Rock of Cashel
After driving 75 minutes over rolling farmland, suddenly we had a huge shock. A massive set of grey buildings rose high above the verdant green valley. The second shock was a large pull-off at an even closer viewpoint. Could we order more of these, please? Most of Ireland’s regional roads are narrow, two lanes with no shoulders, making it difficult to get out and take photos.
Author & Photographer: George Mitchell
Our recommendations are not influenced by affiliate links – we do not have any. Our advice is derived from our personal experience and knowledge based on living in Europe for seven years and studying its art, architecture and culture. Ireland is one of our favourite destinations.
All of our recommendations are top-rated by Google Maps Ratings, which is based on everyone, not just tourists. Each place recommended in our custom Ireland East Map is appended with a Google Maps Rating (G0 to G5).
Rock of Cashel Viewpoints
Rising 28 m (90 feet) high, the Round Tower is the oldest building on this site, dating from 1102. This bell tower is one of only 13 that are still intact in Ireland. In fact, they are a unique feature of Irish churches.
OPW Heritage Card
We had already bought the OPW Heritage Card. This is worthwhile if you are travelling for a long time in Ireland. The adult card is €40, and the student/senior card is €30. Single entry is €8 or €6, so you save money even after visiting five places. But some towns like Cashel charge €4.50 for parking. There are free guided walks, and they are highly recommended. But some walks are an extra fee. The Cormac Chapel was an extra fee, but it was included if you had an OPW card!
Chapel of King Cormac
The Chapel of King Cormac was built between 1127 and 1134. It may be one of the most important buildings in Ireland, as there are few Romanesque churches remaining.
The exterior of Cormac’s Chapel is beautifully decorated with typical Romanesque details like semi-circular arches. But note the unusual zigzag arches.
You can only see the locked interior by going on the special tour. The interior used to be covered in gold and lapis lazuli frescoes.
Cathedral
The cathedral was built between 1235 and 1270, but I did not take any photos with my cell phone. In 1749, the roof was removed by Archbishop Arthur Price so he could justify living and working from the town of Cashel rather than the cold rooms and naves on the hill. This led to the destruction of the cathedral.
This was sealed by the Puritan dictator, Oliver Cromwell. Not only did he overthrow King Charles, but he also desecrated and destroyed all the Catholic Churches and massacred 1000 residents in Cashel who claimed sanctuary in the Cathedral. Cromwell ignored this basic right of law.
Hall of the Vicars Choral
The Hall of the Vicars Choral was built in the 15th century. The best laymen singers were appointed to sing Gregorian chants and live in this building. This was a job worth taking. They were given 2000 acres of land for their family.
But even better, they received a seal (at the bottom of the photo, but smaller than your palm), which they would stamp on an invoice for any food or products they needed. Yes, this was Ireland’s first credit card! Needless to say, this was soon abused as cloned seals were given to their relatives. So began the first credit card fraud.
The white washed walls increased the light in the room but also sterilized it.
Hore Abbey
From the Rock, there are incredibly beautiful views of the surrounding green countryside and the ruins of Hore Abbey below. The setting of this site is superb. Ok, maybe the glorious sunny and warm day biased our opinion. I hope there is a law banning any modern buildings within this view.
There is a trail down from this view, or you can drive, but the only parking is along the 1.5 lane country road (locals parked here). There is not much left of this Cistercian Abbey, but the views were stunning.
There were very few tourists as well, but it is no longer undiscovered.
Rock of Cashel Farewell
This was our favourite archaeological site to date. The setting was outstanding, and all three Heritage Ireland (OPW) guides were superb. They told us many interesting stories like the Scoundrel of Cashel, Miler Magrath. While a Catholic bishop, he fathered nine children. Then he supposedly was a lover of Queen Elizabeth I, and she appointed him as a Protestant bishop! So he obtained two stipends/pensions!
Fethard
From here we travelled 15 km to Fethard to see a medieval walled city. There was not much to see here, so this could easily be skipped.
Kilkenny
We drove back to Kilkenny and popped into the ALDI supermarket to get food for supper as well as snacks for tomorrow’s drive to Kinsale. We bought tasty smooth Guinness and O’Shea’s ale, sweet Cullens pear cider (we found the strawberry one overly sweet), superb pate, smoked salmon and mixed salad and added rocket and pesto.
In all, we drove 83 km round trip to the Rock of Cashel – very highly recommended.
Final Comments on this Itinerary
This is an action-packed itinerary. Most newbie tourists head to sites they have heard about, or what I call name recognition. The places we recommend are all highly rated by local people, as shown by the high Google Map Ratings. Remember, the most important “destination” is meeting the people.
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Itinerary Map & Resources
You may want a couple of days before and after this itinerary for Dublin and/or Trim. Trim is an excellent base for reaching Dublin Airport.
If you have more than a week, then combine this tour with places in the Ireland East and the Best Places for 2 Weeks in Southwest (SW) Ireland itineraries below. Or just visit some of the nearby places listed below.
Google Maps Ratings
Google Maps provides a rating from 0 to 5 for all sights, hotels and restaurants (but not cities). All of our recommendations are appended with the rating (prefixed with a G) from Google Maps. As it is based on feedback from tourists and locals, it is much more reliable than travel booking websites. We consider a score of 4 to 4.39 to be Very Good; 4.4 to 5 to be Excellent.
Ireland FAQ
The Ireland FAQ post answers Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) like:
- Where should I go in Ireland?
- What is the best season for travel?
- What is the best clothing?
- Where should I go? What are the must-sees?
- How much time do I need for Ireland?
- Can I see everything in a week?
- How safe is Ireland?
- How much cash should you take to Ireland?
- Should I pay in Euros or my own currency?
- What apps are useful for travel?
- Should I rent a car? Take a Taxi?
Terra Encounters 
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