History Cashel, County Tipperary

1 history

1.1 ancient history
1.2 lordship of ireland
1.3 ecclesiastical history

history
ancient history

the rock of cashel, town below owes origin, isolated elevation of stratified limestone, rising abruptly broad , fertile plain called golden vale. top of eminence crowned group of remarkable ruins. known fairy hill, or sid-druim, rock was, in pagan times, dun, or castle, of ancient eoghnacht chiefs of munster. in gaelic, caiseal denotes circular stone fort , name of several places in ireland. book of rights suggests name derived cais-il, i.e. tribute stone , because munster tribes paid tribute on rock. here corc, grandfather of aengus mac natfraich, erected fort. cashel subsequently became capital of munster and, tara , armagh, celebrated court. @ time of st. patrick, when aengus ruled king, cashel claimed supremacy on royal duns of province.

in 5th century, eóganachta dynasty founded capital on , around rock. many kings of munster have reigned here since. saint patrick believed have baptised cashel s third king, aengus. in 977 dál gcais usurper, brian boru, crowned here first non-eóghanacht king of cashel , munster in on 5 hundred years. in 1101 great-grandson, king muirchertach ua briain, gave place bishop of limerick, denying forever maccarthys, senior branch of eóganachta. bishops had famous school in cashel , sent priests on continent, regensburg in germany, maintained own monastery, called scots monastery.

today ancient metropolis of cashel has lost importance, , population has fallen on 4,000, highest population in 270 years.

lordship of ireland

the synod of cashel of 1172 organised henry ii of england. synod sought regulate affairs of church in ireland , condemn abuses, bringing church more alignment roman rite. has been suggested seventh act of synod called upon clergy , people of ireland acknowledge henry ii of england king. however, careful reading of seventh act not support interpretation. nevertheless, there little doubt king s purpose in requiring convocation overawe irish clergy display of power; no doubt succeeded in this. in scenario, convocation viewed pretext show of strength.

st. dominic s abbey, dominican monastery, established in 1243.

in 1647, during irish confederate wars, town stormed , sacked english parliamentarian troops under 6th baron inchiquin (later created 1st earl of inchiquin). on 1,000 irish catholic soldiers , civilians, including several prominent clerics, killed in attack , ensuing massacre.

ecclesiastical history

rock of cashel

about 450, saint patrick preached @ royal dun , converted king aengus. tripartite life of saint relates while baptising aengus spike of crozier went through foot of king bore painful wound in belief rite of faith . according same authority, twenty-seven kings of race of aengus , brother aillil ruled in cashel until 897, when cerm-gecan slain in battle. there no evidence st patrick founded church @ cashel, or appointed bishop of cashel. st ailbe, supposed, had fixed see @ emly, not far off, , within king s dominions. cashel continued chief residence of kings of munster until 1100, hence title, city of kings . before date, there no mention in native annals of bishop, or archbishop of cashel. cormac maccullinan referred to, not correctly, archbishop of cashel, later writers. bishop, not of cashel, king. famous man in ireland of time, more of scholar , warrior ecclesiastic, cormac has left glossary of irish names, displays knowledge of latin, greek, , hebrew, , psalter of cashel , work treating of history , antiquities of ireland. slain in 903, in great battle near carlow.

brian boru (old irish: brian bóruma) fortified cashel in 990. murtagh o brien, king of cashel, in presence of chiefs , clergy, made grant in 1101 of rock territory around o dunan, noble bishop , chief senior of munster , , dedicated god , st. patrick. cashel became archiepiscopal see, , o dunan first prelate far primate, st. celsus, appoint him. @ synod of kells, 1152, cardinal paparo gave pallium donat o lonergan of cashel, , since successors have ruled ecclesiastical province of munster. in 1127 cormac iii of munster, king of desmond, erected close palace on rock church, known cormac s chapel, consecrated in 1134, when synod held within walls. during episcopate of donal o hullican (1158–1182), king of limerick, domnall o brien, built in 1169 more spacious church beside cormac s chapel, became chapterhouse.

maurice, geraldine, filled see 1504 1523, , succeeded edmund butler, prior of athassal abbey, natural son of pierce, earl of ormond. in addition wars between irish , english there arose new element of discord, anglican reformation introduced henry viii tudor. while residing @ kilmeaden castle archbishop butler levied black-mail on traders of suir, robbing boats , holding persons ransom. @ session of royal privy council held @ clonmel in 1539, swore uphold spiritual supremacy of king , denied power in ireland of bishop of rome. died 1550 , buried in cathedral.

roland, geraldine (1553–1561), created archbishop roman catholic english queen mary. after vacancy of 6 years, maurice fitzgibbon (1567–1578), cistercian abbot, promoted archbishopric pope pius v, james maccaghwell (mccawell) put forward elizabeth of england. began anglican religion @ cashel. fitzgibbon, belonged royal desmond family, being deprived of see, fled france , passed spain resided time @ court. conferred english ambassador @ paris obtain pardon leaving country without queen s sanction, , permission return. in failed, , going ireland secretly arrested , imprisoned @ cork, died in 1578. on death of maccaghwell, elizabeth advanced miler macgrath, franciscan , bishop of down, see of cashel. held @ same time 4 bishoprics , several benefices, out of provided numerous offspring. having occupied see fifty-two years, died in 1622. monument in ruined cathedral bears epitaph written himself.

dermot o hurley, or diarmaid Ó hurthuile, of limerick, distinguished student of university of louvain in duchy of brabant , professor @ reims in france, appointed archbishop of cashel in 1581 pope gregory xiii. having presided on roman catholic diocese secretly 2 years, discovered , brought before lord justices @ dublin, tortured upon refusal take oath of supremacy english crown , subsequently hanged outside city on 20 june, 1584.

celebration of corpus christi @ rock of cashel c. 1922

dr butler 2nd (1774–1791), on being appointed roman catholic diocese, settled in thurles, roman catholic archbishops since have resided. successor, archbishop bray (1792–1820), built large church in part of 19th century, on site of archbishop patrick leahy (1857–1874) erected splendid cathedral in romanesque style. completed , consecrated in 1879 archbishop croke (1874–1902) , dedicated our lady of assumption.

the anglican archbishopric reduced in status legislation of 1833 , bishopric combined waterford.

st albert (feast 8 january), reputed former bishop, patron saint of roman catholic diocese. archbishop of cashel administrator of ancient diocese of emly.