Ireland's Golden Vale

Away from the bright lights of Dublin City lies the Ireland that people dream about seeing. Deep in the heart of Munster there is an area of the Emerald Isle known as the Golden Vale. It is famous among the Irish for being a farmer's paradise, as fertile as it is beautiful. It is famous among visitors for sights that whether natural or man-made are some of the most appealing in the country. They are the places we see in picture books but rarely get to visit. Luckily for me, I live here in the centre of it all. I live in a town that today has a population of less than 5,000 people but was once one of the most important towns in Ireland where the High Kings of Munster reigned over the land. The town is called Cashel. It is situated in county Tipperary. The Rock of Cashel, an ancient castle looks down over the town and indeed over the surrounding province of Munster. It is believed that Saint Patrick once visited Cashel where he baptized Aengus,the third King of Cashel. The most famous King of Cashel however is Brian Boru who ended the centuries-long domination by the Ui Neil Clan. Boru's ambitions were far greater than control of the south however as he marhed his army north to eventually, in 1002ad become High King of Ireland.

According to a local legend, the structure of the Rock of Cashel originated from the Devil's Bit. The Devil's Bit is a mountain 30km from Cashel that got its name because the devil, as the story goes, took a bite out of it. Part of the mountain appears to have a large chunk missing. This gap in the mountain is where the devil took a bite. Apparently the Devil broke a tooth while biting into the rock and spit it out where now lies the Rock of Cashel.

Cashel is easy find as it is located on the primary road between the two major cities of Dublin and Cork. It is approximately a two hour drive from Dublin.

In March 2008, the town celebrated Saint Patrick's Day with lighting displays around the Rock of Cashel. The event was widely praised and exceeded expectations as people flocked in their tens of thousands to the town. The video below says it all.

While the Rock of Cashel is a great example of a man made beauty, the Vee is completely credited to mother nature. From the top of the Vee one can see the land of five seperate counties including Tipperary, Waterford and Cork. It hosts one of the most breath taking views of the Golden Vale as well as offering various scenic leisure walks and a glorious glacially formed lake. As it is difficult to explain such splendour using words I will try to win you over with the following visuals.

 The Glen of Aherlow is a quiet country valley in Tipperary that stretches for 16km. It is an almost entirely unspoilt natural beauty that contains some of the most remarkable scenary anywhere. It is a secluded, tranquil environment covered with wooded areas that are dying to be explored. Just take a look at some of these photos!