Go Ireland:Munster's tough-man tradition began in Cashel 1,500 years ago. Which is probably just one of the things you didn't know about the Co Tipperary town, writes MICHAEL PARSONS
THE ROCK OF Cashel is as astonishing as the Taj Mahal, as soaring as Notre Dame, as intriguing as the Alhambra and as totemic as Stonehenge. But its magnificence is, apparently, a matter of indifference to the great Irish public. Among the quarter of a million visitors a year, we are conspicuous by our absence. An analysis of tour group participants by nationality reveals that Germans account for the biggest proportion by far, followed by French, Americans, Italians and Spaniards. The Irish, who are, shamefully, listed under the category Others, account for fewer than 5 per cent.
Co Tipperary may seem as impossibly exotic as Transylvania, as fiercely independent as mountainy, land-locked Tajikistan and as big as the Dakotas – so good they named them twice – but, really, there’s no excuse. Cashel is a mere two hours from Dublin and an hour from Cork via the spanking new M8 motorway.
“All the ecclesiastical ruins (of which there are many) in Tipperary, and indeed in Ireland, sink into insignificance compared with those that crown the far-famed Rock of Cashel”: the celebrated Victorian travel writers Mr Mrs Hall, whose best-selling guide Hall’s Ireland was published in 1841, were certainly enthusiastic. They further noted that the “venerable remains that have excited the wonder and admiration of ages . . . will continue to do so for ages yet to come”.
Of course in the Halls’ day, long before the era of grisly mass tourism, touring toffs could have the place to themselves. Their guide, “summoned” from his cottage amid the “wretched hovels” at the base of the Rock, unlocked a gate to the site and apologised for a sheltering cow which “could do no harm, the craythur”.
TODAY THE COMPLEX of religious buildings and round tower is managed by the Office of Public Works, whose role in preserving the national heritage is surely one of the country’s greatest achievements. Site supervisor Elaine Moriarty, also the formidable bainisteoir of the Rock’s staff hurling team, imparts her encyclopaedic knowledge in a chatty, engaging manner. She explains that 1,000 years ago craftsmen used lapis lazuli, imported from the Bora Bora mountains of Afghanistan, to decorate frescoes on the walls of Cormac’s Chapel.
Before the Rock became a religious site, its fortified hill was the seat of high kings. St Patrick is believed to have baptised Aengus, king of Munster here in AD 448. The saint accidentally drove his crozier into the royal foot, but the king didn’t cry out, believing his impalement to be part of the ceremony. And thus was born the Munster hard-man tradition, carried on with such exemplary style by hurlers and rugby players.
From the Rock there are fine views of the town, fertile, 40-shaded-green countryside and, notably, the lovely ruins of Hore Abbey. Beside the car and coach parking area is Brú Ború Cultural Centre run by Comhaltas Ceoltóiri Éireann – a magnet for tour groups with its gift shop and cafe. A troupe of traditional musicians, dancers and singers stages nightly concerts here in a purpose-built theatre during the summer months. But the centre, built eight years ago, is open all year round and is home to a permanent exhibition called Sounds of History, housed in a subterranean chamber built beneath the Rock. Interactive displays chart the story of Ireland with an emphasis on music and dance.
Afterwards most tourists return to their buses to be whisked away to Killarney or Blarney.
That’s a great pity, because the town of Cashel, just a few hundred metres away, is well worth visiting. Local businesspeople are understandably dismayed by how little economic spin-off they derive from tourism despite their proximity to the State’s 10th-most-popular fee-charging visitor attraction.
At the Sport of Kings Saddlery, on Friar Street, proprietor Aiden Fogarty says: “Most visitors go to the Rock and then feck off – only about 3 per cent come down here.” They’re missing one of Ireland’s most attractive towns and some unexpected delights. Cashel is a prosperous-looking place with well-kept buildings and remarkably litter-free streets – like many Tipperary towns and villages.
Main Street has avoided what Raymond Davern describes as “the cloned look of British high streets which you see so often now in Ireland”. He’s the third generation of his family to run the elegant draper’s shop – founded by his grandparents in 1926 – which dresses the matrons and squires of south Tipperary.
Directly opposite is the Cashel Palace Hotel, a gorgeous Queen Anne-style house, and an establishment so good that, were it in Barcelona or Paris, Florence or Madrid, it would be the toast of the citybreak chattering classes. In this former archbishop’s residence, “the wine of Ireland” was invented by Arthur Guinness’s father. Descendants of the original hop plants still bloom in sublime gardens.
Veteran barman Denis Heffernan recalls serving customers including a 10-year-old Lady Diana Spencer; a former California governor, Ronald Reagan; and Hollywood stars Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.
Off John Street, the Bolton Library houses the most important collection of rare and antiquarian books (including works by Dante and Machiavelli) in Ireland outside Dublin, in a chronically underfunded and little-visited site. And we claim to be a nation of book lovers? This “national treasure” is lovingly cared for by the indefatigable Rev Dean Knowles, who offers tea in the deanery and a tour of the gracious Cathedral of St John the Baptist and St Patrick’s Church.
He’s a hero of our times, having repainted the cathedral’s interior himself and restored its chandelier with the aid of a crystal bowl purchased from the local SuperValu. Thank God for Protestants.
