March 07th, 2020
This morning, I started by doing the touristy thing and that is to go to Blarney Castle. I walked over to Blarney Castle and paid 14 Euro to walk the gardens and see the Blarney Stone. No, I did not kiss the Blarney Stone because of my germaphobe and with the virus. People see them cleaning the stone with disinfectant, but not the hand rails that you hold on to when you bend over. lol
They have a huge garden and the Blarney House was closed until June, but I got a couple outside pics.
This is called Badgers Cave. Apparently, when Lord Broghill besieged the castle, the garrison were able to sneak out through this cave.
You can see how the castle was built on top of the Rock and this was the same inside the fort as well as outside.
Also, the walls of the tall structure look like they are slanted in when the actual fact is that they are completely straight.
I was taking a picture of this Old Bridge with the crane underneath it. To my surprise it was not real. hahaha
My next stop was Cahir Castle. This is one of Ireland's largest castles and was built in 1142. It is a well-preserved castle and retains its original defensive structure. It only cost €4 to enter this one and I enjoyed it much more ... not many tourists here. Lol
This castle has been the site of bombings and attacks for centuries. As a matter of fact, above the original gate you can see the cannonball sticking out ... it is lodged in the wall.
I really found this interesting ... to see carving such as this right in a tree.
This is not the original Gate. This gate along with an addition was actually added to the castle 200 years later.
I made a stop at St. Patrick's Well, which was 12 minutes drive from Cahir Castle. A large volume of fresh water constantly rises from underground and for hundreds of years this had been a major source of water and also spiritual related events.
There is an abandoned church at the site which dates back to the 17th century.
Within the walls of the church lies the remains of Nicholas White of Clonmel who died in 1622.
At the centre of the small lake in the picturesque Valley you can find a weather- beaten Celtic Cross descending from the early Christian era. A very spiritual place.
The next stop was the Rock of Cashel, which is only about 22 minutes drive from St. Patrick's Well. The medieval buildings are made from limestone. These buildings are situated on a hill that was once resident to the Kings of Munster. It lies within the Golden Vale, known for its quality fertile land. This castle dates back to the 12th century.
I walked around the castle and grounds perimeter, even though it was very windy cold and raining. It was certainly worth it.
What I thought was going to be my last stop, and was only a minute away from Rock of Cashel, was Hore Abbey. It was first a Cistercian, then a Benedictine Monastery. The remains consist of portions of the cloister and two chapels in each transept, a tower was added in the 15th century
I could not seem to stop taking photos of this spiritual place, with the intriguing lines and the history this structure holds.
I found about four different crests or symbols that were carved on stone and placed directly in the wall. This particular one, you can see it had been touched by many people forming the black film over top of it.
This seems to be the main place of worship. It has the altar and a place where they held spiritual- symbolic items.
This photo is taken from the remnants of the Hore Abbey with the Rock of Cashel in the background.
Other photos of Hore Abbey ... as I indicated that I could not stop talking photos. LOL
This was an unexpected stop. I had to look it up to identify the remnants of this church. It is called Clomantagh Lower Church.
After checking in the B&B ... thank goodness I got here at 5:55pm. Because I lost track of time and completely forgot that I had to be here before 6 p.m. so I am glad that it all worked out. After checking in, I drove to the centre of Kilkenny to get a bite to eat. I decided I would check out Kilkenny Castle and the surrounding area and take some night photos.
This is an outside staircase that takes you up to the next street.
And so ends another fantastic day.