(Rock of Cashel and Blarney Castle, Ireland)

One place I wanted to visit but didn’t get a chance to when we were here in the winter was Cork, and especially Blarney Castle. Also, I remember asking a Dubliner where he recommended we go and he said, “You have to see the Rock of Cashel! It’s the one place Queen Elizabeth specifically requested to visit when she came to Ireland.” ‘Well’, I thought, ‘if it was good enough for a queen, then we should definitely check it out’. So, I booked a tour that had both places on the itinerary.

The day we set out was a beautiful, clear day. And although both Blarney Caste and Rock of Cashel is near Cork, we decided to save this tour for when we were back in Dublin. The drive down took about 3 hours. First stop was Rock of Cashel.

Rock of Cashel is a cathedral that was started in 1235. The main tower was built in the 14th Century and a castle was added to the western end during the 15th Century. It is a historic site that is located at Cashel in County Tipperary.

According to Wikipedia:

The Rock of Cashel originated in the Devil’s Bit, a mountain 20 miles (30 km) north of Cashel when St. Patrick banished Satan from a cave, resulting in the Rock’s landing in Cashel. Cashel is reputed to be the site of the conversion of the King of Munster by St. Patrick in the 5th century.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Rock of Cashel was something special to visit. Even though it’s in ruins, it was one of the best preserved ruins of a cathedral we’ve seen in Ireland. The site definitely felt sacred and we recommend visiting this place if you go to Cork.

Next stop was Blarney Castle. This fortified tower house was built in 1446 by the Lord of Muskerry, Cormac the Strong who was also chieftain of the McCarthy Clan. Previous to the castle, this location housed a 10th Century wooden hunting lodge that was well used by the Kings of Munster. Originally, it was surrounded by 8 acres of land enclosed by a stone perimeter wall and included a series of small watchtowers.

Legend has it that if you climb to the top of the castle and kiss a particular stone laid into the battlements, you will gain the “gift of gab”, a superpower of eloquent speech. The line of people waiting is usually really long and often takes an hour. To climb up to the top, you have to ascend a circular staircase that is extremely narrow and steep; it can make the faint-hearted feel a little woozy. But the view from the top is amazing and is, in my opinion, worth it.

When Grant and I got to the top, we were lucky that the line to kiss the blarney stone was shorter than usual. I got in line and after about 15 minutes, it was almost our turn to kiss it. Then Grant got his camera out and I asked, “Aren’t you going to kiss the stone?” To which he answered, “No! I was going to film YOU kissing it though”. I asked him, “Don’t you want to have the gift of eloquent speech?” and he said, “No, That’s ok. Besides, I don’t want to get chlamydia!”

So when it came to my turn, I stepped out of line and didn’t kiss the stone. Grant was a little frustrated to have waited in line for no reason. Personally, I didn’t want to get chlamydia either.

The rest of the castle is pretty neat to explore. Each floor has a sign explaining what the different rooms were used for. If you are coming on a tour, definitely go and kiss the stone first, then explore the castle grounds as there is lots to see, including – a cave network under the castle, a poisonous plant garden, lime kiln ruins, and more. The same family has owned the castle since 1703 but has moved out of it and into a gothic mansion located near the castle. This mansion is also open to visitors during specific times of the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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