At Cashel Heritage Centre, helpful, good-humoured tourist office staff show, with pride, the beautifully preserved vellum royal charters and great seals presented to the town by kings Charles II and James II in the 17th century.
Cashel by night doesn’t disappoint. The floodlit Rock is illuminated by shimmering floodlight and there’s a moon behind the hill.
After dinner – and you can eat very well in this town – try one of the many pubs. Fox’s looked interesting. A stained-glass panel featuring two hurlers is embedded in the door while, inside, the walls are covered with team photos and Premier County memorabilia. A cabinet is filled with trophies of crystal, silver and bronze while medals are scattered like Roman coins. But they’re hard to see, as the showcase is unlit – like a display in a museum that doesn’t value its exhibits. Asked why, the publican says: “Ah, the bulbs have blown.”
HIS MODEST COVER is later also blown when a customer reveals that Pat Fox is, in fact, a typically understated All-Ireland- winning former member of the Tipperary senior team and “up there with the hurling greats”.
But Fox has little time to chat about his Croke Park exploits as customers call him away to switch the televised gloom of Prime Time over to more important matters – RTÉ’s Aertel racing results from Thurles.
Barmaid Anne Taylor says the place, on a Thursday night, “only really gets going at about 10.30pm”. And so it does. There’s live entertainment by singer Seán Boland, a wandering minstrel from the nearby village of Birdhill. His repertoire includes a version of I’ll Take You Home again Kathleen that would bring tears to the eyes of even the stony-hearted Sheela-na-gig found buried at the foot of a yew tree in the graveyard at nearby Clonoulty. “Cashel’s greatest asset,” he says, “is its people: they’re warm and outgoing and will make you feel welcome.” And so they do.
* Michael Parsons was a guest of Fáilte Ireland
Where to stay, eat and go in Cashel
Where to stay
* Cashel Palace Hotel, Main Street, 062-62707, www.cashel-palace.ie. Quite simply one of Ireland's best hotels and a precious heritage site in its own right. The style is a pleasing mix of Irish big house and aristocratic Spanish parador, but without the stuffy formality, and is impeccably run by flawlessly professional, utterly charming staff. Ask for a room with a view. Number 15 would satisfy even EM Forster's Lucy Honeychurch. Dinner at the Bishop's Buttery restaurant, with its flagstone floors, open fire and vaulted ceiling, is superb. There's more informal dining at the hotel's Guinness Bar.
* Dundrum House Hotel, Dundrum, Cashel, 062-71116, www.dundrumhousehotel.com. A few kilometres outside town, this is a period manor house set on 80 hectares with its own 18-hole championship golf course, designed by the 1995 Ryder Cup player Philip Walton. A health centre includes a 21m swimming pool and separate children's pool. The hotel is a popular wedding venue and apart from its 70 bedrooms also offers self-catering options in a range of purpose-built apartments and holiday homes. During busy periods (including the Easter holidays) the hotel operates a children's club. Dine at the Rossmore Restaurant or more informally at the Clubhouse Restaurant and Bar, which regularly features traditional Irish music and dance.
Where to eat
* Chez Hans, Moor Lane, Cashel, 062-61177, www.chezhans.net. Cashel's most famed restaurant is a multi-award-winning Tipperary institution founded 40 years ago by German chef Hans Peter Matthiae.
* Cafe Hans, 062-63660. Next door to the restaurant, at lunchtime, locals and visitors alike flock here. The cafe is one of only 15 Irish restaurants to be awarded a Bib Gourmand, the Michelin Guide's honour for establishments that serve good food at moderate prices.
* The Bakehouse, 7 Main Street, 062-61680. Try this for morning coffee or afternoon tea with home-made sandwiches and confectionery.
Where to drink
* Fox's Pub, 42 Main Street, 062-62428. This pub run by Tipperary hurling great Pat Fox has a restaurant upstairs, regular live entertainment, and ample room for impromptu jigs and reels, should the mood take you. There's a spacious backyard with outdoor seating for unrepentant smokers. Hurling fans would love it.
Where to shop
* The Sport of Kings Saddlery, Friar Street, 062-61534. This gem of a shop sells a comprehensive range of equine supplies and accessories. Aiden Fogarty, one of only two master saddlers in Ireland, accepts commissions for bespoke pieces, which he makes by hand using original Edwardian number-six stitching machines. His work wouldn't look out of place in the window of Hermès.
* Davern's of Cashel, 21 Main Street, 062-61101. This family-run traditional and elegant draper's shop stocks a wide range of European clothes and shoes for men and women.
What to see
* The Rock of Cashel, 062-61437,
www.heritageireland.ie/en/South-East/RockofCashel. The site is open year-round, from 9am to 4.30pm October-March and until 5.30pm the rest of the year. Guided tours are available. Admission is €6 for adults, €2 for children and students. The senior and group rate is €4.
* Brú Ború Cultural Centre, 062- 611.22, www.comhaltas.com. At the foot of the Rock, this cultural village is devoted to the study and celebration of native Irish music, song, dance, theatre and Celtic studies. It has a folk theatre, genealogy centre, restaurant and other amenities.
* The Bolton Library, John Street, 062-61944. Ireland's most important collection of antiquarian books outside of Dublin. The Rev Dean Knowles offers tours of the Cathedral of St John the Baptist and St Patrick's Church.
* Cashel Heritage Centre and tourist office, Main Street, 062-62511