We decided to get early tickets for the Rock of Cashel as we’d heard that coaches arrive from 10.30. When we arrived, we were offered a guided tour for an extra €3 each which meant we would get into Cormac’s Chapel.

The tour guide was excellent and brought the place alive. The Rock refers to the promontory the castle/abbey sits on as it really is pretty flat for miles around except for the Rock. It also must have been a bleak place for many months of the year as it sits exposed to the elements. The original chapel was built in 1134 by King Cormac using the finest stonemasons and craftsmen around. It has the earliest surviving Romanesque frescoes in Ireland. The 13th century cathedral was built around the chapel and was as much a defensive edifice as a religious one. The archbishop during the Reformation was a busy man as he converted to Protestantism and had 47 children, only 9 legitimate which explains why there are so many Magrath families locally!

We then drove onto Kilkenny but it was rammed with tourists so we decided we would come back on Monday when it would be quieter. We continued onto Thomastown as this was near to our golf, Monday morning. The town itself was quite sweet and we parked near the river (P4N#144809) in a flat car park that had a lovely Diversity Garden next door. Liz and Jo went for a riverside walk along the Grenan Loop. Of course, the heavens opened but it was still a lovely walk. Popped into one of the village pubs to dry off and have a couple of glasses of Smithwick’s Red Ale that had become quite a favourite. Dinner in the van before an early start in the morning.

Miles since last blog: 51

Miles this trip: 1424