Days 212-213, 10-11 Jan '15, Butler Trail (Saturday) & Packing (sigh... Sunday). Oh what a day. Whoever said "It's a Long Way, to Tipperary, It's a Long Way, to go..." was not kidding. We have been building up to this extravaganza of a day with all our shorter trips. On Saturday we continued on the trail of the almighty Butler clan and their castles and holiday houses. All the way from Caim, via New Ross and Waterford to Carrick-on-Suir (Ormond Castle - shut for repairs), to Clonmel (into a coffee shop for sausage rolls and delicious pasties), forward to picture-postcard Cahir and its castle (apparently pronounced "Keer" just to fool tourists - stunning castle - interior closed for repairs) and a visit to the Butler's glorious holiday house, the "Swiss Cottage". Thankfully open - but only because they needed somewhere to plonk the staff who should have been working at the castle. Just when we thought we couldn't go on, we forced ourselves even further to the penultimate destination of Cashel Town in County Tipperary for a visit to the ancient place of Christian worship, The Rock of Cashel. Last but by no means least we eventually made it to the walled town of Fethard - just as the sun was setting over the ancient stone walls - started in 1292 and incredibly almost complete. Only one of the original five gates is intact and so we made that our final look-see. We couldn't have timed it better as the sun setting behind the walls was like stepping back in time - that's what it's looked like every night for almost 800 years (pictured). We had considered going cross-country and taking a wending way home, but night had dropped like a blanket by the time we left Fethard and discretion was most definitely the better part of valour, so we headed back to Clonmel and home via the tried and and true route. A huge, massive, stunning and absolutely bloody freezing day out. Thanks be it was sunny. Our menagerie was beyond happy to see us and we let them in for a couple of hours of warmth and love and cuddles before putting them all to bed for the night. And we hit the blanket show ourselves in very short order - with extra quilts on all the beds - frrreeezing!