Ireland Day 9 - Cashel to Hollywood
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The Rock of Cashel
We woke up in Cashel, had our breakfast, and were waiting outside the
entrance to the Rock
before they'd even opened it!
The view from our bedroom window in the morning
The 13th Century Cathedral is the largest single building on the Rock
An ancient celtic High Cross stands in front of the cathedral
Cormac's Chapel is one of the oldest buildings on the Rock, dating from
1127 and built for King Cormac
Ireland is full of round towers, where monks would flee if their monastery
came under attack. The one on Cashel dates back to 1100
A general view of buildings on the Rock of Cashel
The view from the Rock, looking over Hore Abbey which we'd visited
the night before
Some of the fine carvings in the cathedral
More intricate stonework, over 800 years old
There are still traces of 12th Century painted fresco work in the chapel
Roscrea Castle
After leaving Cashel we headed north and further inland towards the centre of
Ireland. We stopped for a quick look around the town of Roscrea which has a good
castle, as well as a ruined medieval abbey (the N7 Limerick to Dublin trunk road
now runs straight through the middle of the abbey ruins!)
Roscrea Castle
Roscrea town and castle
A celtic High Cross in the grounds of Roscrea Abbey
Roadside petrol pumps
Throughout the more rural parts of Ireland we came across old-fashioned looking
petrol pumps stationed at the side of the road, often with no obvious place to
pay. I assume you're supposed to knock on the door of the nearest house and pay
there or something! Here's a picture of a couple that we saw in Birr, not far
from Roscrea.
Roadside petrol pump
Roadside petrol pump
Kilkenny Castle
On to Kilkenny -- the spiritual home of Irish horse racing -- and a quick
look around its castle.
Some spectacular scenery on the road through Co. Laois
Kilkenny Castle
Kilkenny Castle
Kilkea Castle
This was another castle that we'd marked on our list of places to see, but
when we got there it turned out to be a hotel. What's more there was a wedding
or some similar function going on, so it was hard to wander round and take
pictures unobtrusively. We got a couple, though.
Kilkea Castle
Kilkea Castle
We then pushed on a few kilometres up the road and stayed at a B&B in a tiny
village called Hollywood, just on the edge of the Wicklow Mountains National Park.
