Cashels and Castles

Hello Irish Life Experience Families and Friends! Yesterday, we had the opportunity to travel to the Rock of Cashel and Kilkenny Castle. The weather, AGAIN was in our favor. The sun shone most of the day and we were only caught in a few sprinkles of showers. It was gorgeous for the majority of the tour and we couldn't have lucked out more. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Rock of Cashel, it's huge, it's complex, it's iconic, and there is nothing like it anywhere else in the world! It's in the heart of Tipperary. The Rock of Cashel-Carraig Phádraig, more formally known as St. Patrick's Rock or the Cashel of the Kings. Reputedly the site of the conversion of Aenghus the King of Munster by St. Patrick in the 5th century AD. Long before the Norman invasion The Rock of Cashel was the seat of the High Kings of Munster, although there is little structural evidence of their time here. Most of the buildings on the current site date from the 12th and 13th centuries when the rock was gifted to the Church. The buildings represent both Hiberno-Romanseque and Germanic influences in their architecture. The complex has a character of its own, unique and native, and is one of the most remarkable collections of Celtic art and medieval architecture to be found anywhere in Europe. Students were able to explore the Rock and take some gorgeous pictures of views and the fortress itself. It was spectacular. Afterwards, the Irish Life Experience marched onwards to Kilkenny Castle. Here we enjoyed our packed lunches on the lush green grounds. Students were introduced to the Hula Hoop Challenge. The Challenge is simple-placing delicious chip-like Hula Hoops on fingers and gobbling them one-by-one as fast as you can. Caitlin ended up being the Grand Champion, but Siobhan proved to be strong competition. On full stomachs, we then went on a tour of the Castle. The Castle stands dramatically on a strategic height that commands a crossing on the River Nore and dominates Kilkenny City. Over the eight centuries of its existence, many additions and alterations have been made to the fabric of the building, making Kilkenny Castle today a complex structure of various architectural styles. The original Anglo-Norman stone castle was built for William Marshal, 4th Earl of Pembroke (c.1146-1219) during the first decade of the thirteenth century. Kilkenny Castle later became the principal Irish residence of the powerful Butler family for almost 600 years. The Butler ownership began when James (c.1360-1405), 3rd Earl of Ormond, purchased the castle in c.1391, and lasted until 1967 when Arthur, 6th Marquess of Ormonde (1893-1971), presented it to the people of Kilkenny in return for a token payment of £50. Can you believe that??? Scarlett said she enjoyed one of the tour guides and his hearty laugh. She also liked the giant toilet off of one of the rooms. Other students loved the gardens in the front of the Castle and we spent quite some time taking pictures together. Caitlin was very impressed. Her family have traced their roots back to the Butler family, so this tour was extremely special to Caitlin. We gave the students some time to enjoy the city of Kilkenny, before we went back to Waterford. They had a blast meandering their way throughout the cobblestone streets and shopping for souvenirs. Later that evening, all of the students joined a soccer game on Newtown's pitch in honor of the World Cup games we have been following. There were a few players of the game... Clara had two goals, Caitlin and Joe collided together twice in a rush for the ball, and Caitlyn proved to be a strong Goalie-saving three kicks! To finish up the day, we played Assassins-a fun murder mystery game. We discovered that Maureen and Clara were excellent at convincing everyone they weren't the killers-when in fact they were. Once again, another spectacular day! All of the students are happy and doing well. Enjoy the pictures. They are ALL so photogenic!

← All posts