Rock of Cashel

Completely worth an afternoon on your drive south out of Dublin.
Park on the right adjacent to this land mark.
We didnt take the tour, just dipped in and out of one & it was informational, enthusiastic & cleared up some misconceptions. Worth the extra $$.
Take your time if you choose to go it alone. Great views of the Wicklow Mountains & the Devil’s Pass. Many stories come out of this landmark: a golden Chablis down the well to save a child, monks burning to death in the tower, foreign raiders, the spectacular faith of St. Patrick, family burials that date to the present, and it’s eventual abandonment. There remains quite a lot of detailed relief work, paintings, unique architectural design — almost everything served a dual purpose. The scale and remains are in remarkable shape considering that this landmark is almost a millennia old.
The brief video is also worth a watch so your facts are straight before you tour.
Wifi is non existent.
No real gift shop to speak of either.

Traveling the countryside, you will find that Ireland has a good deal of rocks in its landscape. These are some of its better put together ones.
This historic site, located in Tipperary, Ireland, is not too far outside of Dublin & is the home of St. Patrick’s Cross. While the one outside is a replica, the original is kept indoors, safe from the elements. Home to the Kings of Munster nearly a millennia ago.
Within this imposing complex, there are structures including a tower, a chapel & others of various periods. Your knowledgeable guide, who may or may not greet you in Irish, will detail their rich history & walk you through the grounds for an enjoyable & educational visit through this beautiful & historic look into Ireland’s remarkable past.

On the drive from Cork to Dublin, my husband asked if I wanted to stop by a castle and we turned off towards Rock of Cashel. Parking meter was broken in the adjacent lot, so got lucky with free parking. Cash only for admittance so make sure you have money!
The free tour guide was informative and gave lots of pointers to look out for. Despite the chapel portion of the castle being restored and off limits, there were still a lot of details that I found lovely to look at. Lots of people were also enjoying the grass and scenery.

There isn’t much to see or do in the town of Cashel besides visit the Rock of Cashel, but if you are driving from Dublin to Dingle this breathtaking archaeological site is worth a stop.
The Rock of Cashel (aka: Cashel of the Kings or St. Patrick’s Rock) is a large mound of limestone that sits on top of a grassy, green hill. A local legend claims the Rock of Cashel originated in the Devil’s Bit, a mountain located twenty miles north of Cashel. According to the legend Satan took a bite from the mountain and broke some of his teeth. Satan’s broken teeth formed the Rock of Cashel.
Originally the Rock of Cashel was the castle for the High Kings of Munster in the 5^th century AD. In 1101 the King of Munster donated his fortress to the Church and the first cathedral was erected on the Rock of Cashel in the 12^th century. Today there are few remnants of the early structure; the surviving buildings date back to the 12^th and 13^th Century.
The existing buildings at the Rock of Cashel include:
ROUND TOWER — The medieval stone Round Tower or «bell house» is the oldest and the tallest of the buildings on the Rock and dates back to 1100. This 90 foot sandstone tower has an entrance 12 feet from the ground level. The entrance to the tower was only accessible by ladder which could be pulled up in the event of an attack.
CATHEDRAL — The single-​nave cathedral dominates the Rock of Cashel. This 13^th century cathedral consists of one huge, cross-​shaped room. The cathedral was used for worship until the mid-​1700s.
CHORAL HALL — The entrance to the Rock is through the 15^th century Hall of the Vicars Choral. The Hall of the Vicars Choral was once home to the male choristers who sang in the cathedral. Today the choral hall is the ticket office for the Rock of Cashel. The exhibits downstairs include several rare pieces of silver as well as St. Patrick’s Cross. The cross originally stood in the castle’s courtyard, but it was moved inside to prevent further erosion. A replica of the cross stands outside where the original cross used to be.
CHAPEL — Cormac’s Chapel, built in 1127 and consecrated in 1134, is a small sandstone roofed chapel in the shape of a cross. This Irish Romanesque chapel contains one of the best preserved Irish frescoes from the 12^th century. Other notable features of the chapel include a series of arches on the interior and exterior, a barrel-​vaulted roof, and a carved tympanum over both of the doorways. Since the chapel is made of sandstone the frescoes inside were damaged from the damp air. In order to dry out the stone and preserve the frescoes a rain proof structure is being built around the chapel.
MONASTERY — Hore Abbey (aka St. Mary’s) is a ruined Cistercian monastery located about a kilometer north of the Rock. Archbishop David MacCearbhaill banned the Benedictine monks from the abbey after he had a dream that they were about to kill him. He gave the abbey to the Cistercian monks in 1270 and endowed the abbey generously with land, mills and other buildings that previously belonged to the town, which caused the locals to resent him. Today the ruins of Hore Abbey are surrounded by sheep and cattle.
We visited the Rock of Cashel in September 2014. During our visit several areas of the Rock of Cashel was under restoration and preservation and a large section of the exterior was covered in scaffolding. Cormac’s Chapel is undergoing the largest restoration. Until the restoration is completed the Chapel is only open for guided tours from May to September.

