July 5, 2024
We were hitting jet lag on the afternoon of our first full day in Ireland, so I picked up a Coke Zero at the gas station. I was intrigued by the ingenuity of the attached cap. That's a great way to keep the cap with the bottle for recycling.
Not long after entering County Tipperary, we came across a blocked off right-of-way for a herd of milk cows. Now that's something you don't see everyday (or any day) in California.
Eventually we made it to Cashel, a little town of about 4,400 people with a BIG tourist draw, St. Patrick's Rock, more commonly known as the Rock of Cashel. The word "cashel" means "fort" or "castle" in Irish.
We had to park at the base of the rock and trudge up the hill, but the view looking up was quite impressive.
The first building project here was the chapel of King Cormac McCarthy (yes, same name as the American author), built between 1127 and 1134, primarily of sandstone. It's incredible to me that any of it is still standing 1300 years later.
Obviously, some restoration has taken place, but still!
The graveyard surrounding the main buildings is one of the oldest active graveyards in Ireland. If you are on a special list created in 1930, you can still be buried here. Otherwise, forget it.
Through a space between walls, we could make out a second ruin far down in the valley below: Hore Abbey.
The cow pasture was really quite big, and the cattle seemed pretty unaware, or at least unfazed, by our presence. (But we had to watch where we stepped.)
It takes a little effort to get to Hore Abbey, and there is no formal parking lot, so there were only a few other people on site when we arrived and none by the time we left. How often does that happen at a place like this? In addition, with a cow pasture between the Abbey and the road, it was quiet and tranquil. There was no ticket booth, no tours, just the ruins and our own imaginations.
It would be very fun to have a midnight picnic here. If someone told me Hore Abbey is haunted, I think I would believe them. It just had that other-worldly, ethereal feeling.
Like the Rock of Cashel, there is a graveyard at the Abbey that is a mixture of the very old and the relatively new--a great source of spirits to haunt the place.
Between 1235 and 1270, a large cruciform cathedral was added to the chapel.
In 1647, the buildings were raided, looted, and severely damaged by English parliamentarian troops, and much of the clergy was murdered. The Anglicans took possession of what was left, and in 1749 the archbishop (a practical man) removed the roof so as not to pay an egregious roof tax.
Because this "rock" has a steep incline, the view of the valley below is unobstructed. Ah, that's a beautiful, typical Irish view!
And there's the booming town of Cashel as seen from another spot on the Rock.
We figured we should be able to walk there rather than drive, so we made our way off the rock . . .
. . . and to Bishop's Walk, a new pathway (opened in 2023) that goes partway to the Abbey and makes it easier to get there.
It took us about 15 minutes to get to the gate, where we realized that the final passage to the Abbey was through a cow pasture.
Signage near the gate gave us some background.
The cow pasture was really quite big, and the cattle seemed pretty unaware, or at least unfazed, by our presence. (But we had to watch where we stepped.)
Getting closer . . .
It takes a little effort to get to Hore Abbey, and there is no formal parking lot, so there were only a few other people on site when we arrived and none by the time we left. How often does that happen at a place like this? In addition, with a cow pasture between the Abbey and the road, it was quiet and tranquil. There was no ticket booth, no tours, just the ruins and our own imaginations.
Oops, I forgot! There was one somewhat anachronistic warning for canine guests:
The view of the Rock of Cashel from Hore Abbey:
I recommend visiting the Rock of Cashel for the history and legends, and visiting Hore Abbey for a more mystical experience.
Next: Cork
Hore Abbey is the jewel. Hog it for yourself, relish the peace and quiet. The Rock of Cashel is a tourist magnet, justifiably so, but again, the gem is below it.
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