Cashel

Cashel (Caiseal, meaning "stone ringfort") is a town in County Tipperary in Ireland. Its population in 2016 was only 4422, but it's one of Ireland's top tourist draws: the Rock of Cashel is a limestone outcrop with a collection of important medieval sites.

Get in
Expressway Bus X8 runs every two hours from Dublin Airport, Busáras and Heuston station to Cashel, 2 hr 30 min, continuing south to Cahir, Fermoy and Cork.

Kavanagh's Bus 394 runs twice a day between Clonmel and Cashel, one hour, and continues to Holycross and Thurles.

Local Link Bus 828 runs from Portlaoise via Abbeyleix, Durrow, Johnstown and Urlingford to Cashel. It takes 90 min, with four M-Sa and two on Sunday.

Bus 855 runs four times a day between Tipperary, Limerick Junction, Cahir, Cashel and Golden, with an extra evening run F Sa.

By car follow M8 from Dublin.

Get around
Walk, the town is compact. You only need wheels to reach Golden and Athassel Priory.

See

 * St Dominic's Abbey is the ruin 300 m south of the Rock. It was a Dominican abbey founded in 1243 and dissolved in 1540, though diehard friars were somehow still there 300 years later. It's free to stroll around anytime.
 * On Main Street note the Fountain.
 * is Church of Ireland (Anglican), a Georgian building on John St.
 * A few scraps of the city walls survive just south of the cathedral.
 * St John the Baptist is the Roman Catholic church facing the cathedral on Friar St. It was completed in 1795 over the site of a Franciscan friary.
 * is Church of Ireland (Anglican), a Georgian building on John St.
 * A few scraps of the city walls survive just south of the cathedral.
 * St John the Baptist is the Roman Catholic church facing the cathedral on Friar St. It was completed in 1795 over the site of a Franciscan friary.
 * St John the Baptist is the Roman Catholic church facing the cathedral on Friar St. It was completed in 1795 over the site of a Franciscan friary.
 * is one helluva name to give to the dilapidated stump on the island in the River Suir. "Golden" is the Anglicised version of An Gabhailín, "The Grange", though the richness of the farmland is indeed precious. You only come this way along N74 to reach the Priory, turn south here and see below.
 * is one helluva name to give to the dilapidated stump on the island in the River Suir. "Golden" is the Anglicised version of An Gabhailín, "The Grange", though the richness of the farmland is indeed precious. You only come this way along N74 to reach the Priory, turn south here and see below.

Do

 * Angling for salmon and trout on the river Suir is 17 March-30 September. Angling licences needed, you can buy from Casale 2000 sports shop at 4 Bank Place, Cashel.
 * Walk: The Tipperary Heritage Way is a 55-km trail from The Vee above Goatenbridge via Cahir along the course of the River Suir. The northmost section is 11 km between Cashel and Golden: from the Rock, head west along the lane to the river bank, and follow the waymarked trail.
 * Walk: The Tipperary Heritage Way is a 55-km trail from The Vee above Goatenbridge via Cahir along the course of the River Suir. The northmost section is 11 km between Cashel and Golden: from the Rock, head west along the lane to the river bank, and follow the waymarked trail.

Buy

 * The main strip for supermarkets is south along Cahir Road, with Aldi, Lidl and Tesco (which has fuel).

Eat

 * A string of others on Main St includes Apache Pizza, Grogan's Cafe and Ice Cream, Oasis (in Fox's Bar), Saffron, Bowes, Mazzolas, Orchid Garden, Pearl Garden and Ladyswell.
 * A string of others on Main St includes Apache Pizza, Grogan's Cafe and Ice Cream, Oasis (in Fox's Bar), Saffron, Bowes, Mazzolas, Orchid Garden, Pearl Garden and Ladyswell.
 * A string of others on Main St includes Apache Pizza, Grogan's Cafe and Ice Cream, Oasis (in Fox's Bar), Saffron, Bowes, Mazzolas, Orchid Garden, Pearl Garden and Ladyswell.
 * A string of others on Main St includes Apache Pizza, Grogan's Cafe and Ice Cream, Oasis (in Fox's Bar), Saffron, Bowes, Mazzolas, Orchid Garden, Pearl Garden and Ladyswell.

Drink

 * Others west to east on main drag are TJ Ryan's, Fox's, Davern's, Mikey Ryan's, Donoghue's, City Bar, Billy Foley's, Byrne's and Gleesons.
 * Others west to east on main drag are TJ Ryan's, Fox's, Davern's, Mikey Ryan's, Donoghue's, City Bar, Billy Foley's, Byrne's and Gleesons.
 * Others west to east on main drag are TJ Ryan's, Fox's, Davern's, Mikey Ryan's, Donoghue's, City Bar, Billy Foley's, Byrne's and Gleesons.

Connect
As of Dec 2020, there's a 4G signal in town from Eir and Vodafone, and 5G from Three. The road through Golden to Tipperary only has a signal from Three.

Cashel Public Library on Friar St is open M-Sa 09:30-17:00. Internet access is free for library members.

Go next

 * Cahir has a castle on a river island, the fanciful Swiss Cottage, and Mitchelstown Cave.
 * Thurles: go to the races.
 * Waterford is an interesting harbour town.