Great historical stop. Definitely worth going to… although right now it is under renovation. Take the guided tour there, very informational and well presented. Great views from the top even if it is a bit windy and cold out.

These are landmarks that you simply must see while in Ireland. Truly beautiful indeed. You must spend more than a week there to take in all the beauty.

Just a short drive from Dublin and a great area to spend a day or two just enjoying the beauty!
Cashel is a great village with much to offer, but of course, the site to see is Rock of Cashel.
Situated on the highest point and viewed from all over. It’s a hike to get up to the entrance depending on which way you try to access it. We chose the long less-​steep section and parked on the streets below.
Once inside, you must pay your entrance fee but you’re able to do a personalized tour with a guide or just enjoy the audio tour on your own. We chose the cheaper option. pay the entrance fee and walk around ourselves as we had already done our research of the history of the site.
The view from inside the walls if spectacular and overlooks the rolling Irish countryside as well as the ruins of Hore of Abbey below.
Everytime I visit an ancient castle I can’t help but wonder how the heck people were able to live in such quarters. What was the flooring like. What did the windows look like. Yes, things like that make my OCD kick in.
Otherwise, a great visit. We stayed in a local B&B just across from Rock Of Cashel and we had a great view of it from below.
The village offers many great stores and places to eat. We were there on a Sunday but the pubs were lively so go and enjoy the atmosphere!

interesting place — when we were there it was rainy and windy, which added to the mystique. If you look old ruins, it is interesting, and has history. If you don’t like old ruins, well then …

Cool to see but a lot under restoration with lots of scaffolding. A couple rooms are restored with great authenticity as to the roof and flooring at the time.

A bit disappointed… undoubtedly a fantastic archaeological site… I know it us undergoing extensive renovation, but even so it’s a bit lame… total lack of information regarding the history of the site… very poor exhibits. … the video they show is probably almost as old as the castle. The 7 euro entrance fee is pretty poor value. A very sad way to present a national treasure.

AMAZING!!! The views from here are amazing, you can see farm lands for miles and miles. Walking among the tomb stones was so amazing and we got many amazing pictures, the walk through the abbey was breath taking and was shockingly beautiful. It’s located in a quiet and friendly little town which I would suggest staying over night just in order to get a few pints at TJ Ryan’s which poured the best Guinness ever!!!

STAR DATE 4 272 014… Captain Kirk has sent me, Security Officer Chun, to look after Science Officer Erica on an away mission to the Rock of Cashel.
To our shock, we just happened to land on the 1000^th Earth year anniversary, and therefore the primitive inhabitants waived the 6 euro entry fee, saving the Federation equivalant of $ 16.50. We watched the inhabitants re-​enact an ancient ceremony… but after 5 minutes we found it extremely dull, so we set about to explore the ruins. Given the primitive techologies during time of construction, the structure is impressive. Exploring the ruins took us just under an hour, so we beamed back up to the Enterprise ahead of schedule.
As Spock would say…“Fascinating” ;)

