We are finally making some progress on getting through Ireland– just two more stops! Our time in Letterfrack had come to an end, and it was time for the next adventure. After we decided we couldn’t stomach driving to the Cliffs of Moher and back, we briefly entertained the thought of doing the Cliffs of Moher and Rock of Cashel on the way to Kildare, our final stop. But our vacation was winding down and frankly, so was our motivation. It was definitely the right choice because I think the drive from Letterfrack to Cashel ended up being about three hours– Ireland looks small on a map but they don’t have an autobahn!
Unfortunately, none of the photos I have of the Rock of Cashel really do it justice, and I think I was having lighting problems because most of my photos ended up out of focus. Anyway, the Rock of Cashel ended up being pretty spectacular. There is something a little spooky about “beautiful ruins” (and Cyprus, particularly Famagusta, has many of them, so I am kind of an expert!), but there was enough still standing to understand this place must have been pretty awe-inspiring and also pretty moody in its time…which began over 900 years ago with the construction of the round tower, above.
In retrospect, if I had known there was going to be so much detail around the Rock I think I probably would have advocated that we wait to join the next tour. But we really didn’t have any idea what we were walking into so we just bought tickets and walked around. Also unfortunately for us, the cathedral, which had frescos and appeared to be the most intact part of the building, was closed for renovation.
The place was huge inside, and didn’t have that many windows, which instantly made we wonder how the heck they kept it lit during the short winter (or overcast Irish summer) days?
Sometimes we even get a photo of us together…
Another highlight was the cemetery, which was full of interesting headstones painted with a variety of lichens and moss:
