On our fourth day here in Ireland we started it off with a visit to the Cahir Castle which is located just around the corner off our B&B. The castle itself is situated on a small island in the middle of the river. There are two exhibitions inside the castle walls: One about the siege of the castle and one about aspects of medieval life. After leaving the castle we set off for the "Swiss Cottage" which has been a playground farm for the rich owners of Cahir Castle. It's about a 30 minute walk away from the castle and must be entered through a small tunnel, the former servants entrance. We were trapped at the cottage for a few minutes because one of those sudden Irish rain showers kicked in.
Back in the town of Cahir we send off some postcards and had Christa's sunglasses repaired Then we left for Cashel to see the Rock Of Cashel which is a bit north of Cahir. The Chapel on top of the rock formation is partially destroyed and is currently undergoing reconstruction but most of the site is accessible and the scenic view around the ruins is definitely worth a visit. Just beneath the Rock of Cashel there is the restaurant "Chez-Hans", which we only approached to get frightened away by their prices. Trust me, they are lunatic!
Going back south to Cork, our next B&B, we stopped by at the Mitcheltown Caves. They are really worth the detour and the guided tours are very informative (our tour guide seemed to be a regular in those caves as he was able to show us some blind cave-dwelling insects).
We arrived in Cork at about 16:00 and walked into the city to see the English Market in the central part of the city. Taking a taxi back to our B&B we are now waiting for a local dance festival to start at the nearby Lough.
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