Rock of Cashel
Seat Of The Kings Of Munster, Granted To The Church In 1101: A 13th Century Cathedral, Round Tower And Cormac'S Chapel (Consecrated 1134) On A Limestone Rock; National Monument In OPW Care · Cashel, Tipperary
The Rock of Cashel (Carraig Phadraig, St Patrick's Rock) is a limestone outcrop above the town of Cashel in County Tipperary, crowned by one of the most spectacular clusters of medieval buildings in Ireland. It was the seat of the kings of Munster for centuries, where St Patrick is said to have converted the king in the 5th century and Brian Boru is said to have been crowned, and in 1101 it was handed to the Church. On top stand a round tower of about 1100, Cormac's Chapel (consecrated 1134), the finest Romanesque church in the country, a great roofless 13th-century cathedral with a tower house built onto it, and the 15th-century Hall of the Vicars Choral. Cormac's Chapel has reopened after a long conservation project that saved its rare medieval wall paintings. It is easy to reach from the M8 between Dublin and Cork. The honest caveat: the top is small, windy and exposed, the chapel is by limited guided slot only, and summer coaches can pack the rock in the middle of the day.
Rock of Cashel, Moor Lane above Cashel town, County Tipperary, just off the M8 Dublin-Cork motorway, Cashel, Tipperary, Ireland
Open daily all year in the care of the OPW, roughly 9 am to between 5.30 and 7 pm in summer and about 9 am to 4.30 or 5 pm in winter, with last admission about 45 minutes before closing; closed over Christmas - confirm current hours. Cormac's Chapel is by guided or timed entry only, in small numbers, first come first served at reception on the day - confirm. Cashel is about 1 hour 45 minutes from Dublin and 1 hour from Cork by the M8; some Dublin-Cork coaches stop in the town, and the nearest stations are Thurles and Cahir, about 20 km away. Parking is paid in town and near the rock. No advance booking is usually needed for general entry.