Located a few hundred yards from the centre of the town of Cashel in County Tipperary, just off the Dublin Road, is the breathtaking Rock of Cashel, one of Ireland 's most-loved historic sites.
Here, legend has it, in the year 445, St. Patrick accidently stuck his crozier through King Aengus' foot while baptising him. The noble king, gushing blood, thought it was part of the ceremony!
The Rock of Cashel was once the seat of the Kings of Munster, until bequeathed to the church in 1101.
The rock itself is a grass-clad limestone outcrop, on top of which sits a fortified abbey, an awe-inspiring group of buildings. The oldest — a round tower — dates back to the early days of the 12th Century.
Cormac's Chapel, consecrated a few years later, is embellished with Ireland's oldest Romanesque frescoes, in the process of being lovingly and painstakingly restored. They were covered in whitewash, remaining hidden for centuries until discovered in the 1980s.
At the Rock of Cashel, you can wander around the ruins of a cathedral, the Hall of the Vicars' Choral and a Dominican Friary, breathing in centuries of Christian history.
A magnificent graveyard contains a number of intricately-carved high crosses. Most notable is Scully's Cross, erected around 1870 to commemorate a prominent local family. It was struck by lightning in 1976 and the ringed cross top now lies at its base.
The Rock of Cashel is a place full of memories. Visit it and make some of your own.
