Rising above the
city of Cashel in central
Ireland, the Rock of Cashel is one of
Ireland's most impressive archeological sites. The site has links to the
4th century and many parts of the site date to the
10th century. In the
4th century the
king of
Munster choose the defendable high ground of The Rock as a fortress to exert his
power. A
legend says that when the
King met
St. Patrick and was
converted,
St. Patrick accidently stabbed the king in the
foot with his staff.
St. Patrick didn't see the wound and the
king said nothing. Later, when
St. Patrick saw the wound, he asked why the king had remained silent. The
king replied that he thought it was part of some
Christian initiation relating to the
crucifixion.
The Rock eventually fell to the O'Briens, and they gave The Rock to the church to prevent another clan from gaining control of it. The church used it until 1647, when the Rock fell to a Oliver Cromwell and his followers. The Cromwellians burned and sacked the fort/church. The Rock was last used as a place of worship in the early part of the 18th century.
Now the ruins overlook the city of Cashel and provide a wonderful view into historical Ireland.