Another Wonderful Day of Exploration

On Tuesday (24 April) our initial plan was to head northwest to Rock of Cashel and then on to Cahir Castle and the Swiss Cottage.  Perhaps needless to say, we once again had a number of diversions . . . mostly good!

Shortly after we hit the road, we ventured by the medieval walled town of Fethard which today is largely in ruins.  Truth is, we could have probably spent the entire morning exploring the buildings of this Norman era village, built in the 13^th century and with fortification of the outer walls in later years.  We did spend some time snapping some photos and reading about the town’s history.  There is a great online article which tells the story of Fethard in greater detail.

Rock of Cashel was very impressive, as viewed from the other end of the city.  Unfortunately, this OPW historical site is undergoing a major renovation, which not only affected the photogenic features of this site, but it also limited access to the interiors of several buildings including the cathedral and the chapel.

The view from atop the hill was beautiful.  We were lucky to have decent weather providing for a view of great distances.  One could imagine why kings inhabited this location for several centuries before turning it over to the church.

The Rock of Cashel is also known as “Cashel of Kings” or “St. Patrick’s Rock”.  The round tower was built c 1100 and the chapel around 1130.  This was the site of a significant loss of life during the massacre by British Troops in 1647 during the Irish Confederate Wars.

It was especially interesting to walk around the grounds that contained several grave sites and memorials.  Unfortunately the older ones were not legible but many from the 19^th century were.  I was amazed to see a couple of recent grave markers dating the 21^st century.

Next on our tour was the Cahir Castle (pronounced like “care”) which was built in 1142.  This is another site with historical significance dating back to the Irish Confederate Wars.  Besieged in 1647 and 1650, the castle was surrendered without bloodshed to Cromwell’s Army.

Later the Butler family resumed occupancy of the castle and began an enlargement and remodeling effort that spanned three centuries (15^th to the 17^th).  The buildings fell into disrepair in the 18^th century with the Butler heirs partially restoring the buildings in 1840.

The last Lord Cahir died in 1961 at which time the property reverted to State ownership.

This castle or “manor home” as they were also frequently known, is one of the best preserved Irish estates from this era that is open to the public. It was interesting to see the various features built into the house and surrounding walls to provide protection from attack on all sides.

Further down the river that runs adjacent to Cahir Castle is the Swiss Cottage.  Built in 1810 by the Butlers, this “cottage ornee” was used largely to entertain guests.  The two story thatch roof house only contained four rooms and was never actually lived in.

The ground level had the tearoom and music room.  Unfortunately the house had been abandoned and left to the shenanigans of hoodlums, so much of the glass and rooms on this level were destroyed.  There was some of the original wall covering panels remaining in the tearoom, so archeologists were able to research and find replica printings to complete the restoration in the late 1980’s.  This piece of painted glass was saved by a local resident and returned when the restoration began.

While photos were not permitted inside the various rooms, I was able to snap this one from the outside through a window.  In the far right corner you can see a 19^th century harpsichord much like what I’ve seen in the restored areas of Colonial Williamsburg (Virginia).

The upstairs rooms were set up for resting and perhaps overnight stays; one for the Butlers and the other for their visiting guests.  Furnishings in all four rooms were either original pieces on loan from the Historical Society or period reproductions by local artisans.

 

This yew tree is estimated to be over 1,000 years old.  The poor quality of the photo is thanks to the heavy rains we experienced as we were leaving the grounds.

Earlier in the day, during our drive to Cashel, we went by Waterford City.  Since the Waterford Crystal Factory was on our list of places to visit, but scheduled for the following day, I thought it might be just as convenient to go ahead and make this short detour.  Not being prepared with my paperwork and maps, we were dependent on the Garmin for routing which resulted in getting lost in this very busy city.  We stopped at a local mall in order to try to get our bearings and hopefully some instructions to the Waterford Crystal visitor center.

While I dealt with the Garmin and the big OSI Ireland Atlas, David and his mom went into the mall to see if they could find a sweater or something for her.  She had been cold since arriving in Ireland and our previous attempts at finding something for her came up empty-handed.

They came back with a beautiful €28 sweater that was on close-out for just €8.  After an hour of not really even knowing what we were looking for (we passed the Waterford Crystal visitor center TWICE!) we gave up.  The mantra for the rest of the day regarding Waterford City would be “but we found a sweater”.

While in Waterford City we did drive by Reginald's Tower, which was built on the riverfront for defenses against attacks in the 13^th century.  It later served as the mint, prison and military store.  Today it has been fully restored and houses exhibitions open to the public.  If we get back to Waterford today (Wednesday 25 April) I’m hoping we’ll make a stop here too.

Here are couple of other photos I snapped as we drove through the Irish countryside.  Not sure where we were or what, if any historical significance either has . . . but they were very interesting so I took the photo!