A rock in Tipperary, Ireland, which rises dramatically 358 feet (109 m) above the surrounding plain. On the summit of this limestone outcrop is a group of ruins, including the remains of the town's defenses, St. Patrick's Cathedral, the bishop's castle, and an ancient cross. The rock was the stronghold of the kings of Munster from the 4th century. St. Patrick consecrated Cashel as a bishopric c 450. In 1101 the rock was given to the church by King Murtagh O'Brien.