• General Notes

  TITLE:  King of MUNSTER & IRELAND
  NOTE:
  
  King of Munster and Ireland, Rock of Cashel - The Rock of Cashel, also called Saint Patrick's Rock, is
  probably Ireland's most impressive religious ruin. The huge complex which includes Cormac's Chapel, a Cathedral, castle, Hall of the Vicars Choral, a 92 feet high round tower and a protective wall, towers gothically over the small town of Cashel. It can be seen for miles around because of its position on a limestone outcrop sticking up out of the flat green plain of farmland. The Rock was the site of the royal fortress of the
  Eoghanacht clan in the 5th century (Cashel means fortress in Irish). The Eoghanacht originally came from Britain and ruled Munster from Cashel for 400 years, rivalling the power of Tara in the north.
  The fortress had early links with Christianity because Saint Patrick converted one of the Eoghanacht kings in the 5th century. The Saint accidentally stabbed the king's foot with his pastoral staff during his baptism but the king bore the pain unflinchingly because he believed it was part of the religious ritual. In the 10th century the DalgCaise clan of west Munster led by Brian Boru defeated the Eoghanacht and installed themselves as the kings of Cashel, even though their power base was in Shannon. In 1101 King Muircheartach O'Brien gave Cashel to the Church, so that the Eoghanacht clan could not retake their traditional seat of power.
  The Eoghanacht moved to Cork and became the Mac Carthaigh (McCarthy) kings of Desmond, but Cormac Mac Carthaigh built Cormac's Chapel, one of the most interesting buildings at Cashel, before leaving, in 1127. The cruciform shaped Chapel is the earliest Romanesque church in Ireland and has interesting carvings including a Norman centaur shooting a bow and arrow at a huge lion and the intricately carved sarcophagus of what is thought to be King Cormac's tomb. The first Cathedral on the Rock was built in the 12th century, but the gothic Cathedral, still on the site, was started in 13th century. The tomb of one notorious Bishop of Cashel, Miler MacGrath, who died in 1621, is in the choir of the Cathedral. Miler was the Catholic Bishop of Down
  and Connor and in 1571 he was also appointed as the Protestant Archbishop of Cashel by Queen Elizabeth. As well as these two posts he held three others and 70 other livings. There are also attractive 16th century altar tombs carved with religious figures and animals and there are carved heads in the roof arches.
  In 1647 Cromwell's forces under Lord Inchquin sacked and took Cashel. The Irish Confederate council opposing Cromwell had a garrison in Cashel and when the English forces arrived, the townspeople fled to the Rock leaving the city gates open. 800 people died in the fight on the rock during which 20 ecclesiastics were smothered to death by fire in the Castle vault by Cromwell's troops. Despite being damaged the Cathedral remained in use until the 18th century. The Castle was ruined during a fierce storm in 1847. Bishop Rsiteard O'hEidhimn built the Hall of the Vicars Choral which now houses the visitors centre in the 15th century.
  The original 12th century crutched Saint Patrick's Cross has been moved into the visitors centre with other carvings and silver and precious metal bells and croziers. A replica of the cross now stands outside the
  Cathedral. A 20 minute video is also run telling about the Rock's history.

Details of (King) Murchertach II O'Brien's family with Dubhchobhleigh OSSORY