Tipperary and Cork counties

We saw a number of sights this day and drove many miles before we slept…

The Rock of Cashel is quite impressive, even from a distance. It is reputed to be the site of the conversion of the King of Munster by St. Patrick in the 5th century. The oldest building is the Round Tower, dating from the early 12th century…

… while construction of the cathedral was begun in 1290. Cormac’s Chapel, built of sandstone, was consecrated in 1134, and is one of the earliest examples of Irish Romanesque architecture -

The interior is very unique, with bits of colorful frescoes still remaining, along with interesting carved heads -

Inside the cathedral are huge vaulted ceilings…

… that survive from the 13th century.

The surrounding countryside is peaceful farmland -

Down the hill is Hore Abbey…

… which gave us different views of The Rock -

… as the sun also played a part.

Moving on to Cahir Castle, we felt like the exterior was more compelling than the interior…

… although it did give us this great view up the River Suir -

(please forgive the blurriness, as this was shot through a window)

Leaving the lush countryside of County Tipperary, we headed to the southwest point of the country in County Cork…

… which is Mizen Head. Rather than a lighthouse, they have a “Signal Station” -

On the walk out, we were treated to some gorgeous coastline…

… and fascinating geology -

We also crossed a neat bridge…

… to reach the point.

There, we could see up the coast -

With a beautiful end to a long day…

… we spent the night in the quaint village of Bantry.