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Wednesday, Nov
20, 2002
As we drove down the
road down the Tipperary plains, the Rock
of Cashel jumped out at us from
behind a small hill, all majestic and ancient. Local legends
say the Devil took a bite out of the nearby Slieve Bloom mountains
and spat it out in disgust right in the middle of the
Tipperary plains after seeing St. Patrick getting ready to
build a great church, thus creating the promontory
upon which Cashel of the Kings sits.
In Ireland, we soon
confirmed, history and legend are one and the same, the line
between them as hazy as the misty rain.
Our first
view of the Rock of Cashel. As you follow the road
around a
small hill, the castle appears in front of you like a dream.
Nov. 20, 2002
Today was also our
first taste of full Irish weather; it was cold, rainy and
windy and we loved it, even with all the implications such
weather normally entails. At Cashel, jutting so high over the
surrounding terrain, the wind was quite strong, making us
watch our step as we walked around lest we get blown
off-balance.
Danny
& Yvette inside the ruins of the church.
Nov. 20, 2002
It was incredible to
be in such a place as Cashel. The jumble of buildings one on
top of the other, the layers of history vying for dominance
even in their ruined state, lend the site a solemn dignity
that was only enhanced by the weather. The slate-grey sky
framed everything in stark contrast to itself, making us aware
of details we know we would have missed under a sunny Summer
sky. After about 10 minutes you get used to the rain--it
simply becomes part of the landscape--and you stop noticing
when it stops and starts falling again. It is Ireland, after
all.
The round
tower, outer wall and cemetery at Cashel.
Nov. 20, 2002
The little booklet
we picked up at the gift shop did a great job of introducing
us to the wonders of Cashel without being too heavy on history
that may bog down the experience (it has a great bibliography
for that), pointing out the major sights at the site, great
details to note, and enough context to make the ruins come
alive as you walk among them.
Danny
next to St. Patrick's Cross.
The original is inside the little museum.
Nov. 20, 2002
Cashel is one of
those places that captures your heart and imagination from the
moment you see it in the distance. You can see the various
waves of inhabitants reflected on the stones that bear witness
to this day, hear the voices of kings and religious figures
that left their mark on the structure and fabric of both site
and surrounding town. In short, a place where one could spend
hours lost in thought and reflection.
But we did not have
those hours, as the road was long and our destination still
far away. So after about 2 1/2 hours, we bid adieu to Cashel,
vowing to return, and go back in our car on our way to that
idyllic corner of Ireland, the Dingle Peninsula.
Next: Dingle
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