Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
If you have time, start by visiting the Sounds of History Museum under the Bru Boru
ascend. From there, it's a steep 100-yard walk up to the Rock itself. On this 200-foot-high
outcrop of limestone, the first building you'll encounter is the 15th-century Hall of the Vi-
cars Choral, housing the ticket desk, a tiny museum (with an original 12th-century high
cross dedicated to St. Patrick and a few replica artifacts), and a 20-minute video (2/hour,
shown in the hall's former dormitory). You'll also find a round tower, an early Christian
cross, a delightful Romanesque chapel, and a ruined Gothic cathedral, all surrounded by
my favorite Celtic-cross graveyard.
Cost and Hours:
€6, families-€14, daily early June-mid-Sept 9:00-19:00, mid-March-
early June and mid-Sept-mid-Oct 9:00-17:30, mid-Oct-mid-March 9:00-16:30, last
entry 45 minutes before closing. Parking costs €4.50 (pay at machine by exit before
returning to your car).
Renovations:
An extensive and essential restoration project is underway. It's likely that
sections of the ruins will be under scaffolding during your visit (especially Cormac's
Chapel).
Crowd-Beating Tips:
Summer crowds flock to the Rock (worst June-Aug
11:00-15:00). Try to plan your visit for early or late in the day. If you're here at a peak
time, tour the Rock first and save the movie, museum, and Hall of the Vicars Choral
for the end of your visit, when the tourist tide has receded. Otherwise, see the movie
and museum first.
Dress Warmly:
Bring a coat—deceptively sheltered conditions in the parking lot may not
reflect those on the high, windy, exposed Rock.
Tours:
Call ahead for the tour schedule (included in entry price, 45 minutes, tel. 062/
61437). Otherwise, set your own pace with my self-guided tour.
WCs:
Use the ones at the base of the Rock next to the parking lot (there are none up on
the Rock).
(See “Rock of Cashel” map,
here
.)
In a sense, architecture is the marriage of art (what can be imagined) and science (what's
possible). When this union is blended to serve God, it's a potent mix. Nowhere else in
Ireland can you better see the evolution of Irish devotion expressed in stone. This large
lump of rock is a pedestal supporting a compact tangle of three dramatic architectural
