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Touring The Rock of Cashel & Holy Cross Abbey

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During our visit to Thurles, Sinéad took us on a fascinating tour of nearby attractions. At the village of Holy Cross, we visited a collection of thatched-roof cottages, some of which are available for rent as holiday homes.


I took this photo from the thatched cottages, as it shows the picturesque environment, including Holy Cross Abbey, which we visited next.


This historic site is a restored Cistercian monastery that takes its name from a relic of the True Cross, the fragment of which was brought to Ireland by Plantagenet Queen, Isabella of Angouleme around 1233. The widow of King John, she bestowed the relic on the Thurles Monestery, which she rebuilt and thereafter was renamed Holy Cross Abbey. Here’s a photo of Sinéad, which I took at an entrance to the Abbey, which happens to be her home parish. Usually a national monument is not used as a place of worship, but through special legislation by Ireland’s legislature in 1969 it was restored as a place of Catholic worship.


Here’s a look in and around the impressive Abbey.






Our next stop was the spectacular Rock of Cashel, also known as Cashel of the Kings and St. Patrick's Rock, an incredible historic site in County Tipperary. The Rock of Cashel served as the traditional seat of the kings of the province of Munster for several hundred years prior to the Norman invasion. It is reputed to be the site of the conversion of the King of Munster by St. Patrick in the 5th century AD. Here’s the incredible view that you see as you approach the town of Cashel. It provides a good look at the earliest and tallest of the Cashel edifices: the well-preserved round tower (90 feet), which dates from c.1100.


Sinéad caught this “American tourist” photo of Jim and me as we approached the castle entrance.


The majority of the surviving buildings date from the 12th and 13th centuries, providing visitors with an outline of great complexity, and it is said to comprise one of the most remarkable collections of medieval architecture and Celtic art to be found anywhere in Europe. I hope you can tell from these photos that the Rock of Cashel should be on everyone’s “Don’t Miss When in Ireland” list.






This magnificent edifice is set among some of the most beautiful farmland you can imagine. Here’s Jim surveying one of the views.


My favorite view overlooks Hore Abbey, a ruined Cistercian monastery that was built in 1270. I hope to return to Cashel on another visit to Ireland so that I can explore and photograph this exceptional area of natural beauty and historic significance.