An excellent rock, as big rocks go. To be honest I’d not been to many before and on this Paddys weekend I got to see not one, but two rocks. The other being the Rock Of Dunamase.
Rock of Cashel being the more famous of the two, its world renowned. And with the Queens visit in recent years, I’m sure it’s profile is increased more.
Parked up, the car park appeared to be free on the day we were there. Perhaps because it was a Sunday? There are also some pretty decent public toilets by the car park. Clean.
We wandered around, taking in the immense structures that remain. Outside at one part there are headstones. The views from this point were breath taking. With grassy fields in the distance swaying in the strong breeze, with the shades of green changing this way and that.
There is a compact museum section with artefacts on display. Well lit, it was nice to get in out of the cool wind and browse.
Great value at 6 EUR for an adult. OAPs are 4 UER and children are 2 EUR.
Highly recommended if you are in the area or passing by on the motorway.

This is a great spot up on a hill that is a good place to stop between Dublin and Cork. It can be hard to find the exact place to park and walk up but it’s easy once you get onto the main street. This place was under renovation when I went so it wasn’t the most interesting, but it is a landmark.

Okay. This review gets a little weird. First, a great scenic place full of Irish history. Set up on the hill a slight walk from town. Our tour stopped here for a couple of hours to take in the cathedral and learn a little bit about its history. We also ate lunch here in town. The weather had been rainy leaving Dublin that morning but the skies cleared by the time we got here and we got some beautiful pictures. This is definitely worth a stop on any trips headed through southern Ireland. Standing in the middle of the structure and looking up, the building techniques used at the top are very fascinating.
Alright, here’s where it gets weird. I’m an electrical engineer by degree. Being an engineer, I look for technical reasons as to why things happen. 3 weeks prior to visiting Ireland, I was in the dentist’s office in Tampa, Florida having a crown put on. It turned out not to fit correctly. My dentist asked me if I could come back the next week to get fitted again. I said no, that I would be out of town for the next 4 weeks, not returning until mid July. Plan B: did I want a temporary crown put on or the one in hand that didn’t quite fit (it apparently was not long enough and didn’t reach down into the gum all the way). I didn’t want to be in Ireland and have a temporary crack on me so I said to put the manufactured crown on. She did. About 2 weeks later, I was in Chicago and my left side of my mouth started to hurt, both upper and lower jaws. I started pumping ibuprofen every 4 – 5 hours. I continued that through the flight to Ireland and while in Dublin. It was a consistent throbbing pain. I cursed myself for not going to a local Dentist in Chicago. After going through the Rock of Cashel structure, the tour guide took us outside to the stone Celtic Cross and explained its history. At the end, he smiled and said that if you approached the Cross and reached around it and were able to touch your hands together, the legends says that it would get rid of toothaches. Huh… that’s an old wife’s tale as we say in the States. The group dispersed around the cemetery. I walked up and reached out and touched the Cross, again marveling at their ability to work with stone back then. About an hour later as our tour bus was ready to leave, I noticed there was something missing. I couldn’t feel the toothache any more. It had been about 5 hours since I took my last ibuprofen. Should be there. Three hours later, and nothing. That night… nothing. The next morning I happen to mention to my wife that my jaw wasn’t hurting anymore and that it stopped while up at the Rock of Cashel. Her eyes widened. For the rest of the two weeks in Ireland, I had no pain. I went back to my Dentist in Tampa two weeks after the pain went away and had a new crown fitted for. I now have a temporary and still no pain… I can’t explain this technically.

How do you rate a site of archaeological and/​or historical significance? Against others? I don’t know, but looking back on my time in Ireland, i have a frame of reference a little bit versus other things we saw. This is a must see castle. It rises high above the plain and it is unmistakeably a huge landmark. It’s undergoing reconstruction and renovation right now but that doesn’t even matter. The guided tour helps a lot and it is free, so if you time your visit right (not sure when the tours start) you get a bit more out of the experience. You could also catch up to it midway through and it would still be great.
The grounds can be explored too, it’s so large that with even tour buses which may be there you won’t feel cramped.

