Cashel
Cashel was the seat of the Kings of Munster, and also an
important ecclesiastical site. It had good natural defensive
capabilities, as can be seen here:
It also has excellent views of the surrounding countryside (in this
picture you can see Hoare Abbey in the mid-ground of the picture):
The ecclesiastical architecture is mostly Norman, from the twelfth
to fourteenth centuries. The Cathedral dates from the thirteenth
century:
The entrance to the Cathedral:
Like most major medieval sites in Ireland, there is a Round Tower.
Here it is seen with part of the cathedral:
And on its own:
Cormac's Chapel is slightly older than the cathdral, and shows signs
of continental influence, particularly in the double tower and
Romanesque arcading seen in this picture:
The entrance to the chapel:
The interior of the chapel:
A view from the Angle (a space between the cramped buildings) into
the chapel:
The Vicar's Church (fourteenth century):
A short distance away from the Rock of Cashel is the thirteenth
century Cistercian Abbey of Hoare:
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© Verity Allan 2008.