Rock of Cashel

Where kings were crowned

For centuries the Rock of Cashel was the seat of the Kings of Munster, and legend says St Patrick came here in the 5th century to convert the king. In 1101 the king gave the Rock to the Church, and most of the buildings you see today date from the 12th and 13th centuries.

The cluster of grey stone rising from the flat green plain is one of the most striking sights in Ireland, and one of its most visited heritage sites.

Don't miss

• Cormac's Chapel, consecrated in 1134, with rare Romanesque carvings and the remains of some of the oldest wall paintings in Ireland.
• The round tower, about 28 m high and the oldest building on the Rock.
• The Hall of the Vicars Choral, a restored 15th-century hall.
• Hore Abbey, a ruined Cistercian abbey in the fields below, free to wander.

Local tip

For the classic photograph of the Rock, walk ten minutes down to Hore Abbey and look back up the hill, especially in the late afternoon light.

Nearby

Glendalough · Killarney National Park · Dublin · All destinations