I sent this to the Chamber of Commerce this morning, August 7, 2018
I am writing to you to express my respectful dissatisfaction and disappointment in how the Rock of Cashel tours are currently being conducted. I have been visiting the Rock of Cashel since the late 1990s. I am an American private tour guide based in Germany. I work in 18 different countries in Europe and this was probably the 25th time I have been on the Rock of Cashel with my clients. August 6 was the first time I was ever disappointed. The way the access to Cormac's Chapel is being run is a pity and it needs to be changed. Here is what happened: We arrived at 10:15 and presented the vouchers given to us by Bailey's Hotel. It was only then that I found out that Cormac's Chapel required an additional 3 Euro entry fee. I had just had a meeting with my clients 10 minutes before telling them that the Rock was free for them. How embarrassing. So after we all chipped in, and received our green wristbands, we were told that the next guided tour of the Rock started at 10:30. We joined that tour. At 11, Ronan, our guide, suddenly exclaimed "You have to go right now because your Cormac's Chapel tour is starting!" We were the only 5 people in his group wearing green wristbands. (The color of your wristband dictates what time you can enter Cormac's Chapel - confusing and this was never explained to us when we bought our entry) So we had to break off from Ronan and rush to Cormac's Chapel. There was an assembled group of at least 60 people and the poor guide, Caroline, could not be heard over people's heads. It was so frustrating. Once inside, the newly-installed flooring creaks and groans under people's shifting weight, further making it impossible to hear. (According to my clients, who were not happy or even the slightest bit impressed) I used the 15 minutes that my clients were inside to go back to reception and request to speak to someone in charge. David soon came to meet me, and I told him of my experience. He was sympathetic and listened carefully. Returning to the chapel, I stood outside and waited for my clients. At least 10 visitors were surprised to find out they had to have a separate ticket to enter. The poor man guarding the door was kept busy with these confused visitors, several of them had green wristbands but they were not allowed into the chapel because once the door is closed it stays closed until the time is up) When the door was finally opened, the first man out was a priest in full regalia. The look on his face! He was clearly very exasperated and unhappy with his visit. I think the idea of shutting people inside for 15 long minutes with stuffy air and no chance to hear or move around is a very, very bad idea. Several people who came out had looks on their faces "that was awful." I think there are many kinks to be worked out. First of all, I highly recommend that you stop charging extra for Cormac's Chapel. It is hugely confusing. NO ONE knows about this, certainly not the staff at Bailey's Hotel! You're going to spread a lot of discontent and you ratings will certainly suffer. Second, allow people to come and go as they please. No one wants to stand as a prisoner for 15 minutes in a tiny space. A quick look of 5 or 6 minutes is usually enough for most people. I recognize and respect the need to preserve this architectural treasure, one of the great places to see in Ireland. But the way it's being handled now, it's a pity and needs to change. Sincerely, James Derheim, owner and founder, European Focus Private Tours.