Overview
General admission to Brú Ború costs nothing – you pay only for the evening show or the underground exhibition. It is the Munster home of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, the movement that has spent decades keeping Irish traditional music, song, dance and language in working order, and one of seven regional Comhaltas centres in the country. It opened in 1991 at the foot of the medieval Rock of Cashel; the Irish name means roughly ‘the dwelling of the noble’. This is a working hub rather than a museum, so what’s on depends on the day.
If you have an hour and no ticket to a show, spend it below ground in the Sounds of History exhibition. If you have an evening, take the show.
The summer shows
The 230-seat theatre is the centre’s core. Live trad – instruments, singing and dance – runs on summer evenings across July and August. Be warned that the listings don’t agree with each other: some give shows Tuesday to Saturday, others only Wednesday and Thursday, and the start time is variously 8.30pm or 9pm. Check the current schedule before you build an evening around it. Tickets are €20 for adults and €10 for children, and there are dinner-and-show packages if you want to eat in the restaurant first. Outside summer the theatre also hosts céilí nights, workshops and the odd touring act.
Sounds of History
Seven metres underground, Sounds of History – Glór na gCianta is a self-guided walk through Irish song, music and dance told with visual displays and audio. It takes 45 to 60 minutes, and along the way you meet St Patrick, Brian Ború, Queen Gormlaith and the tree of life that climbs back up to daylight. Entry is €5 for adults, €4 for students and seniors, €3 for children. It opens for the summer season and runs to the end of September; group tours of the underground can be arranged by email in advance.
South Tipperary genealogy suite
If you’re tracing family roots in the region, the genealogy suite has been running since 1991 under researcher Deirdre Walsh. It gives access to civil records, parish registers, Tithe Applotment Books and the 1901 and 1911 censuses. It works on a first-come basis, but booking a research appointment ahead is worth it in the busy summer months.
Music rooms, café and bar
The Teach Ceoil is used for set dancing, music sessions and classes, mostly on summer show nights. Café na Rí opens seasonally over the summer for hot and cold drinks and snacks, and the restaurant and bar handle sit-down meals and post-show pints – pre-book a restaurant table if you’re eating before an evening performance.
Getting there and parking
The centre sits on Rock Lane, directly below the Rock of Cashel, a short walk from the Rock’s own visitor car park and Cashel town centre. One thing worth knowing: the car park here is council-run with a barrier, not free. You get 20 minutes free, then it’s €4.50 – but exit is free between 6pm and 8am, so parking for an evening show costs nothing. Wheelchair access is via the side entrance on Rock Lane, which has disabled vehicle access; there are two flights of steps up from the main car park, so use the side entrance if steps are a problem. The centre is on +353 62 61122 or info@bruboru.ie.
Nearby Attractions
A short climb from the centre brings you to the Rock of Cashel and the carved Romanesque Cormac’s Chapel – the reason most people are in Cashel in the first place. Time your visit for an evening show and you get the trad and the free after-6pm parking in one trip.