06Jul-Photo Release – A friend asked to see some images from our Ireland trip in 2019. I’ve published the best of them here before but It’s been a while, so, here we go. This will take a few days to cover. I’ve done the same with these as with all the photos I’m retouching this time around. I’ve taken them all the way back to their original RAW files.
The one constant in Ireland is the weather. We were there for 15 days; the sun came out three times. No matter, as one of our hosts was quick to tell us, “If ye wait for the weather to get better, you’ll not do anything at all.” Another would tell us during a near downpour “Tis just a fine mist.”
This first set shows two of the castles we visited. I’d been to all of them close to Clonmel a few times already. I had to choose what I thought Donna would like the most. These two are within fifteen minutes of each other and an hour from the hotel. We also visited Kilkenny Castle, but that was a one day event by itself and I’ll include it in another release. The last image is of Limerick Castle. We didn’t visit; we rode past on the bus drive to Dublin. Aside from Limerick Castle these include shots of Cahir Castle and the Rock of Cashel.
The stories behind these two castles are fascinating. One fantastical, one historically relevant. Reading either one will make you want more. I promise. It’s best told by an Irishman and I’m only one-quarterish so, and I don’t have the accent or the idioms to make it sound authentic. Read for yourself – links above. You can read a short for each at the end of this post.
06Jul-Photo Release
Castles of Ireland Aug 15, 2019
The Rock of Cashel
Rising dramatically above the Golden Vale in County Tipperary, the Rock of Cashel is a spectacular cluster of medieval ruins steeped in Irish myth. According to local folklore, this striking limestone outcrop owes its existence to a literal clash with the devil. Legend dictates that Saint Patrick was banishing Satan from a cave in the nearby Slieve Bloom Mountains. In a fit of demonic rage, the devil bit a massive chunk out of the mountain—creating the gap known today as the Devil’s Bit—and spat it across the landscape, where it landed to form the Rock.
Historically, this high ground served as the seat of the Kings of Munster for centuries before being granted to the Church in 1101. Today, visitors can explore the astonishingly preserved 12th-century round tower, a Romanesque chapel, and a massive 13th-century Gothic cathedral. It remains one of Ireland’s most visually arresting and historically significant landmarks.
Cahir Castle
Just a short drive from Cashel sits Cahir Castle, one of Ireland’s largest and most formidable medieval fortresses. Anchored on a rocky island in the River Suir, its defensive design was long thought to be impenetrable. However, its most famous historical test came in 1650 during the brutal Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. Oliver Cromwell arrived at the gates with his New Model Army, fresh off devastating sieges elsewhere.
Knowing the destructive power of Cromwell’s heavy artillery, the castle’s custodian, George Mathews, faced a grim choice. Rather than subject the stronghold to ruinous bombardment, Mathews negotiated a peaceful surrender. Cromwell accepted, allowing the garrison to march away with their lives and weapons intact. Because of this pragmatic capitulation, Cahir Castle avoided the destruction that befell so many other Irish strongholds, leaving its magnificent walls, towers, and working portcullis perfectly preserved for modern eyes.
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