Cashel, Ireland

A small town on the main N8 Dublin– Cork road, Cashel (Web: www.cashel.ie ) – the name derives from the Irish caiseal, meaning "stone fort" – is utterly overshadowed by the stunning Rock of Cashel, an outcrop that rears out of the surrounding fertile plain, the Golden Vale. Surmounted by important ecclesiastical remains, the Rock is a hotspot on the tourist trail, so is best visited in the early morning before the hordes arrive or in the late afternoon when the coaches have departed. The town does have some other noteworthy sights, while to its north are the Holy Cross Abbey, a site of major pilgrimage, and the impressively rotund Ballynahow Castle.