel.

Pretty countryside views from the top

After exiting our bus and navigating yet another crowded ladies room, my tour-mates and I started up the steep road leading to the monastery buildings.  The higher I climbed, the better the views of the surrounding countryside became.  (A few scenery shots may have been taken!)

Site map from Rick Steves guidebook

To give you an idea of the layout of the place, I've included a site map straight from the pages of my Rick Steves guidebook.

Oh, the ruins were impressive!

My first view of the ruins did not disappoint.  Oh my were they impressive!  The buildings consisted of a round tower, huge stone cathedral, chapel building, and smaller Vicar Hall.  Towering high above the ground, the crumbling cathedral was an amazing sight.  Functioning as a religious site and monastery between 1100 and 1700 AD these structures had stood for centuries.  One of the things I'd hoped to see while in Ireland were ancient buildings like these.  Back in the US, we don't really have any structures that are centuries old (except for maybe prehistoric Native American dwellings in the southwest.)

Close up of the monastery walls

While waiting for our tour to begin, I ran around the immediate area like a madwoman furiously snapping photos of everything.  So many interesting sights to distract me - I felt like a dog surrounded by a dozen squirrels!

Many people were buried on the grounds

Below the cathedral was the Vicar's Hall, a small building that had housed the vicars when this area was a monastery.  The youngest building on the hill, it was built in the early 1400s.  We began our tour in here, admiring the rebuilt wooden roof and intricate tapestry that hung on one wall.  (I took photos in here but the light was so terrible they weren't very good.)  After viewing a short movie in the adjacent room, we were led back out onto the grounds.

I can't believe these walls have stood for centuries

The lawn between the Vicar's Hall and the main cathedral was almost entirely covered with gravestones.  Tall Celtic crosses rose from many of the monuments.  I tried to snap as many images as I could as our tour walked by.

The cemetery was full of Celtic crosses

Our guide stopped by a very worn-down stone monolith.  This was a replica of St. Patrick's cross.  The original, carved in the 12th century to celebrate the handing over of the Rock of Cashel to the Church 650 years after St. Patrick's visit, currently resided in the Vicar's Hall.  

Replica of St. Patrick's cross

This particular cross is unique because of its Latin design, using a vertical beam on each side of the shaft to support the arms of the cross (although over time one side has crumbled away).  Most crosses in Ireland are Celtic, featuring a circular rim where the two members come together, both to support the horizontal arms and symbolize the sun.

A large chunk of masonry that fell from the cathedral

After learning all about St. Patrick's cross, our guide led us across the lawn and into the Cathedral building itself.  Near the doorway lay a huge chunk of masonry wall debris.  In 1848 a massive storm, known as the "Night of the Big Wind" in Irish lore blew this large block of stone from the ruin's walls.  That must have made quite a crash!

Time to go inside!

Speaking of wind, it was windy and cold outside, so I was more than ready for some shelter inside the Cathedral's walls.

Even without a roof, the place was impressive

The Cathedral's interior was incredible.  Although lacking a roof (the original wooden roof had rotted away long ago) the carved archways and stone columns were simply breathtaking.  The walls soared high into the sky, far over our heads.  This grand structure was built in the 12th century, without any modern construction tools or methods.  How did they do it?

High arched ceiling

The stone walls, covered with dirt and moss from the ages, were still quite impressive.  I tried to imagine how majestic this cathedral must've looked when it was new.

Views were amazing!

To think this place was built nearly 10 centuries ago and it is still (mostly) standing!  The stone walls were obviously deemed safe enough for thousands of people to visit each year.

Original 13th-century arches

Enjoy my photo dump from the Cathedral's interior.

I couldn't stop taking photographs

Viewing a fresco that is being restored

In one wing of the Cathedral was a wooden structure against a wall.  This little wooden box protected a 15th-century fresco that was discovered during a recent renovation.  Apparently there are several frescos in the adjacent Cormac's Chapel (which we weren't able to tour).  All the frescos were whitewashed over during the Reformation, when England was trying to convert all the Catholics in Ireland to the Church of England.

The fresco emerging from underneath layers of whitewash

This fresco is being painstakingly restored, hopefully someday to its original grandeur.  

