Rock of Cashel and Cahir Castle

Visiting the Iconic Castles of County Tipperary, Ireland: Rock of Cashel and Cahir Castle

Ah, castle hopping in Ireland. There are approximately 30,000 castles or castle ruins in Ireland. That figure surprised me, too. You really can’t go far without running into one. Ideally, visiting a mix of heritage sites in various stages of ruin and restoration will allow you to experience both raw authenticity and reimagined history.

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While the most impressive sites may have the unwanted drawback of heavier crowds, they are popular for a reason. Most of these sites will have informational kiosks providing historical background and interesting insights that enrich your visit and help you appreciate what you are seeing. On the other hand, smaller ruins are almost completely uninhabited and allow you to freely explore and immerse yourself in the surroundings.

It is well worth some advance research and itinerary planning to figure out ahead what you’d like to see. We were mostly drawn the well-known sites, but spontaneously stopped at countless ruins as we made our drive around the southern part of Ireland. It is hard to resist those posted markers on the side of the road that point to a historic site!

To read an overview of our full eight-day itinerary through Ireland, click here.

We were around the mid-point of our road trip, when we reached County Tipperary in Ireland’s province of Munster. The region is set in the heartland and is home of the iconic Rock of Cashel and Cahir Castle. One could plan an entire itinerary just visiting the heritage sites and blueways (kayaker speak for paddle trails) in Tipperary. We just barely touched the surface in visiting these two attractions.

Rock of Cashel

We left the town of Waterford mid-morning to drive to Rock of Cashel, one the most visited heritage sites in Ireland. Rock of Cashel is a collection of medieval buildings. From a distance, it is a mighty fortress situated high up on a a dramatic outcrop of limestone. The site is actually comprised of a round tower, a high cross, a Romanesque chapel, a Gothic cathedral, an abbey, the Hall of the Vicars Choral and a fifteenth-century Tower House.

Above photo: Rock of Cashel; Cormac’s Chapel stands out in the center

One of the first things we realized and appreciated was the ease of visiting this site. Everything is well marked for tourists, ample parking, close restaurants, etc. We didn’t even arrive early and still had no issues. Our admission was covered with our OPW Heritage Card.

If your travels have a serious focus on historic sites and visitor attractions, the OPW Heritage Card may be a great savings compared to normal admissions.

We made advance reservations to every place that offered online booking. I highly recommend this, especially for popular sites. Bookings for the Rock of Cashel are available here. Once you pass through the main gate, you can also purchase tickets for a guided tour of Cormac’s Chapel interior (only available for purchase on-site).

The Hall of the Vicars Choral was built in the 15th century for the laymen who had been appointed to assist in chanting the cathedral services. This building is now home to the main reception, and is the first building that visitors encounter when entering the site. The original St. Patrick’s Cross is also preserved in a vaulted room in this building. There is a replica outside where the original once stood.

Above photos: The Hall of the Vicars Choral

The tour of Cormac’s Chapel is very much worth while. It was the chapel of the king Cormac Mac Carthaigh, built between 1127 and 1134. The fresco remnants are the only remaining Romanesque frescos in Ireland.

Above photos: Frescos in Cormac’s Chapel

We spent the remaining time exploring on our own. There are free guided tours for those who are interested, but Jason and I prefer going at our own pace. This place is massive. You will want to allow at least an hour and a half for your visit. If you like taking your time or will be taking a lot of photographs, you could spend 2 -3 hours here.

Above photos: Gothic architecture inside the Cathedral

Above photo: Carving of the Crucifixion on the north wall of the southernmost east chapel in the north transept.

Above photo: Carving of a Crest set inside a canopy tomb in the north wall of the nave

Above photo: Exterior of the Cathedral and Round Tower

The hilltop grounds surrounding the building complex are occupied by a cemetery containing many high crosses. They are beautifully weathered. Looking out, you can see the countryside below and Hore Abbey, a ruined Cistercian 13th-century monastery.

Above photos: High crosses surrounding Cathedral

Above photos: Skully’s Cross, constructed in 1867 was destroyed in 1976 when lightning struck a metal rod that ran the length of the cross

Above photo: Hore Abbey

Above photos: Views from Rock of Cashel

Following our walk down the hill, we grabbed a quick lunch in town before departing for our next stop. I will say, these castle towns have quite a bit to entertain the influx of visitors they receive to their star attraction. If you are one of the lucky ones who is able to visit at a leisurely pace, I think each of these charming little villages would be lovely to explore.

Above photo: Cafe and shops outside of Rock of Cashel

Cahir Castle

Our next stop, a mere 20 minutes down the road, was Cahir Castle. Cahir is touted as one of Ireland’s largest and most well-preserved medieval fortresses. It is located on a rocky island in the middle of the River Suir, so you get that moat aesthetic.

When we arrived at the castle, parking was really easy even on a summer Saturday afternoon. The walk up to the entrance of the site follows the river and then over a scenic bridge. Like Rock of Cashel, our admission to Cahir Castle was covered with our OPW Heritage Card.

Apparently, the castle has been used as a film and TV location in recent years. It has been featured in productions such as Excalibur , The Tudors, The Last Duel and The Green Knight. Despite this, there were no crowds.

Above photos: Exterior of Cahir Castle

I did not know much about the history of Cahir Castle prior to arriving. I was easily captivated by the story of the Butler family. It changed hands very few times due to it being at the cutting edge of defensive castle design at the time. As you walk up to the main gate, you will notice the Butler coat-of-arms above the door.

Above photos: Excalibur vibes at Cahir Castle

Above photo: The portcullis

Above photo: The portcullis (gate) mechanism

Above photo: Looking back in the opposite direction after walking through the portcullis

Above photo: Cannon in the Inner Ward looking towards the main Keep

Above photo: Looking over the roof line of the main Keep

Above photo: Exterior of the Great Hall

Above photos: Inside the Great Hall at Cahir Castle

Above photo: View of the River Suir from Cahir Castle

Above photo: View through the trees in the Outer Ward on the opposite side of the Keep

Above photo: View of Cahir Castle from outside the postern gate

We managed to get some great views of the town of Cahir from the higher parts of the castle. It looked just as charming and colorful as the many other towns we had seen. Sadly, we had no time to spare for a walk-about as we had a tour booked at the Jameson Whiskey Distillery in Midleton. After a full day of medieval history and a ton of walking, we were ready for it!

Read about the next stop on our Ireland road trip: The Jameson Experience, Cork, and Blarney Castle here.