Roscrea Castle and the Rock of Cashel: Day 12 – Ireland 2014
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20 April 2014 – Billy’s Birthday!!
After packing and enduring glares from other campers that we’d undoubtedly kept up all night, we got on the road. Billy was feeling terrible. I was struggling with my…feelings. On the one hand, I felt awful for Billy because he was sick and wanted rest and I couldn’t drive the car. I wanted to give him some downtime and care. I also wanted him to SUCK IT UP BECAUSE WE’RE IN IRELAND FOR GOODNESS SAKE!! Again, it was a struggle. I let him decide on if we’d continue with the plans for the day or not, and he said he wanted to go ahead, so we did.
Here are a few pictures of a wonderful Billy, pretending to feel fine at Roscrea Castle:
Kilkenny Castle
We didn’t travel too far first thing that morning. We took the short drive into Kilkenny and checked out Kilkenny Castle. I don’t have very many pictures of Kilkenny Castle because photographs weren’t allowed inside, but I remember it being rather impressive. Billy was disappointed (as he is with most castles) because it wasn’t a true 13th-century castle but had been updated through the centuries. He knows it’s unreasonable to expect people not to have updated to add plumbing and such, but dangit if he just doesn’t want a true medieval castle. While the castle’s foundations are from the 13th century, the castle decoration inside is more fitting to the late 19th century.
Either way, it was a neat place with TONS to see. We stayed for maybe an hour or so, exploring the many rooms and beautiful grounds. The thing I remember most about the castle is the impressive picture gallery. It is truly stunning and I couldn’t get enough of the ceiling. If you plan to visit, it is in your best interest to look up while in the picture gallery. You won’t want to miss it!
Photos from Kilkenny Castle
Roscrea Castle
Castle #2 for the day was a little more Billy’s speed. Roscrea Castle dates from the late 1200s and it still looks like it. It was mostly empty when we visited, with only a few bits of furniture in the great hall area. We also had the entire place to ourselves. That is a huge benefit of traveling before the high season sets it. I can’t tell you how many castles we’ve seen where we were the only people there!
Next to Roscrea Castle is the Dramer House. I have zero pictures of the building or the inside, but we enjoyed checking it out. When we were there, it was set up as a small museum. There were exhibits on the local area and what Dramer House had been used for since being built in 1722. The castle and the house are smack next to each other, so you can’t miss it!
We didn’t stay as long at Roscrea Castle because Billy was starting to feel worse although he was slow to admit it (see photo evidence at the top of this blog post). We took in the entire castle, gardens, and house before retreating to the warmth of the car and hitting the road for the final stop of the day.
Snaps from Roscrea Castle
The Rock of Cashel
Our final stop was quite the iconic site; the Rock of Cashel. We saw it looming in the hills miles before we got there and it was our guiding beacon to our campsite for the night. We were staying at Cashel Lodge, which has tent pitches and rooms available for rent. We’d booked a tent pitch and Billy was not looking forward to that. When we arrived, we were greeted by the lovely woman who ran the place. I sheepishly explained that we had booked a tent pitch but that Billy was sick and we were wondering if she had any rooms available.
To our dismay, she seemed a little put off by it. She explained that she had just gotten over the Easter weekend rush and had only cleaned one room but that she guessed we could have it. I thanked her profusely, which she responded to by promptly walking away and into the depths of her house.
Irish Hospitality
We stood in her entrance hall, waiting awkwardly. She said she’d be back in a second, but she seemed a little mad at us. So we waited. And waited a little more. And then she came bustling back in with a basket full of stuff. She set it down in front of us and started going through it. “Now, you’ll want to take this before you go to bed. It’ll help clear up your sinuses. And this you make like a tea and take right away. And this you’ll take in the morning when you get up…”
She had brought us an entire care basket with all kinds of medicines and things to give Billy comfort during our stay. I nearly cried. It was the nicest thing anyone had done for us while in Ireland, and we’d had a lot of wonderful interactions with people. She showed us to our room, which had a window facing the Rock of Cashel, a warm bed, and a hot shower. It was heaven. Happy birthday, darling.
The Rock of Cashel
With everything stored away in our room, we put on our coats and trekked over to the Rock of Cashel. It was a pleasant walk with incredible views, but the best part awaited. The Rock of Cashel itself is incredible. It’s huge and majestic and a true wonder to behold. Silence came over us as we walked the hill leading up to the ruin and its full beauty overtook us.
We visited a few hours before closing and it was fairly quiet. There were maybe 10 other people on the premises (again, that bonus of traveling before the high season kicks in). I love getting to visit these incredible places in near solitude. It lets us get in the mindset of daily life there and listen for those faint whispers of the past. Luckily, this was one of many locations we’d have nearly to ourselves.
We stayed till closing. There was just so much to see. From the historical video we watched when we first entered, to the amazing architecture to the cemetery outside, we were enthralled. The Rock of Cashel was built between 1230 and 1270, but it was not the first structure to stand on the limestone outcropping. It is thought that a stone fortress stood here in the days that the hilltop was a royal site. After all, cashel means stone fort in Irish.
In its royal days, this site saw the inauguration of Brian Boru as King of Munster in 978. In 1101, Brian Boru’s grandson gifted the location to the church. Quite nice, some might say, but it was a political move that you can read more about here if you’re interested. As it stood, the rock was now in the hands of the church, and construction began. The oldest part of the remaining structures is the round tower, built in 1101.
A fraction of our photos from the Rock of Cashel
Cashel
After we visited the Rock, we headed down into the town of Cashel in search of dinner. I don’t remember the name of the place we ate at, but I remember the atmosphere and the warmth. It was one of those places that feels cozy and homey. We were seated at a table next to a more lounge-y area. There was a couch and a few armchairs sat around a coffee table. The people seated there were having a grand time, chatting and sipping tea while the kids ate at the coffee table. It was comfortable. And the food was delicious!
We strolled through the town, taking in another ruin of what I’m guessing was a church. We window shopped since most of the shops were closed for the evening. In all, despite Billy not feeling great, it was a wonderful day. As we walked back to our room, we passed another ruin out in a field, Hore Abbey. At the time, we didn’t know we could explore it but apparently, you can, as we’ve seen many other posts where folks have gone for a walk-through.
Settling In
When we got back to our room, I promptly made Billy a cup of his tea-like medicine and forced it down him. Then into a hot shower and a warm bed for the both of us. With hopes of Billy feeling better in the morning, we drifted off into blissful sleep.
Cheers,
Lydia and Billy
