Hello,
My wife, son and I are visiting Ireland in September. We will spend our first two nights in Kilkenny and then travel to Kinsale for a few nights before heading to Kenmare, Dingle, Galway, Wesport, and Dublin. On our way to Kinsale we plan to visit the Rock of Cashel. How much time is needed for a visit to the Rock of Cashel?
Thanks,
Greg Vandehey
Bend, Oregon
The guided tour takes 45 minutes, and it is worth it to take the tour. You may have to wait for the next tour, though.
Walking up the hill from the carpark, walking around the headstones, etc. and the tour, I would suggest allowing no less than 2 hours. But, you could also spend a half day there, seeing all there is to see. There are some ruins down the hill that are supposed to be interesting, but we were not able to allocate the time. Perhaps others have, and they could better advise.
But, the Rock of Cashel is definitely worth the visit, and we are still grateful to Nancy on this forum for recommending it several years ago, when we were piecing together our Ireland itinerary. It is also quite striking to see it from afar, as you approach in the car.
I agree with allowing two hours. Besides the tour, there is a small museum, and the Irish heritage sites always have a very informative little film about the area that is worth seeing. I always like to allow "contemplation" time for myself, too - I am not one to rush from one thing to another. I like to consider how they managed to build such a thing, to imagine the place when it was new, and who was there, etc.
Nancy and Margaret,
Thank you very much. Great information.
Greg
Hore Abbey is the ruin down the hill, which ou can walk to from the Cashel site. The visitor center is called the Bru Boru Cultural Center. The town of Cashel has a museum relating to the local history, so it would be easy to spend several hours in the area. One other thing - Cormac's Chapel is under refurbishment so you won't be able to view it in all its glory right now. You can go in but it is all covered in scaffolding, etc.
