The city of Kilkenny has much to offer, beside of a castle and a cathedral, there is an interesting merchant house we could visit, an arts centre, an old pub and many shops. There is even a parking for campers close to the centre, which made it even easier to explore Kilkenny.
Strongbow (Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke), built the castle in the 12th century, controlling a fording-point of the River Nore and the junction of several routeways. It was a symbol of Norman occupation, and in its original 13th-century condition, it would have formed an important element of the town’s defences with four large circular corner towers and a massive ditch.
James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormond, bought Kilkenny Castle in 1391. The Butler dynasty then ruled the surrounding area for almost 600 years.
In 1661, Butler remodelled the castle as a “modern” château, but by the 18th century, the castle had become run down, reflecting the failing fortunes of the Butler family. However, some restoration was carried out by Anne Wandesford of Castlecomer, who brought wealth back into the family upon marrying John Butler, 17th Earl of Ormonde. In the 19th century, the Butlers then attempted to restore it to its original medieval appearance.
The fireplace is made of Carrara marble
George Butler, Earl of Ossory and his family remained living in the castle until 1935, when they sold its contents for £6,000, moved to London, and abandoned it for thirty years.
(later it became a billiard room)
In 1967, Arthur Butler, 6th Marquess and 24th Earl of Ormonde sold the abandoned and deteriorating castle to the Castle Restoration Committee for a ceremonial £50, with the statement: “The people of Kilkenny, as well as myself and my family, feel a great pride in the Castle, and we have not liked to see this deterioration. We determined that it should not be allowed to fall into ruins. There are already too many ruins in Ireland.”
Rothe House is a late 16th-century merchant’s townhouse, built by John Rothe Fitz-Piers between 1594 and 1610. It consists of three houses, three enclosed courtyards, and a large garden with an orchard in the back. It is a good example of a house owned by Kilkenny’s merchant class.
the founder of the Kilkenny Fox Hunting Club in 1797
The present building dates from the 13th century and is the second-longest cathedral in Ireland, after St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin. Beside the cathedral stands a 30 m round tower from the 9th-century.
Kilkenny is nicknamed “the Marble City”, for the black marble, a very dark grey limestone, found around Kilkenny. The tombs in the cathedral are carved from Kilkenny marble, but it was also used for the flagstones of the pavements of Kilkenny.
We spent 2 days in Kilkenny and went to the famous Kyteler’s Pub, which was full of tourists but still a very nice pub with good food.
We wanted to see one more sight we had left out during our circle around Ireland – the Rock of Cashel – more soon!