Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful in achieving our two goals. Béal na mBláth (boy is that a mouthful) is the ambush site where Michael Collins was assassinated in 1922. (Okay… have you watched the movie Michael Collins yet?) We were chatting about our adventure in Skibbereen, when we blew past the monument marking the ambush site. Not long after our missed turn, google maps rerouted us through the very north of the city of Cork due to construction on our planned route. Oh well, it was still a scenic ride for the most part as we headed to The Rock of Cashel.
The Rock of Cashel is a massive structure which we spotted from miles away. Upon our approach, we could see that as a defensive structure it would be hard to choose a location. Sitting atop a large rock formation, this massive edifice offers views of green fields that go on forever and would make a treacherous location to attack. The defending force would see their enemy coming long before they reached the rock.
The Rock of Cashel played a very important role in the history of Ireland. It was upon this rock that Saint Patrick converted the King of Muenster to Christianity in the 5th Century and then 500 years later it was where Brian Boru was crowned the High King of Ireland. Brian, the founder of the O’Brien tribe, is credited as the great unifier of the 150 tribes of Ireland.
Arriving at the parking lot, we quickly realized that our approach to the entrance was all uphill. Yep, attacking the rock would be quite a task. Once reaching the top, we could see a tour group forming so we hustled to the ticket booth to attempt to join in with them. Perfect timing! It was only minutes before the tour began.
Our tour guide was truly blessed with the Irish gift of storytelling. He was quite entertaining, telling tales of the past as well as sharing more current stories in regard to the Irish struggle for freedom and “the troubles” of the 1970s. We were surprised when we bumped into our little friend hiding in a wall of the rock.
We upgraded our tickets to include entry into Cormac’s Chapel and would recommend if you have a chance to visit the Rock of Cashel, you do the same. The chapel was built in the early 12th century and is the first place of worship built in Ireland using the Romanesque style of architecture. The murals on the wall tell the story of the life of Christ, but over the years these works of art have suffered. A major restoration of the chapel occurred not long ago and now the chapel is100% humidity controlled. Thus, only a certain number of visitors are allowed to enter per day through tightly sealed doors. Dependent on the temperature/humidity of the day, the number admitted in the chapel can vary. We felt lucky to visit the Chapel.
After descending the rock, we headed towards the town of Cashel. A short half of a mile walk from the rock, and yes, it was all downhill or flat. Stopping at the first pub, John J Feehan’s, we enjoyed another wonderful Irish pub meal, simple and always filling. While waiting on our food we experienced a rare happening. Sitting a few tables away from us was a true doppelgänger of Janet’s cousin. Her looks and mannerisms were exactly the same and it made us want to go over and meet this duplicate. We discussed if we should but chickened out and did not. The coolest thing about this encounter was that we are using the word doppelgänger in the blog for the first time.
With lunch done, we made our way back to the car to head northeast to Kinnitty Castle in County Offlay. Offlay is an area known as the Midlands, which is known for its many bogs and being the most Catholic region in Ireland. Almost 90% of the residents identify as Catholic. Tom’s great-great-grandmother, Mary Rigney, on his father’s side, came from this region of Ireland around 1850. Settling in Memphis, Tennessee with her first husband, Michael Fogerty, they had four sons. Michael died shortly after the birth of their 4th son, and Mary remarried three years later. Marrying a man named Patrick Sullivan, Mary had three sets of twins and two single births in the following twelve years. Annie, the youngest, was Tom’s great-grandmother. Mary died shortly after Annie’s birth and she and her siblings were raised by their aunt.
With two branches of Sullivan families, who are not related, the lines in Tom’s family tree and the stories of the past can be easily twisted. It was our hope we could unravel more about Mary’s early life in Offlay and untangle the past.
We arrived at our destination by mid-afternoon. The entrance to Kinnitty Castle was a mile long with large trees bordering the drive. Rounding the last bend, the castle that stood before us was enormous.
Kinnitty Castle was built by the Normans in the early 1200s. It later became the ancestral home of the O’Carroll clan before being seized by the English and given to a loyal colonel in the king’s army in the mid-1660s. The castle went through many renovations and additions over the next 300 years until it was burned down by the Irish Republican Army during the civil war in 1922. Rebuilt shortly after its destruction, it is now a popular wedding venue and a very nice hotel.
The blue sky as a background made it stand tall and welcoming. We entered the large entrance doors in awe. As one would expect, the temperature dropped, and the bright sunlight was replaced by vibrant color from a large stain glass window which towered above the reception area. Check-in was a breeze, and we were escorted to our room by a member of the staff.
The twisting halls and multiple steps would have made this task impossible without a guide. Each room is named for a historical figure from the past that was associated somehow with the castle. Our room was named Inchquinn. The Baron of Inchquinn was Murrough O’Brien, Prince of Thomond, and a direct descendant of Brian Boru the high king of Ireland. Inchquinn changed sides between the Irish and the English a few times and even attempted to burn down Kinnitty and Birr castles. He later became the 1st of Earl of Inchquinn, and his son William the 2nd Earl became the governor of Jamaica. The title continues today, and currently it is held by Conor O’Brien the 19th Earl of Inchquinn.
Our room was in the lower abbey hallway and was quite adequate for two common people guests in the castle. The room was well-sized and decorated in period pieces, albeit it was a little dark. The bathroom was unique and the highlight of the suite. It truly was the throne room!
After a long ride in the car, we were ready to stretch our legs. Kinnitty offered both walking and horse trails on the property. We took the back trail behind the castle that paralleled a stream. It was a short walk but very beautiful. Of course, we had to stop so Janet could check the water temperature. Her facial expression says it all – COLD!
Continuing our walk, we looped around the castle close to the stables and then pressed onto grounds by the kitchen. Immediately, we stopped in our tracks at the sight of a very large pot on the lawn. We made our way over to read the sign. The pot was a relic from the Great Hunger and is called a “Famine Pot”. The large vessel was used to feed the starving people of Kinnitty.
It was 5 o’clock, so we headed in to meet some of the other guests in the library bar. Everyone was so friendly, and all had very interesting stories. We are not sure, but we think we were the only yanks staying in the castle, and everyone was curious about our thoughts of current events as the stock market plummeted. After lots of discussion and laughs, dinner was served in the main dining room. 😊 Dinner was a fabulous traditional meal that had been elevated to fine dining. Another wonderful day in Ireland had come to end so we called it a night and headed to the room.
We do not know why, but between 2 cameras and 2 phones we both failed to snap many pictures of the ornate sitting room, bar area, or the dining room.
Here are a few shots from the Kinnitty web page and a couple we took. Hopefully, one can get an idea how special it was to stay at the castle. If you are interested in getting a better understanding of all that Kinnitty Castle offers, please take a look at their webpage: https://www.kinnittycastlehotel.com/
Good Night!
No comments:
Post a Comment