52.52° N · 7.89° W
The hill with the cathedral, round tower and Romanesque chapel of the kings of Munster, in Tipperary, with Hore Abbey at its foot and Cahir Castle nearby.
Part of Irish pubs
What to do
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
Visit · 1 h to 1 h 30 · adult €8 · the hill of the kings of Munster, with a guided or self-guided visit
Guided visit · tickets only at the ticket office · the Rock's Romanesque chapel, from the inside
Ruins · 30 to 45 min · no published ticket office · Ireland's last medieval Cistercian monastery, with the best view of the Rock
Itineraries
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
Open all year except 24 to 26 December: from 9:00 to 17:30 from 17 March to 15 October and until 16:30 the rest of the year. Spring and September have the best light and fewer groups; in July and August there are also music shows at Brú Ború.
How you travel
Choose how you're travelling and we'll tell you where to stay, how to get around, where to eat and which services you'll need. We only show the ways of travelling that make sense here.
For Cashel you fly into Dublin, with direct flights from many Spanish cities. With a hire car it takes a little under two hours along the M50, M7 and M8. Without a car, take the coach from the airport to the city centre and then Bus Éireann's 245X from Busáras.
By car, Cashel combines with Cahir Castle in the same day and is a natural stop on the way to Cork, Cobh or Kilkenny. The M8 runs right past. Remember to drive on the left.
Without a car, Cashel can be done in a day with the Bus Éireann bus or a tour. The town is small: the bus stop, the Rock, Hore Abbey and the restaurants are all within walking distance.
Who you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
Children like Cashel more than you might expect: you climb a hill, step into a cathedral with no roof and walk down across a meadow to ruins you can wander through. By car, Cahir Castle rounds off a perfect day.
For a teenager with a little curiosity, Cashel tells a story that makes sense: King Brian Boru crowned here, the hill given to the Church, monks driven out of Hore. Cormac's Chapel, with its frescoes, is the kind of thing you won't see anywhere else.
Where to stay
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Why we like it: A Palladian palace from 1732 on Cashel's main street, now a five-star hotel with 42 rooms, a spa, gardens and a Michelin-starred restaurant.
Why we like it: Hotel in a house on Cashel's main street, with a restaurant and a bar in the cellar, free wifi and single, double, twin and family rooms.
© O'Briens Cashel LodgeCountry houseWhy we like it: Guesthouse with a campsite and caravan area between the Rock of Cashel and Hore Abbey, with private parking and the Rock a short walk away.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
What to order: the fish with pea purée and chunky chips, with a Whitefield beer.
What to order: the lamb or the hake, and the scallops as a starter if they are on the menu.
Map
The places to stay and services on the map are the ones for the way you travel. Turn on the layers you want and tap a point to see its details.
Nearby
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
52.65° N · 7.24° W
By planeCar-free
51.85° N · 8.30° W
By planeCar-freeBy car
53.27° N · 9.06° W
By planeCar-free
53.01° N · 6.33° W
By planeCar-freeBy car
Tips
Tour coaches arrive mid-morning. At 9:00 the Rock is quiet.
The Rock can close at short notice because of wind or works; the chapel visit times change.
Tickets for Cormac's Chapel are sold only there, and there are few places.
There are uneven floors, low doorways and stairs; with a pushchair it is difficult.
Cashel is a town in Tipperary, in south-central Ireland, and the Rock of Cashel is the limestone hill that rises above it, crowned by a group of medieval buildings visible for miles: a roofless Gothic cathedral, a round tower, a 15th-century tower house and Cormac's Chapel, Romanesque, with the only frescoes of that style left in Ireland. It was the seat of the kings of Munster; Brian Boru was crowned High King here in 978 and in 1101 the hill passed to the Church. It is one of the most photographed sights in the country and lies less than two hours from Dublin.
The Rock takes an hour to an hour and a half. Go into the roofless cathedral, look closely at the round tower, the high cross and the Hall of the Vicars Choral, the residence of the cathedral's singers. Cormac's Chapel, with its Romanesque frescoes, can only be seen on a guided visit and tickets are bought on the spot.
On the way down, cross the field to Hore Abbey, 13th-century Cistercian ruins at the foot of the hill, from where you get the best photo of the Rock. If you have a car, twenty minutes to the south is Cahir Castle, a medieval castle beside the River Suir. In July and August, Brú Ború, the cultural centre at the foot of the Rock, hosts evenings of traditional music and dance.
A day from Dublin is enough for the Rock, Hore and lunch in the town; with Cahir, better by car or with a night. On the main street, Mikey Ryan's serves cooking with Tipperary produce every day. For a special dinner, Chez Hans, in a former church next to the Rock, opens Friday to Sunday. The Cashel Palace, a 1732 palace on the main street, has a Michelin-starred restaurant.
Cashel is also a good halfway stop if you are going from Dublin to Cork or Cobh.
Questions
On Bus Éireann's 245X bus from Busáras, about two and a quarter hours, or on Paddywagon's day tour with Cork and Blarney.
Adult €8, seniors €6, students and children €4, family €20. Cormac's Chapel is paid separately at the ticket desk.
One hour to an hour and a half for the Rock; half a day with Hore Abbey and the town.
Only assistance dogs are allowed on the Rock.
Hore Abbey, at the foot of the hill, and Cahir Castle, about 20 minutes by car.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/ireland/cashel
