Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [289]
Although his roots to the area may not go back as far as the good sister’s, they do go back. ‘My father’s family are an old Munster family. They were recorded in the Awbeg Valley in north County Cork in the 13th century,’ he says. ‘I was very young when he first pointed out the Rock and told me stories of the Eóghanacht kings’, the true-to-life rulers to whom the fictional Fidelma is related.
Tremayne says there are tangible ways people can live the Fidelma experience, even if the structures on the rock post-date her days solving mysteries by up to 1000 years. Not surprisingly he suggests staying at the Cashel Town B&B (below), with its Sister Fidelma motifs. He also recommends asking at the visitors centre for advice. And he suggests exploring the countryside including the ‘wild scenery of the nearby Glen of Aherlow’, scene of many a Fidelma exploit.
‘Intrepid walkers [can even] set off along the ancient roadway that Fidelma rode many times from Cashel to Knockgraffon, to Ardfinnan, across the Knockmealdon Mountains to Lismore and from Lismore to Ardmore on the coast. This is called Rian Bò Pádraig, the track of St Patrick’s Cow – parts of which have been excavated showing how ancient it is.’
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Cashel Holiday Hostel ( 062-62330; www.cashelhostel.com; 6 John St; dm €16-18, s/d from €30/50; ) This is a friendly and central budget option in a vivid safety-orange-coloured three-storey Georgian terrace off Main St. It has 52 beds in four- to eight-bed rooms as well as a recreation room, kitchen and laundry.
MIDRANGE & TOP END
The sweet spot for Cashel accommodation is right in the middle of town, and you’ll find a huge range of choices, all an easy walk to the Rock.
Cashel Town B&B (Sister Fidelma B&B; 062-62330; www.cashelbandb.com; 5 John St; s/d €50/80; ) ‘The chief poet of the tribe earns 21 cows…’ is but one of the multitude of old Irish bromides that adorn the walls of this seven-room B&B, which has a startling new exterior colour that would send you to the doctor if you emitted it. Interior decor includes rooms taking their cues from Sister Fidelma, the crime-fighting nun (see boxed text, above). It is run by the same cheerful management as the Cashel Holiday Hostel next door.
Kearney’s Castle Hotel ( 062-61044; Main St; s/d from €50/80) Located right across from the Cashel Heritage Town Centre. The owners modestly dismiss their building as ‘just an old house’ even though parts comprise a medieval fortified tower. The 12 simple rooms are sprightly decorated in blue and beige, and have TVs.
Ashmore House ( 062-61286; www.ashmorehouse.com; John St; s/d €60/70; ) Look for the vivid yellow door on this Georgian town house, which has five big, high-ceilinged rooms filled with antiques. It’s located on a quiet street just off Main St. The owner is a retired merchant seaman and has as many stories as he has mementos of his voyages.
Hill House ( 062-61277; www.hillhousecashel.com; Palmershill; r €60-120; ) It actually could be called Amazing View House, as this Georgian charmer has magnificent views across to the Rock. Set back in gardens, the house is about 400m uphill from Main St. Rooms have a traditional style and come with four-poster beds.
Ladyswell House ( 062-62985; www.ladyswellhouse.com; Ladyswell St; s/d €65/90) Barely a five-minute walk to the Abbey, this five-room B&B is spotless. Some bathrooms have skylights. The owners and their dog are total charmers and will organise custom tours as well as Shannon Airport pick-ups.
Cashel Palace Hotel ( 062-62707; www.cashel-palace.ie; Main St; r from €70-200; ) The Cashel Palace, a handsome red-brick, late–Queen Anne house, is a local landmark. Fully restored, it has 23 rooms oozing with luxuries like trouser presses (as if you wouldn’t have someone else attend to that); some rooms have soaking tubs you’ll leave only after you’re totally prunified. Built in 1732 for a Protestant archbishop, the rooms are in the gracious main