Rock of Cashel
Medieval hilltop complex of chapel, cathedral and round tower, once the seat of the kings of Munster, with a small museum and audio-visual show.
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Over het museum
The limestone outcrop above Cashel was a royal seat of the kings of Munster long before it became a church site. Tradition links it with Saint Patrick, and the Eóganacht dynasty is said to have built a fortress here in the early medieval period. Brian Boru is recorded as being crowned king at Cashel in 977. In 1101 the king Muirchertach Ua Briain handed the rock over to the Church, and it became one of the main ecclesiastical centres of Munster.
The oldest standing building on the rock is the round tower of about 1100. Cormac's Chapel, begun in 1127 and consecrated in 1134, is a small Romanesque church that keeps the only surviving Romanesque wall paintings in Ireland. The large Gothic cathedral was built in the thirteenth century, and the fifteenth-century Hall of the Vicars Choral stands at the entrance to the enclosure.
In 1647 Parliamentarian troops under Lord Inchiquin stormed the rock and killed the Confederate soldiers and clergy sheltering there. In the 1730s the archbishop had the cathedral roof taken off, which left the building roofless as it is today. The site is now run by the Office of Public Works. Visitors pass through the Hall of the Vicars Choral, where an exhibition and the original St Patrick's Cross are displayed, and an audio-visual show introduces the history of the rock.
Hoogtepunten
- Cormac's Chapel with Ireland's only surviving Romanesque frescoes (guided tour only)
- Round tower of about 1100 and the roofless Gothic cathedral
- Exhibition in the Hall of the Vicars Choral with the original St Patrick's Cross
- Audio-visual show on the history of the rock
- Views over the Golden Vale
Vaste collectie
- Rock of Cashel exhibition and audio-visual show – An exhibition in the Hall of the Vicars Choral shows the original St Patrick's Cross, and an audio-visual show tells the story of Cashel.
- Beheerder
- Office of Public Works (OPW) – Heritage Ireland
Toegangsprijzen & kortingen
| Volwassenen | € 8 |
|---|---|
| Met korting | € 6Seniors |
| Kinderen & jongeren | € 4Child or student rate. |
| Senioren | € 6 |
| Mensen met een beperking | gratisbegeleider gratis · Visitors with disabilities and their carers enter free at Heritage Ireland sites that charge admission. |
| Studenten | € 4Child or student rate. |
| Groepen | € 6 p.p.Group rate per person; groups must book in advance. |
| Gezinnen | € 20 |
The ticket price is the same for guided and self-guided visits. Tickets can be booked online. A limited number of places for the interior tour of Cormac’s Chapel can only be bought on site.
Toegankelijkheid
- Rolstoeltoegankelijk: geen informatie
- Lift: geen informatie
- Aangepast toilet: geen informatie
- Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats: geen informatie
- Hulphonden welkom
- Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
- Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
- Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
- Audiodescriptie: geen informatie
Heritage Ireland warns of uneven walkways, low doorways and the need to hold the handrail, and the site is very exposed. It lists no wheelchair or toilet details for this site. Assistance dogs are welcome at all Heritage Ireland sites.
Kinderen & gezin
Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen
| Bezoekduur | ca. 1,5 uur |
|---|---|
| Gezinsticket | € 20 |
Discover Ireland lists the site as family friendly. Children and students pay a reduced rate and there is a family ticket. The enclosure has uneven ground and exposed edges.
Bereikbaarheid & parkeren
Met het openbaar vervoer
Cashel (Bus Éireann X8) · 500 m
Bus Éireann route X8 stops in Cashel, from where the site is about 500 m on foot off the Dublin Road. The nearest railway station is Thurles.
Met de auto
Betaald parkeren
A public pay car park lies close to the site. Coach operators are asked to use it rather than drive up to the rock.
Service & horeca
- Museumwinkel
Gift shop on site. Exhibition and audio-visual show are in the entrance building.
Evenementen & zaalverhuur
- Ruimtes te huur
Heritage Ireland lists the site as an events venue; no details are published on the site page.
Je bezoek plannen
| Rondleidingen | ja |
|---|---|
| Goed om te weten | Visitors can follow a guided or self-guided route for the same price. Cormac’s Chapel can only be entered on a guided tour, and tour times can change at short notice, so it is best to phone ahead. Allow 1 to 1.5 hours. |