cashel saint patrick s rock and abbeys

In 1152 the bishop of Cashel was raised to the dignity of Archbishop. In 1169 Domhnall Mor O'Brien founded a Cathedral, which was superseded in the 13th century by the present structure. The Cathedral was apparently burned (but not extensively) in the late 15th century by Gerald FitzGerald, and when asked by Henry VII why he had done this, he explained that he did it because he thought that the archbishop was inside! After the Reformation, Queen Elizabeth appointed the Archbishops of Cashel, and the most notorious of these was Miler MacGrath who held three other bishoprics as well and who, after he had died at the age of 100, was buried in the Cathedral. In 1647 Cashel was the scene of terrible fighting in the Confederate wars. The Cathedral was already ruined by the 18th century. The Rock of Cashel: A very striking cluster of buildings, entered through the Hall of the Vicars' Choral, a 15th century building which housed the clergy of the Cathedral. It is a two-storey building with a fireplace in the main room, and a dormitory at the eastern end. It now serves as a museum housing, among other items a tomb-front from Athassel (q.v..) and St. Patrick's Cross, a 12th century High Cross, with Christ on one face and a bishop on the other. On emerging from the Hall of the Vicars' Choral, its modern replacement can be seen standing in front of the Cathedral. On the right is Cormac's chapel built in 1127 - 34, and the most remarkable and probably the first Romanesque church in Ireland. Seven years before it was built Dionysius, abbot of the Irish church at Ratisbon in Germany, had sent four men to Ireland to collect money for his church, and through this, Cormac's chapel may have been influenced by German Romanesque architecture, particularly in the two square towers which flank it. It also shows the influence of English Romanesque architecture. The church has a nave and chancel with blind arcades on the walls, a barrel-vault and a fine chancel arch. The chancel contains the only Romanesque frescoes to survive in Ireland (recently conserved), including a representation of the Baptism of Christ. The church was entered by three doors, in the north and south walls and in the north tower respectively. The main door was in the north wall (now leading to a cul-de-sac); in the tympanum, it has a very unusual representation of a centaur with bow-and-arrow killing a large lion, and the whole is topped by a hood. The stonework of the church is profusely decorated, particularly in the interior, with a number of motifs, including human heads found both separately and as part of the capitals. The church has a well-preserved stone roof which is supported by a small chamber above the barrel vault of the nave. At the west end of the church is a 12th century tomb with a type of interlacing consisting of thin and fat serpents which are influenced by Scandinavian ornamental motifs. On the other side of the chancel of the Cathedral is a Round Tower which was built at about the same time as Cormac's chapel; it has been repaired recently after it had been struck by lightning. The largest building on the Rock is the 13th century Cathedral, which superseded the 12th century structure of which nothing remains. The Cathedral has a nave, chancel, two transepts, a tower at the crossing and a residential tower at the western end. The choir was built first, and was erected probably by Archbishop Marianus O'Brien around 1230. The east windows have gone, but there are five lancet windows in the south wall. The south transept was probably added by Archbishop MacKelly who died in 1252, while the north transept, the crossing and the nave were probably built by Archbishop MacCarwill around 1260. The tower above the crossing was probably added in the 14th century. Archbishop O'Hedigan built residential quarters for himself in the form of a strongly fortified tower at the western end of the church. Small turrets at the junction of the nave and transepts give access to the tower and to the battlements at the top of the walls of the church. The shortness of the nave of the church suggests that it was never completed to its intended length. There are a number of fine tombs in the north transept including a Hacket-Butler tomb of the late 15th century with figures of the Apostles and other saints including St. Thomas a Becket, and that of Archbishop Edmund Butler (died 1533), and in the choir is the tomb of Miler MacGrath. St. Dominick's Abbey: This was probably one of the first Dominican churches to be built in Ireland. it was founded by Archbishop David MacKelly whose seat was on the Rock immediately above the abbey. General chapters of the Dominican order in Ireland were held here in 1289 and 1307. Around 1480 Archbishop John Cantwell rebuilt the church after it had been accidentally burned. The church has a number of 13th century lancet windows (some of them blocked up), and others were replaced by windows with flowing tracery in the 15th century. The cloisters have disappeared. A south wing was added to the church around 1270. Hore Abbey: The Benedictines were settled here from Glastonbury by Philip de Worcester at the end of the 12th century, but Archbishop David MacCarwill took it from them, and brought Cistercians from Mellifont to found a new Cistercian Abbey here in 1272. It was to be the last Cistercian foundation in Ireland before the Reformation. The Abbey was well endowed at first, but had become impoverished when the Abbot of Athassel (q.v.) was made Abbot of Hore in the 15th century. the Abbey had a leper house in the town of Cashel. Much of the church is 13th century in date, and many of the masons employed in its construction also worked in building the Cathedral on the Rock which dominates it. The plan of the abbey conforms to the usual Cistercian lay-out except that the cloisters lie to the north of the church, which is unusual. The church consists of a nave and chancel and tow transepts which each had tow chapels originally (though only those in the north transept survive). The domestic buildings are also 13th century, but the chapter house is one of the few parts which have remained in any way intact. In the 15th century the tower was added, some smaller windows were inserted to replace the 13th century lancet windows, alterations were made to the wall of the choir, and a new wall was inserted in the church to act as a rood-screen.