Our
time in Ireland was done and we had to start moving toward
Dublin and our plane flight home. Our schedule called for
a full day to get us from Glasha to Dublin, but the trip was
only a couple of hours. So, having some time to burn, we
chose an attraction that was close to our travel path and set
out.
The photos below are what we saw.
Olive,
our host at Glasha, was nice enough to take a photo of us at our
last breakfast.
Along
the M8 highway we spotted a helicopter that was being used for
power line inspection. It was flying only a few feet above
the power lines.
A big
portion of the Rock of Cashel was undergoing conservation.
The original structures were started in the 9th century and were
improved for the next 500 years.
This is
a big structure positioned on the largest rock outcropping in
the area.
From the
lower portion of the castle yard we could see nearby structures
that were decaying.
The
castle grounds provided a majestic view of the surrounding Irish
farm lands.
Big
portions of the castle had collapsed.
The
portions of the walls that had collapsed had been removed except
for the large chunk in the foreground.
This chunk
was displaced by a very large storm that hit the area in the early
1900s. It must have been a hell of a storm to have winds
strong enough to dislodge this much rock.
Portions
of the older arches were not made of cut stone but with rubble.
The
inner arches were quite grand. The castle was co-opted by
the church and was later enhanced with chapels and other
religious rooms.
The
original tower was built solely for defensive purposes.
The
buttresses on this wall were huge.
This
portion of the castle was clearly part of a church.
Note the
internal rubble filling of these upper walls.
This
wall was hollow as it had passageways as part of the defensive
design.
Most
churches of this era had graveyards associated with them.
This was no exception.
Many of
the headstones were large, and some were in very good repair.
Other
monuments had badly suffered under the passage of time and
weather.
In an
inner portion of one of the chapels it was possible to still see
some of the frescoes on the ceilings.
This
chapel is being conserved and is in a sealed room. Note
the heads on the ceiling.
These
carved heads are somewhat odd, but may have been images of the
craftsmen who built the chapel.
These
heads are more like gargoyles. Note the reptile head on
the right.
The
opposite side was dissimilar in style, but also had a reptile
head; perhaps an alligator but they are not native to Ireland.
The tower building
was visible from the high arch.
The roof of the high
arch had brick as part of the construction.
The roof had
collapsed here but when it was intact it must have been a
grand sight.
Side chapels had
crude carvings.
One of the other
buildings had been converted into a museum and held some of
the more precious artifacts and carvings. This is a
tapestry from this period, but surely not original from Rock
of Cashel.
This carving is a
recreation.
This is the original
Celtic Cross that was on this site, now inside a protected
area. The cross has weathered badly and major portions
have fallen off or eroded.
Another original
carving rescued from the elements.
This was cut from one
of the interior walls of the castle, now housed in the musem.
Note the date on the
bottom of the crest: 1639.
The hotel was a nice
place catering mainly to golfers since there is a golf course
on site. We chose it because it was on the water and
within a close drive to the airport.
We went for a walk on
the beach and discovered this interesting monument.
Looking south we
could see a small island off the shore as well as a coastal
part of Dublin in the distance at the base of the hills.
| Previous Adventure | ||
| Trip Home Page |
Photos and Text Copyright Bill Caid 2015, all rights
reserved.
For your enjoyment only, not for commercial use.