Charles retraces Queen’s footsteps with Rock of Cashel visit

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall toured the site as their Ireland visit came to an end.
Charles and Camilla sample some food during a visit to Cahir Farmers’ Market (Brian Lawless/PA)
PA Wire
Aine Fox25 March 2022

The Prince of Wales followed in the Queen’s footsteps as he visited one of Ireland’s best-known sites on the final day of his tour of the island.

Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall took a trip to the Rock of Cashel in Tipperary on Friday.

It followed a day seeing the sights of County Waterford, during which Charles paid tribute to Ireland as a “majestic land” and restated the couple’s hope that they might get to visit every county in their lifetimes.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh in the nave of the Cathedral at St Patrick’s Rock Cashel in 2011 (Bryan O’Brien/Maxwells/PA)
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Their visit to the Rock of Cashel comes just over a decade after the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh went to the site.

The Queen and Philip took in the popular tourist attraction, which is also known as St Patrick’s Rock and was once the seat and symbol of the overkings of Munster, during the historic state visit in 2011.

Charles and Camilla posed in front of the stone cathedral ruins before being given a short history of the site, enjoying a performance by Cashel Community School choir and signing the guest book.

The couple were welcomed by the sound of Welsh-Irish trumpets, similar to those used historically to celebrate the inauguration of kings in ceremonies dating back to the Bronze Age.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall wave as they leave Cahir Castle (Brian Lawless/PA)
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A short, specially-composed fanfare was played on the handmade instruments, reproduced using parts found in Anglesey in Wales and Roscrea in Tipperary.

Camilla wore a green pinafore dress and green crepe coat, in similar style to the Queen’s bright green outfit of 2011.

Earlier, the couple visited Cahir Farmers’ Market, meeting food producers and community groups from across the county.

Friday’s visit brings to a close Charles and Camilla’s two-day trip to the Irish Republic, which followed a two-day stint in Northern Ireland as part of a number of royal tours marking the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year.

The Prince of Wales meets people during a visit to Cahir Farmers’ Market (Brian Lawless/PA)
PA Wire

Choir director John Murray said it was “poignant” to have Charles visit the same site as the Queen.

Mr Murray said: “It’s rare that you get to sing for two royals, so it is great to get to do that, and the visit is a great thing for Cashel. It’s quite poignant that his mother was here.”

They sang traditional Irish blessing May The Road Rise To Meet You, which had also been performed for the Queen.

As he walked towards Bru Boru cultural centre, Charles met and shook hands with cheering schoolchildren who lined the route.

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