If you are planning on visiting the Rock of Cashel in Ireland, do not miss Hore Abbey! It is a gorgeous, uncrowded gem of a place to visit.
Make all the jokes you want about the name (we did!), but the word “Hore” is Gaelic for yew tree. Hore Abbey is an ancient monastery dating back from the 13th century.
Hore Abbey is located just down the hill from the Rock of Cashel in the County Tipperary. We only discovered it by making a wrong turn when trying to find the Rock of Cashel parking lot. Sometimes, mistakes and wrong turns work out for the best. It sure did in this case!
While Tim and Tyler captured video from the air by drone, Kara and I explored the Abbey by foot.
If you have kids, this is so much fun to visit!! Very few people, no boring tours, just the chance to explore ancient, castle-like ruins. Kara loved it here. And we all preferred Hore Abbey over the much more crowded Rock of Cashel (but that is worth a visit, also).
Check out our photos and videos…and see why Hore Abbey is worth visiting while you are in Ireland.
Hore Abbey Photo Tour
Hore Abbey Drone Video and Photos
The aerial photos and video were filmed by Tyler
Plan Your Visit
The Abbey is free to visit and is always open.
Getting Here: Hore Abbey is located next to the Rock of Cashel. Either walk the ten minutes downhill from the Rock of Cashel or park next to the Abbey on the small access road.
Allow about a half an hour for your visit.
If you have any questions about how to visit Hore Abbey, let us know in the comment section below.
More Information about Ireland
IRELAND ITINERARY: In 10 days, you can go on a road trip through Ireland and Northern Ireland, visiting the highlights. Get the full details in our 10 Day Ireland Itinerary.
SCENIC DRIVES IN IRELAND: The Dingle Peninsula and the Ring of Kerry are two of the most scenic drives in Ireland.
NORTHERN IRELAND: Northern Ireland was a big filming site for Game of Thrones, but there are some things to know before you go. The Giant’s Causeway is one of our favorite places in Ireland and worth the time to get here.
EUROPE TRAVEL INSPIRATION: Get more travel ideas in our article 10 Days in Europe itinerary, which has 10 itineraries for your next trip to Europe. If you have less time, we also have an article that lists 25 different ways to spend one week in Europe.
Planning a trip to Ireland? Read all of our articles in our Ireland Travel Guide.
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Comments 9
We will be bringing a group to Ireland next year. We had to cancel our trip this year, of course. Could you tell me how late can we explore Hore Abbey? Is it locked after dark? Thank you.
I don’t recall there being any gates at Hore Abbey that can be locked, so I would assume you can visit it 24 hours a day. According to Google, it is open 24 hours a day. Cheers, Julie
Thank you Julie. Safe travels
My wife and I and another couple from our church went to Ireland for a week and then Scotland for the next week about a month ago. We went to Rock of Cashel and discovered Hore Abbey. We loved both!!!!!
Cool spot, right? 🙂
Hi. Do you recommend renting a car and driving to the sites? Or doing a tour? Going with my family this summer and trying to make the most of our 6 days there.
We prefer renting a car and exploring on our own. Very rarely do we take tours. But this is our preference. If you feel comfortable getting out on your own, then skip the tour. Tours have the advantage of booking everything for you, making the planning and executing the trip much easier, but at the same time, I don’t think you get the same experience as if you were on your own. I think you should pick the option that makes you feel the most comfortable. But if you like the idea of getting out on your own, take a look at our Ireland Itinerary and pick the spots that look the most interesting to you. Cheers, Julie
We had a similar experience at Kell’s Priory west of Kilkenny. No one was there. The kids run and explored. My husband took pictures of the ruins and I photographed the misses growing on the walls. It is our favorite memory of a wonderful vacation!!
Sometimes the unexpected moments turn out to be the best moments. Thanks for sharing! – Julie