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| CASHEL ABBEY AND ROUND TOWER.-The picture faithfully reproduces the exterior of the Abbey of Cashel, and the well-preserved Round Tower situated at the eastern angle of the northern aisle. Standing on the summit of the storied "Rock," which once held the palace of the Kings of Munster, these noble ruins have a majestic aspect. They rise in the midst of the most fertile district of Ireland-the Golden Vein, or Vale, of the Counties of Tipperary and Limerick; and this superb valley is dominated by the lofty range of the Galtee Mountains, soaring grandly heavenward above the charming Glen of Aherlow. The Abbey, or Cathedral, was founded in the Eleventh Century by one of the Munster monarchs. The see was made archiepiscopal by Pope Eugenius III. in 1152. In 1172, it was desecrated by the presence of Henry II of England, who, armed with what purported to be a papal bull, succeeded in getting Donald O'Brien, and other "jellyfish" Irish princes, to swear allegiance to him. The nave and choir, from east to west, measure 210 feet, and the transept, from north to south, 170 feet. The tower of the cathedral springs from the centre of the structure. Many ancient tombs, crosses, and other venerable objects, are to be seen in the abbey and its environs. |
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