Review: Cashel Palace, Tipperary
Luxury in the heart of Cashel. It might be a long way to Tipperary, but it's worth it.
In April this year we had the opportunity to take ourselves off for two nights in Tipperary. We stayed at the Cashel Palace, in Cashel, and had a great time. The following is our experience at this historic hotel, which reopened only last year after a significant restoration.
Modern Palladian style #
Cashel Palace is a Paladian manor originally built in 1732 for Archbishop Theophilus Bolton, designed by architect Edward Lovet Pearce.
It's a red-brick building that sits in a 25-acre plot, includes rooms in the main house, as well as newly constructed carriage-house rooms, and a modern spa, all set within manicured gardens leading up to the Rock of Cashel.
Inside you'll find beautifully-appointed drawing rooms decorated with comfortable chairs, warm fires, paintings and a welcoming atmosphere.
Location #
We drove from Dublin, and the trip took about 1 hour 40 minutes. It's been a while since I've driven this direction and the route was very straightforward and smooth. There was a 2-euro toll on the motorway.
On arrival in Cashel, we were surprised just how central the Palace's location was. Turning off Main Street into a set of gates we were suddenly there, looking at a beautifully-presented driveway leading up to the palladian house itself.
Cashel Palace is located between the town and the countryside, with the country quiet on one side and the bustle of Main Street on the other. We spent our visit getting around solely by walking, as we wanted to explore the town and the nearby walks, and we didn't need to drive anywhere. I'm sure there's a lot of great nearby locations a short drive away though too.
Rock of Cashel #
You won't feel like you've been hiking to go see the high king of Irish monuments - it's more like a 10 minute stroll. It's worth a visit, even just to walk up and see the outside. Admission is €8 per adult, €20 for a family and discounts for seniors and juniors.
Views #
When staying at the hotel the Rock is a constant companion whether sitting at breakfast overlooking the gardens or swimming in the SPA. Many of the rooms share the view, though we stayed in the carriage house rooms which are on the other side of the building.
Restoration #
In 2017 a significant restoration project saw it brought back to it's former glory, complete with a renovated Bangor Blue slate roof source from Wales, repaired brickwork on the front and limestone at the rear. Internally, careful work has kept much of the original materials in place while upgrading the heating and services to a modern standard. Stepping into the house is a welcoming and warm experience and it's clear there's been a lot of care and skill brought to retaining the original charm. Read more about the restoration work here.
The Palace has had an amazing history, and the latest chapter began when doors of the Palace were reopened in March, 2022.
Our experience #
We stayed for 2 nights, and visited both the Bishops Buttery restaurant, Mikey Ryan's next door, and took in Cashel on foot. This is our experience.
Arrival #
We arrived after a smooth drive from Dublin. I was surprised how central the location was within Cashel, as we turned off the main street into the long driveway and parking area.
It's a rare treat to have someone offer to park our car on arrival! But that's exactly what happened. We pulled up at the front door, passed the keys to a helpful staffer, and wandered in. After a quick check-in and introduction to the lovely manor rooms, we were shown to our room.
Carriage House #
We opted to stay in the newly built Carriage House rooms. Located a stone's throw from the main entrance, the Carriage House consists of a row of rooms overlooking the car parking area.
Inside, we were welcomed with champagne to a very attractive, simple room. It has all the basics you'd expect, a great bed, luxurious ensuite bathroom, drinks fridge, TV etc.
I'd imagine the rooms in the main house would be fancier and likely offer views over the amazing gardens, but the Carriage House rooms were perfectly pleasant, if a little sterile. One thing I really enjoyed though was the great pour over coffee maker.
One random thing I'd point out - there are electronic panels for the lights and phone that you need to wave your hand near to cause them to light up, before you can control the lights and heating. I appreciate they're a modern idea and well intentioned, but we found them a bit confusing a trouble to use. It's funny how modern technology can take 2 steps back for every step forward sometimes.
Regardless, the room was very pleasant and a great base from which to explore the facilities.
Spa #
After getting a bit lost in what seemed like a maze of loop-backs and hallways, we found the on-site SPA. And it was well worth the hike. It consists of a pool, which connects up with a small outdoor section, a sauna, steam room, jacuzzi, deck chairs and... experience showers.
If you've never had an experience shower, I can recommend you try. They take the form of a non-descript-seeming shower room, with a set of buttons from which you can choose your experience. These simulate being lost at sea, enduring a hot storm in a jungle, and more. A combination of hot and cold water is blasted onto you while scents and sounds play over speakers.
It's amazing, honestly! I could have spent all day in them. But we were getting hungry.
Food #
Cashel Palace makes great use of local suppliers for all the food and drink on site. While staying, we got to enjoy drinks from our room's fridge sourced from The Apple Farm, Tipperary, O'Donnell's crisps and even Borrisoleigh water in environmentally-friendly cartons.
Aside from the snacks though, Cashel Palace also has a rather amazing on-site restaurant and bar.
Bishop's Buttery #
On our first night we enjoyed a Michelin-level meal at the Buttery. The food and service were wonderful, and I even splashed out for a matching glass of wine with my main course, which was just perfect.
Guinness Bar #
Beside the Bishop's Buttery restaurant is a cosy bar that gets its name from the land agent, Richard Guinness, who would brew beer on the premises. It's a great place to relax with a drink after a meal.
Breakfast #
Each morning we swept into the sun-lit breakfast room, where silver-service glowed on each table and we were able to order a-la-carte breakfasts. Fantastic pasties, cereals, fry options and overall a relaxed, pleasant way to start the day.
Mikey Ryan's Bar and Kitchen #
Just next door is Mikey Ryan's. This was our second main meal visit. A decent place for bistro-style food, and my burger was very good.
Gardens #
The Cashel Palace gardens are beautifully manicured and feature some stunning old trees (with quite a few families of crows in residence!). The gardens themselves are overlooked by the Rock of Cashel, which is lit up nicely in the evenings.
Car parking and charging #
The Palace sits that the end of a welcoming driveway lined with spacious parking, and much to my delight, two electric car-charging stations. We paid a resonable amount (using an app downloaded by scanning a QR code on the charger). Tip: select the amount of kWh you need, otherwise it'll reserve a rather large amount on your card before resolving into the smaller payment.
Verdict #
We had a lovely time at the Cashel Palace and can recommend it to anyone looking for a luxurious, relaxing getaway. The town is small but well situated to access the cultural and historic sights, and the hotel has been beautifully restored.
