Day 13 – July 2, 2024 – Waterford, Ireland

Today was our long excursion so it was an early morning. A quick breakfast and we were off in the tender to the port to catch our bus. Our guide, Lynne, met us and we were on our way to Cashel via Cahir and Carrick on Suir, which was about a 1 ½ hour drive. We parked in Cashel, had a quick bathroom break and then headed to the Rock of Cashel with a guided tour that was about an hour.

The Rock of Cashel is an archaeological site located in County Tipperary, Ireland. It includes a medieval castle, a round tower, a chapel, and a cathedral. It dates back over a thousand years. There was so much information our guide gave us; it was hard to keep up with it. Here are some excerpts from facts.net about the castle.

Construction began in the 12^th century.
It served as the traditional seat of the kings of Munster, who were a powerful Gaelic kingdom in ancient Ireland.
There is a collection of medieval buildings within the fortress that include the Round Tower, the Gothic cathedral, and the Cormac’s Chapel, which is renowned for its intricate Romanesque architecture.
According to a legend, the Rock of Cashel was formed when Satan took a bite out of a nearby mountain and spat it out, creating the structure overnight.
The Rock of Cashel is perched on a limestone outcrop and provides breathtaking panoramic views of the fields and hills of County Tipperary.
In 1101, it was donated to the church by the king of Munster at the time, which marked its transition from a royal stronghold to a religious site.
It was partially destroyed in 1647 due to a fire, which left many of the structures in ruins. The remaining buildings, including the cathedral and chapel remain today.
It is known for its stone carvings, which depict scenes from religious texts and Celtic mythology.
It has been featured in several movies and TV series, including “Excalibur” and “The Tudors.”

After the tour, we had about 30 minutes of free time, so we walked down to the little village and popped into one of the stores to look around. Next we got back on the bus and headed to one of the local establishments, The Galtee Inn for lunch and we sat with another couple that is from Florida and chatted with them for a while. We were served a small salad followed by a huge plate of rice with smothered beef on top. Add a Guiness and we were very full!

After lunch we got back on the bus and drove for about 30 minutes to another castle in Cahir, where we got another guided tour by one of the locals. Some facts about Cahir Castle were taken from great-castles.com.

One of Ireland’s most prominent and best-preserved medieval castles.
Located in County Tipperary and is on a small rocky island in the middle of the River Suir. (They had their own private moat!)
Built in 1142 by Conor O’Brien on the remains of an old Irish fortification called a cathair, which is Irish for a stone fort, which how the castle received its name.
The earliest remains of the castle date back to the 13^th century.
It is one of the few castles in Ireland that has a fully functioning portcullis.
The cannonball, still lodged in two of the walls, is from a 1599 siege when it was attacked by Robert Deveraux, the Earl of Essex.

We enjoyed a scenic drive back, caught the tender back to the boat and then cleaned up for the evening. The usual – happy hour and dinner. Tomorrow we will be in Portland, England and have plans to visit a sub-tropical garden and swannery. Enjoyed visiting the castles and learning the history! Nite all 😊