vegetarian in a leather jacket: March 2014

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Rock of Cashel, Cashel, County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland

Rock of Cashel. View from path between the Rock and Hore Abbey. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 29, 2013.

We left Blarney as the castle and grounds were closing and made our way northeast to Cashel, arriving before nightfall. Castle-hotels are among Cashel's many attractions, but we chose to stay at Peggy O'Neill's B&B, one of the town's less costly options. Our friendly host offered us the choice of two rooms: one that was large and pleasant, the other that was small and had the following view:

View of Hore Abbey from Peggy O'Neill's B&B, Cashel. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 28, 2013.

We chose the smaller room.

Of course, Cashel's main draw is its medieval stronghold and namesake, the Rock of Cashel. Perched at the city's highest point, Rock of Cashel impresses with its blocky enormity and abundance of carved decoration. The fortress's English name is a bit confusing, as it implies the building is in some way the "rock" of the town. In fact, Cashel is the anglicized version of the Irish caiseal, or stone fort, while "Rock" refers to the hill it sits upon.

Although the site itself dates to the 4th or 5th century when it was seat of the Kings of Munster, the oldest remaining structure is the round tower, which was erected shortly after Muircheartach Ua Briain (O'Brien) gave the Rock to the Catholic Church in 1101. Like most round towers, it was originally a free-standing structure. However, it was later incorporated into the north transept when the cathedral was built in the 13th century.

Art historically, the complex's most distinctive feature is Cormac's Chapel, the interior of which contains unusual sculptural details, vestiges of painted decoration, and an intricately carved tomb. Consecrated in 1134, the Chapel may be the first Romanesque church in Ireland, and is certainly the best preserved. Cormac Mac Cárthaigh (MacCarthy), a bishop and king of Munster, commissioned the building. The sarcophagus, which boasts an elaborate Scandinavian Urnes design of intertwined animals, probably held either Cormac's remains or those of his brother, Tadhg. The frescoes—a rare feature in Ireland—are the oldest on the island. They were covered in the 16th century during the Reformation and only rediscovered in the 1980s. Restoration of the chapel is ongoing, and access is restricted to groups led by the site's guides. These tours are free, entertaining, and informative, but if you prefer to spend the rest of your time exploring on your own, you can join the group for the chapel portion of the tour only.

Exterior and entrance to the Gothic cathedral, Rock of Cashel. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 29, 2013.

North transept, Gothic cathedral, Rock of Cashel. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 29, 2013.

Gothic cathedral, Rock of Cashel. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 29, 2013.

View of round tower from inside the cathedral, Rock of Cashel. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 29, 2013.

North transept, Gothic cathedral and round tower, Rock of Cashel. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 29, 2013.

Gothic cathedral, Rock of Cashel. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 29, 2013.

Detail of tomb cover, Gothic cathedral, Rock of Cashel. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 29, 2013.

Tomb, Gothic cathedral, Rock of Cashel. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 29, 2013.

Gothic cathedral, Rock of Cashel. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 29, 2013.

Rock of Cashel. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 29, 2013.

Coat of Arms, Rock of Cashel. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 29, 2013.

16th-century tomb, north transept, Gothic cathedral, Rock of Cashel. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 29, 2013.

Gothic cathedral, Rock of Cashel. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 29, 2013.

Capital details, Gothic cathedral, Rock of Cashel. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 29, 2013.

Gothic cathedral, Rock of Cashel. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 29, 2013.

Rock of Cashel. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 29, 2013.

Coat of Arms, Rock of Cashel. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 29, 2013.

Capital details, Gothic cathedral, Rock of Cashel. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 29, 2013.

Sarcophagus with Urnes design, Cormac's Chapel, Rock of Cashel. Photo by Joshua Albers, May 29, 2013.

Cormac's Chapel, Rock of Cashel. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 29, 2013.

View from cemetery of round tower and exterior of north transept, Rock of Cashel. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 29, 2013.

Rock of Cashel. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 29, 2013.

View of Hore Abbey from the path below Rock of Cashel. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 29, 2013.

Monday, March 17, 2014

Blarney Castle, Blarney, County Cork, Republic of Ireland

Blarney castle was a fun, if kitschy, stop near Cork along our southern route back to Dublin. The 15th-century fortress is best known as the home of the famous "Blarney stone," which allegedly gives those who kiss it the gift of gab. Kissing the stone is a bit of a feat: the only way to reach it is by laying on your back on the floor of the castle's highest story, letting the top half of your body dangle over the edge, and arching your back to push your head even further down, all while trusting the assistant holding your feet to not let you fall. The shorter you are, the harder this is (I'm 5'6" and my bum was dangling over the side along with my torso), but thousands of people of varied sizes and ages do it every day.

According to legend, the saying that something is "blarney" comes from the first Queen Elizabeth. During the Reformation, Cormac MacCarthy, Lord of Blarney, visited the Queen in order to argue for his realm's independence. He managed, through a variety of polite excuses and charm, to both delay relinquishing control and paying tribute to the crown while promising to do so in the future. Eventually, after receiving the latest in a long series of apologies and flimsy justifications for further delay, Elizabeth lost her temper and cried out in frustration: "This is all Blarney! He never means what he says!"

The castle's extensive grounds include a charmingly deadly and informative poison garden, caves that once doubled as prison cells, and several walking paths.

Composite photo by Joshua Albers, May 28, 2013.

All photos by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 28, 2013, unless otherwise stated.

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Muckross Friary and Killarney National Park, County Kerry, Republic of Ireland

Cloister Yew Tree, Muckross Friary, Killarney National Park. Photo by Renée DeVoe Mertz, May 28, 2013.

A gem hidden within the grounds of Killarney National Park, Muckross Friary is located about a mile (on foot) from the parking lot of the sprawling mansion known as Muckross House. The monastery was once home to the strict order of the Observantine Franciscans, but had a relatively short life as a working friary. In 1541, only about a hundred years after its founding, Henry VIII ordered Muckross’s suppression. It was re-established in 1612, but Cromwellian forces finally drove out the inhabitants and burned the structure in 1652.

Today, Muckross’s most notable feature is the old yew tree that rises dramatically from the center of its cloister. Its bell tower, which was a later edition to the building, is also unique to Irish Franciscan buildings in that it spans the full width of the church.

The trails in Muckross Estate are easily managed and bountifully lined with twisting trees and fields of flowers. However, if you prefer not to walk, jaunting cars (aka, horse-drawn carriages) are available for hire at the parking area by Friar's Glen and Torc Waterfall. Their eager drivers compete to take tourists past the sites along Muckross lake, and are willing to bargain with would-be passengers. The ride should cost around 5 Euro.