Okay, Day 2 will have to stand on its own because we saw so much!

Ross Castle.  Gone was the beautiful weather from the day before and we got to try out all of our new rain gear.  We didn't take the time to go into the castle, but went up close and saw some.  This was our first official castle of the tour, so I think we all have some pictures of it.

Ross Castle

Cahir Castle.  The only time this castle fell to enemy hands by force was in 1599 when Exeter made his ill-fated expedition to Ireland.  There are still cannon balls stuck in the walls. 

The Rock of Cashel.  This rocky outcropping was a strategic defensive position and shows evidence of centuries of occupation.  We had a very wet, blustery tour of the roofless ruins.  This was our Irish baptism.

The monks here were professional musicians - 8 of them - paid to perform beautiful music for the Lord every day.  Not a bad gig, I think. 

This is the ruins of a monestary down the hill from Cashel.  Originally, it was a Benedictine Abbey, but the story we were told was that the Archbishop at Cashel had a dream one night that a line of black-robed Benedictine monks wound their way up the hill and murdered him in his bed, so he evicted the Benedictines and installed the less-threatening, brown-robed Cistercian monks.  It probably had to do with politics or taxes or something, but it's a good story. 

Finally, we stopped at St. Brigid's in Kildare.  There is a wishing stone at one corner of the building which supposedly grants your wish if you put your arm through the hole and touch your shoulder.  None of us found the rock in time to try it out, so we may never know if it's true!

One of the best things this day was four of us going into King Cormac's chapel at Cashel and then St. Brigid's and singing the 23rd Psalm.  The chapel was quite small and the sound was amazing with the four of us in the tiny chancel.  I tried to record a bit of it on my camera, but unfortunately "The Alto" was too close to the microphone and ruined the effect.  It was beautiful in memory, though.

As was the whole day.