The Rock was our first stop on our way from Dublin and Cork. It was a little tricky to find the exact street that lead up to the rock. (even with GPS)
Tips: Bring cash for your entry and for parking.
We didn’t do a guided tour but went into the small theater located near the entrance. They were playing an video about the history of Cashel. We really enjoyed the picturesque views from Cashel and the graveyard was so very interesting. There were beautiful statues, greenery, birds. It was all very surreal. This was a photographer’s dream. Even on the damp cloudy day I was able to get some great shots.
I do recommend wearing sturdy shoes as you are climbing a hill to get to the castle and will be walking in some un level areas.
I’d say this is a MUST see.

4 Stars for the Rock.
5 Stars for if you get the guided tour.
Like all things Ireland, you cannot count on the weather. Our day, it was rainy, windy, and WET. But, the guided tour made it all worth it. She was witty, funny, and kept our spirits up with great quips and stories.
I don’t think there needs to be another review about how great of a stop this is. But, this is the first review you are reading, here are great reasons to visit:
1. The cost relatively low to tour.
2. The town of Cashel is absolutely adorable. Somehow maintaining it’s Irish charm despite the flood of tourists and buses daily.
3. Some of the best souvenir shops are leading up to the castle.
4. So many excellent choices of small local pubs and café’s to grab a bite on your way in or out.

Der Rock of Cashel gilt als eine der wichtigsten Touristenattraktionen Irlands. Die alte, von einer Mauer umgebene Kirchenruine, thront auf einer Anhöhe über dem kleinen Ort Cashel. Wahrscheinlich jeder Irlandtourist der schon einmal einen Reiseführer in der Hand hatte kennt eines der imposanten Bilder dieser Sehenswürdigkeit.
Meine persönlichen Erwartungen konnte der Rock of Cashel leider nicht ganz erfüllen. Dafür fand ich die gesamte Anlage zu klein. Nach etwa einer Stunde waren wir schon wieder draußen. Normalerweise hätte ich nur drei Punkte vergeben. Wegen der historischen Bedeutung gibt es aber noch einen Bonuspunkt.

Since I arrived at 4:45pm (right around the last entry time) I decided to skip paying 6 € a person to rush through the castle, and explored the perimeter instead.
Although it’s currently being renovated, it’s clearly an impressive structure. There’s all sorts of small, historical plagues along nearby sidewalks, which convey history about the castle and other points of interest nearby.
Pro Tip: Try to park on the street before turning right into the paid lot. It’s a maximum of 2 € for pay-​and-​display on the street, while parking in the paid lot will cost you 4.50 € for any duration of time longer than 15 minutes.

Este castillo-​fortaleza domina la ciudad de Cashel, impresiona muchísimo pasear por la ciudad y ver cómo te vigila, un imponente edificio conservado lo suficiente como para poder disfrutar e imaginar lo importante que llegó a ser. El entorno, además, es perfecto, sobre una colina a cuyas faldas está Cashel y la verde Irlanda.

like many others who stopped here, bf and i were on our way from dublin over to cork and on a whim decided to stop here since it was about halfway and we were hungry… stopped at cute place for lunch and then drove a minute or so over to the bottom of the castle…
WOW WHAT A VIEW!!! granted, bf and i were lucky in that it was just blue skies, smattery of puffy white marshamallow clouds and not a rain drop in sight…
the tour was informative and interesting, but really hand’s down, the view is just amazing… cross your fingers for a clear day and you’ll see what i mean!

Cashel est mondialement réputée pour son site médiéval magnifique, The Rock Of Cashel (voir avis).
Mais c’est aussi une ville mignonne comme tout, et si vous vous extirpez des alentours immédiats du Rock (genre sandwicherie pour touristes), vous découvrirez l’Irlande des façades grises, des bâtiments fortifiés et crénelés, des portes aux couleurs vives, et des pubs, of course.
Il y en a 700 à Dublin, tout le monde le sait, mais Main Street ici en compte au moins quatre. Ambiance, couleurs des clubs de Hurling ou de Football Gaëlique, bref, tout est cool, passionné, sympa.

Rock of Cashel eine Kathedralen Ruine auf dem Rock of Cashel liegend. von dieser anhöhe hat man einen schönen Blick auf die Grünen Wiesen Tipperary’s !!
Eine Heillige Katholische Städte des alten Irlands !!