Rock of Cashel
The high king of Irish monuments
09:00 - 16:45
See all opening times
Rock of Cashel
The high king of Irish monuments
Admission
All visitors must have a ticket
Tickets can be booked online
Adult: €8.00
Group/Senior: €6.00
Child/Student: €4.00
Family: €20.00
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Rock of Cashel
Set on a dramatic outcrop of limestone in the Golden Vale, the Rock of Cashel, iconic in its historic significance, possesses the most impressive cluster of medieval buildings in Ireland. Among the monuments to be found there is a round tower, a high cross, a Romanesque chapel, a Gothic cathedral, an abbey, the Hall of the Vicars Choral and a fifteenth-century Tower House.
Originally the seat of the kings of Munster, according to legend St. Patrick himself came here to convert King Aenghus to Christianity. Brian Boru was crowned High King at Cashel in 978 and made it his capital.
In 1101 the site was granted to the church and Cashel swiftly rose to prominence as one of the most significant centres of ecclesiastical power in the country.
The surviving buildings are remarkable. Cormac’s Chapel, for example, contains the only surviving Romanesque frescoes in Ireland.
The Rock of Cashel is one of Ireland’s most spectacular and – deservedly – most visited tourist attractions.
Highlights
Gallery
Opening Times
Last admission strictly 45 minutes before closing time.
Average Length of Visit 1 – 1.5 hours
Seasonal Opening Times
- Mid March - Mid October
Daily 09:00 – 17:30
Last admission 16:45
- Mid October - Mid March
Daily 09:00 – 16:30
Last admission 15:45
Notice
Closed 24 – 26 December inclusive.
Please note that all groups must be pre-booked.
Tour operators visiting the Rock of Cashel are requested not to drive directly to the site but rather to avail of the nearby car-park.
Getting Here
By Car – Public car park close to site.
By Bus – Take the X8 to Cashel and walk 500m from the centre of Cashel town off the Dublin Road.
By Train – The nearest train station is Thurles.
Click the relevant icon below to open Maps directions
Facilities
- Art
- Audio Visual Show
- Brochure
- Coach parking
- Events Venue
- Exhibition
- Gift Shop
- Guided tours
- Museum
Restrictions
- Appropriate footwear
- Assistance dogs only
- Hold hand rail
- Low Doorways
- No climbing
- Uneven walkways
Nearby sites to visit
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Scattery Island Centre
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Jerpoint Abbey
Where Irish medieval sculpture reached new heights
Kells Priory
Visit Ireland’s largest enclosed ecclesiastical site
Ennis Friary
Admire some exquisite Renaissance carvings
Boyle Abbey
Step back into Ireland’s monastic past
Sligo Abbey
Where friars’ prayers echo among the ruins
Resources
Social Guide and Visitors Guides
Download, print and read our social guide (PDF) about visiting the Rock of Cashel. This will help first-time visitors, families and people with developmental and learning disabilities to prepare for a visit to the the Rock of Cashel.
Download the Social Guide
Download the Visitors Guide
Guide français du Rocher de Cashel
Rock of Cashel Deutscher Reiseführer
Treoir as Gaeilge
Guida Rock of Cashel in italiano
Przewodnik po Rock of Cashel po polsku
Guía de Rock of Cashel en español