North County Cork and the Rock of Cashel
The Rock of Cashel
This post was originally published March 30, 2017.
I hit the road again with my archaeology class to journey through more of Ireland’s history. We didn’t have to go far to find some intriguing sites.
North of Cork City, rests Labbacallee Wedge Tomb, which is dated well over 4,000 years ago. It’s one of the largest wedge tombs in Ireland, being about 26 feet long. The name Labbacallee translates to “Hag’s Bed.” Despite the name, women were actually very important in ancient Irish folklore, which is why the lady was laid to rest in a stunning megalithic tomb. According to local folklore, the tomb was said to contain a Cailleach Bheur (or a hag-goddess), who could have possessed all sorts of divine power. When archaeologists excavated the tomb, they found the remains of a woman. I hope no one got cursed for disturbing her rest…
Glanworth Castle was built in the 13th century with additions added later in the 1400s. From the castle, I could see Glanworth Abbey and Glanworth Bridge, both dating back hundreds of years as well. The castle was shorter than the other castles I have witnessed so far, likely because it’s one of the few that wasn’t built as a tower house. It began to rain as we climbed over parts of the castle wall, got yelled at for climbing over parts of the castle wall (not me though—I’m a good child), and checked out the most fascinating attractions such as the oubliette and the chute in the tower where all the human waste would fall out. As interesting as ancient examples of poor hygiene is, I was happy to return to the dry bus and move on to our final stop.
The Rock of Cashel is what I’ve been waiting to see. The beautiful piece of architecture was a main stronghold for kings during the early medieval period. Cormac’s Chapel, which also stood on the rock, dated to before the construction of the other monuments. After several years under restoration, the tarps were removed from the outside of the chapel just in time for my visit. I recently wrote a paper on Cormac’s Chapel, explaining how it is an architectural anomaly compared to other Irish churches. Its influences are drawn from across the continent with pieces mirrored in French churches, English churches, and churches as far away as Rome. Ultimately, in my opinion, it’s an example of how cultures influence and build upon each other, allowing notable Irish styles to be inspired by Germanic ones.
Religious architecture is where I feel most in my element, so I quite enjoyed gazing upon the towering cathedral and the famous high cross that held Jesus on one side and a bishop on the other. Unfortunately, when bishops lost their political influence in Ireland, they also lost their heads on a lot of high crosses. The high cross at the Rock of Cashel was no exception. If it helps, the bishop was kind of hard to see anyway.