This is the last blog about the Rock of Cashel in Ireland. In blog #65 we'll show you some odd carvings that lie in the ruins of the Rock of Cashel (that fortress/cathedral, an ancient christian mural and a photo Tom took of Queen Elizabeth's signature (why I have no idea).
ornamental carvings on door frames
carvings on a tomb or altar
INTRICATE CARVINGS - These carvings I believe were
either altars or tombs. I didn't write it down and can't find anything
on-line! Regardless, there was a lot of detail in them.
3 MINUTE VIDEO TOUR (by xdaznx) - I found this great 3 minute video tour if you want to take a "walk" through the main area of ruins and see where these tombs/altars are located. In the video you'll also see a christian painted mural that historians and archaeologists uncovered. There is now a copy of the original painting next to the mural to show you what it originally looked like. A pretty fascinating find.
NEXT: Some "Hore"-ing Monks :) (It's not what you think)
The Rock of Cashel was both a fortress and a cathedral. It was founded in the 300s AD and the current castle that stands on it was built in 1100 A.D. The adjoining Cathedral, like the castle, lay in ruins and is roofless like the castle.
ROOFLESS HISTORY - In the mid 1600’s, the Church of Ireland stopped
using the cathedral and they removed the roof. They dismantled it
because the roof was rich in lead, which could be used to make
ammunition. Alchemists of the time also believed that the lead could be
turned into gold, with the right catalyst. During those times, that
belief made lead a very valuable commodity.
Roofless cathedral
WE'VE MOVED - When the Rock of Cashel and Cathedral began having roof problems, rather than fix them, the Bishop moved the church into town in the 1730s, abandoning the property.
Large cemetery in the back of the cathedral
LARGE CEMETERY - In the back of the Fortress and Cathedral was a large cemetery, filled with Celtic crosses and lots of dead people throughout the last two centuries. :)
The Rock of Cashel and Roofless Cathedral
HOW BIG WAS THE PROPERTY? - At it's height, the abbey owned over 200 acres! That's a considerably large plot at that time, but necessary to abide by cistercian tenets of being self-sufficient.
NEXT: Some Odd Carvings Inside the Rock of Cashel
Cathedral
Old sketch of the Rock of Cashel
VIDEO OF SEAMUS, OUR GUIDE: Inside the castle known as the Rock of Cashel- our great tour guide Seamus was explaining the architecture. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x29AKRyx4V0
Yesterday we introduced you to the Rock of Cashel. Today in Blog #63, we'll take
you into what we found to be the only haunted room, since this
castle/cathedral lies in ruins for the most part. We'll also show you one of the only existing "Round Towers" in Ireland.
WHAT IS IT? The Rock of Cashel, also known as Cashel of the Kings and St.
Patrick's Rock, is a historic site located at Cashel, County Tipperary,
Ireland
The Vicar's Choral (Quarters)
THE ROUND TOWER- The round tower is 90 feet high and constructed of sandstone. It dates back to 1100 A.D. It's Gaelic name means "Bell House" (don't ask me how to spell it's Gaelic name). We were told there are about 80 round towers left in all of Ireland, and this was one of the few intact ones standing. The doors were 5 feet off the ground for structural reasons, to help keep the tower sturdy. In addition, it helped with defense if no one could get into the door (they used ladders and pulled them up before attackers came).
THE VICARS CHORAL (QUARTERS)- This is one of the only rooms that has been revitalized and rebuilt on the property in 1975. This room and structure was built in the 15th century. It was where clerics and clergyman stayed. Originally there were 8, then reduced to 5. This continued until 1836. In the upstairs the kitchen and dining room were redone, too.
The upstairs kitchen in the Vicar's Choral
THE RESIDUAL GHOSTLY ENERGY THERE- Anytime you're in a place that there was a lot of emotion, whether positive or negative, it leaves behind a "thumbprint" of energy that is either good or bad, depending on the emotions of the people and the events that dwelled there.
When we walked into this room, I (Rob) got a headache, and sensed a lot of energy there. It was residual, meaning that it wasn't a ghost I could talk to and get answers from. It was a thumbprint of energy - and it was strong enough that I got the sense of several men (only men) in this building talking about politics (rule) and religion of the time (1500s) (which makes sense that these religious folk would be scared of invasions from England and have their cathedral and castle and land challenged.)
Rock of Cashel
I also experience tightness in my throat when I was in the room, almost like smoking (although I confess I wouldn't know what that feels like). There were no intelligent haunts there, although it is a site where a lot of people likely perished. Because the place is mostly in ruins, it wouldn't hold the energy of the ghosts that were attached to it, so they likely moved on.
This is blog #62 of our Ireland trip and we're nearing the end of the 9 day vacation here. In fact, after visiting this castle we returned to Dublin for a night before leaving for home. However, there's still a lot of interesting stuff to cover. This will be the first of a couple of blogs about the Rock of Cashel! ... and there's a lot of history here, so come along! WHAT IS THE ROCK OF CASHEL? -Well, I thought it was a big rock. It isn't. It's a site with a castle and a cathedral. The Rock of Cashel, also known as Cashel of the Kings and St.
Patrick's Rock, is a historic site located at Cashel, County Tipperary,
Ireland. The word "Cashel" means "Fortress." According to our tour guide Seamus (A good Irish name), this site was a fortress to kings from 300 AD to 1100 AD (when it was presented to the church). By the 1730s, though, this site was abandoned and fell into disrepair (missing part of a roof, etc.). However, it was re-discovered and made into a National Monument.
Sign about St. Patrick's Rock
ST. PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL & THE MURDEROUS EARL - The "Rock of Cashel" included St. Patrick's Cathedral (now roofless) which was built in the 13th century and used until 1748.
"The murderous Earl"
On September 12, 1647, Murrough McDermod O'Brien, 1st Earl of Inchiquin massacred hundreds of people here. (O'Brien studied war in the Spanish service. He would not convert to Anglicanism and fought against the confederate Catholics on the outbreak of the Irish Rebellion of 1641). Failing to make a breach with
his guns, Inchiquin piled up turf against the wall of the enclosure and
set fire to it. About thirty priests and friars died. According to Ludlow three thousand were slaughtered,
"the priests being taken even from under the altar."
The High Cross
"HIGH CROSS" STONE "CHOP" - After going through the entrance, we walked back outside in a small courtyard where we met our tour group. They gathered around a stone piece called "The High Cross." It's actually supposed to be a figure that represents a Bishop. Apparently whomever the Bishop was fell out of favor with the people because the head was cut off! FOLKLORE OF THE HIGH CROSS - Seamus told us that if you can put your arms around the "High Cross" and touch hands, legend says that you won't have a toothache for a year." Apparently, when it was erected a lot of people had tooth problems (since there were no dentists), so that weird folklore got started.
TROPHY MODEL - Despite the fact that the "High Cross" is supposed to be a now headless Bishop, it became a model for a trophy of the Gaelic games, according to our tour guide.
I'm a simple guy who enjoys the simple things in life, especially our dogs. I volunteer for dog rescues, enjoy exercising, blogging, politics, helping friends and neighbors, participating in ghost investigations, coffee, weather, superheroes, comic books, mystery novels, traveling, 70s and 80s music, classic country music,writing books on ghosts and spirits, cooking simply and keeping in shape. You'll find tidbits of all of these things on this blog and more. EMAIL me at Rgutro@gmail.com - Rob
This is the last blog about the Rock of Cashel in Ireland. In blog #65 we'll show you some odd carvings that lie in the ruins of the Rock of Cashel (that fortress/cathedral, an ancient christian mural and a photo Tom took of Queen Elizabeth's signature (why I have no idea). 
