Rock of Cashel & Hore Abbey

4th-6th June 2022

Annacarty, Co. Tipperary, Ireland

While I was in Ireland, I spent a bit of time in Annacarty, Tipperary, with family. I was shown many local historical sights, but I can’t remember all of them! My ‘tour guide’ also had a very strong accent so I didn’t retain all of the information. The two that I do remember are the Rock of Cashel, which I have visited previously, and Hore abbey.

In order to reach Annacarty, I got a train to Limerick Junction, and I was picked up by a cousin there. She drove me back to the family farmhouse where she lives with my aunty and uncle. It had changed quite a lot over the years, and the most interesting addition was the excitable Dalmatian, Bridie May.

I stayed for three days, and several family members dropped in to help out on the farm, and say hello to their English cousin. I was chauffeured around a lot due to not having a car, and there wasn’t really any public transport in the area. I was also force fed a lot of Irish cider, but I wasn’t complaining.

A few factors meant that I wasn’t able to access the historical sites of the area on my own, so I had to settle for some drive by viewings. Overall, I had a very entertaining trip. The transport situation wasn’t quite what I was used to, and I was exhausted by my last day. But I would love to go back to explore more of what Ireland has to offer.

Hore abbey is a medieval monastery, dating from the 13^th century. It has changed hands throughout the years, from the Benedictines, to the Cistercians, to Elizabeth I granting the land to some lucky Earl. Nearby, many of the buildings which make up the rock of Cashel were built in the same century. For a few hundred years before, it served as a seat for the kings of Munster, until it was donated to the church in the 12^th century.

Links at the bottom