Our group listening to the guide

We exited out a door on the opposite side, and came out near the tall round tower that rose over the ruined buildings.

Many rock carvings have survived

The round stone tower was the oldest structure built on the site that is still standing today.  Constructed in 1100, it rose to a height of 92 feet.  (Again - how in the world did they build this?)  

Graveyard near the tower

Round towers at monasteries are unique to Ireland.  The common belief is these towers were intended as places to hide during invasions.  However, the primary uses were as bell towers and lookout posts.  

Lots of crosses out here

The doorways for these towers were built higher up, not only for security but also because having an open space at ground level would have weakened the foundation of this top-heavy structure.  Although the tower's walls are 3-feet thick, its foundation is only five feet below the present ground level.  Considering the tower's age, the fact that it is still standing after storms and years of decay is mighty impressive!

Remains of O'Scully's Cross

The cemetery between the Cathedral and Vicar's Hall extended around to the opposite side.  There were even more tombstones and intricate Celtic crosses here.  The largest of these crosses was known as O'Scully's Cross.  It was erected in 1860 to sit atop the O'Scully family crypt.  This elaborately carved Irish cross was sadly destroyed in 1976 when a lightning bolt hit the metal rod that ran the length of the cross.  Now only the ruined top 20 feet remain. 

Looking out to the beautiful countryside

The graveyard was so picturesque!  The weathered, moss-covered tombstones and crosses were interesting photo subjects.  And the sweeping green fields of the Plain of Tipperary stretched in every direction, making the perfect backdrop.  Sadly, the place was swarming with people, so getting photographs was a challenge.

Graves right up to the cathedral walls

The Rock of Cashel is a wildly popular destination for visitors to Ireland.  I'm told the place is continually busy from open to close.  There had to be at least four other tours walking through the graveyard at the same time as our group.

Large Celtic cross

Still with a bit of patience, I was able to wait for the crowd to clear in a few places and did manage to get a couple quick people-less snaps.  (And where I couldn't I was able to do a bit of "creative cropping" on some of these images.) 

Hard to get the tower and cathedral in the same frame

Our guide had a wireless mic and everyone in our group wore a tiny headphone, so we didn't miss any of the commentary.  But this system had a very small range, and sometimes if I lingered too long behind the group for a photo op, the guide's voice would start fading.  Losing the audio was my signal to get moving!

Round tower, the oldest surviving building

Sprinting to catch up with the group, I rounded the last corner of the chapel.  Here were many more graves.  We paused beside the walls of Cormac's Chapel.  Constructed before the main Cathedral, King Cormac McCarthy had this fine stone structure built in 1134.  Composed of tan sandstone, this chapel stands out against the Cathedral's crumbling gray stone walls.

Cormac's Chapel, built of tan sandstone

Visiting this chapel's interior required separate tickets.  Evidentially our Rick Steves tour didn't include this add-on, because we didn't get to go inside. 

Cormac's Chapel

No matter, Cormac's Chapel was impressive from the outside.  It was built in a "Romanesque" style, after churches in Germany of that period.  It had thick walls, few windows, and two large, square towers.

Large Celtic cross with carvings

In front of Cormac's chapel sat a large Celtic cross.  In the 1100 and 1200's, many of the population was illiterate.  In order to teach these people the word of God, images depicting Bible stories would be elaborately carved into Celtic crosses.

The cross carvings taught Christianity to the illiterate

I was setting up to photograph this beautiful Celtic cross quickly before anyone walked in my shot.  I clicked away, capturing several people-free images.  Thinking I'd gotten lucky, I then looked up and noticed a large group of people standing a few feet away, patiently waiting for me to finish.  

One final view of these amazing ancient ruins

I had a very short hour to experience this fascinating collection of Medieval buildings.  It wasn't nearly enough time!  Our tour now over, I bid this hilltop a wistful goodbye.  Kim and I both agreed we'd definitely have to come back here again.  (Our list of things to revisit in Ireland was already growing long.)

A happy traveler

It was time for lunch, and then on to Kilkenny, our day's final destination.  For my next post, I'll cover my experiences exploring Ireland's finest Medieval town.