The Rock of Cashel. Part two


In our post "The Rock of Cashel" we talked about stamps. The thing was that during the medieval era these stamps were used like credit cards are used today. But in this case only the members of the Vicars Choral were able to use it. When the Vicars went shopping instead of paying all they had to do was give the stamp and the cheque would be sent to the Archbishop at the end of the year. But almost like nowadays copies of this stamp were made and given by the Vicars to their families.

It was interesting to see Cormac’s Chapel, which contained small fragments of frescos which plan to be reconstructed. But truthfully, this is easier said then done because the dampness inside of the chapel complicates the process. Imagine that after just three months into the process of drying out the chapel, it lost over 90 litres of the water it held.


Vicars Choral stamp

It’s impossible not to mention the interesting round tower, which was built using the dry stone method. According to historians this tower was built in a shape and form that is unique to Ireland and that you can only find a handful of similar ones in Scotland. We’ll talk more specifically about these types of towers when we write about a place called Glendalough, located in Wicklow National Park.

There are two more traits to our story about this castle. The first one is about St. Patricks Cross, which is located there. Well actually it has two of them. The original cross is held in a basement under the Hall of Vicars Choral and its replica is held at the Cathedral. This cross is different from a normal Celtic cross because it doesn’t have a ring around the cross head.


Round tower in the Rock of Cashel

There are also some myths surrounding St. Patricks Cross. One of them states that if you wish to get married then you have to hop on your right leg around the cross in a circle going anti-clockwise nine times you’ll get married within a year. Another one says that if you hug the cross and your fingertips touch together you’ll never have dental problems. But truthfully for a person with average sized arms this is almost impossible.

The last trait is about those who are buried on the territory of the Rock of Cashel. It turned out that the people living in Cashel are all in a list of 600 people that have the right to be buried on the territory of the Rock of Cashel. Because this territory is being rented the church has no right to restore the crosses or gravestones there.


St.Patrick Cross in the Rock of Cashel

The Rock of Cashel is also famous because of the fact that it's in the film "Excalibur" about a magic swords King Arthur and his knights of the round table. Actualy, the Cahir Castle located in the same County, was also featured in this movie.

In conclusion we would like to note that the Rock of Cashel is considered to be one of the few places in the world that has an element of Celtic architecture. So if you are interested in irish history and/or you want to get married then the Rock of Cashel is a great place for you to visit.