Ireland 1 - Kilkenny
We've been talking about traveling to Ireland for years. Finally we landed on the island this June. We picked up a rental car at Dublin Airport and drove to Kilkenny, a city located in the south-east of Ireland, situated in the province of Leinster, about 1.5 hour drive south from Dublin. Kilkenny is known for its extensive medieval history and well-preserved architecture, which sounded interesting for us.
We took an early morning flight from Frankfurt and missed breakfast. First thing we wanted to do in Kilkenny was to eat something. It was already around noon. Our breakfast became a brunch. We tried a modern Irish and European restaurant called Petronella, which is housed in a charming building which dates to 1602. It was the house of the first mayor of Kilkenny, Nicholas Langton and his wife, plus 25 children. The ceiling wooden beams and stone walls are parts of many original features of the historic building.
Beer first for J! We both had a sandwich and soup combo. Mine was with roasted chicken and J's with roasted pork. The soup of the day was creamy vegetable. Tasty!
The restaurant was named after a girl associated with a historic tragedy, which I learned from a plaque on the wall of the building after the lovely lunch...
The atmosphere of the town was just like that of England. Actually we found some shops that we have often seen while we lived in England.
We walked around the city and visited some churches. St Canice's Cathedral was a 13th-century Catholic cathedral with a 9th-century round tower.
Near the cathedral was St. Canice's Church, built in the early 19th century.
Crossing the Abbey Bridge...
This was the Black Abbey, 14th-century Dominican church and priory.
There was another cathedral in the town. St. Mary's Cathedral was built in the mid 19th century in Gothic Revival-style. A wedding ceremony was going on at that time.
The ice cream break was followed by self-guided tour of the Kilkenny Castle, a significant historical landmark of the town. Built in the 12th century, the castle was originally a Norman fortress, made of wood. The first stone version was built for William Marshal, the 4th Earl of Pembroke, as a symbol of Norman control, starting around 1195 and completed by 1213. Three of its original four stone towers still remain. In 1391, James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormond, purchased the castle and the Butler family resided there until 1935, for almost 600 years. You can explore period rooms on the ground floors, first and second floors as well as the massive 19th century Picture Gallery in the East wing.
- The Chinese Withdrawing Room
- The Entrance Hall
The fine set of Irish elk antlers over the fireplace was dug from a Leitrim bog in the 19th century.
According to the castle, the Irish elk is "an extinct species of prehistoric deer which lived during the Ice Age about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago. It is one of the largest deer that ever lived."
- The Tapestry Room
- The Library and Drawing Room
A garden view from there
- The Chinese Bedroom
- The Picture Gallery
It's the second longest room in Ireland. Naturally I wonder where the longest is...
Some people on the bridge were jumping into the river. It was a hot summer day indeed.
To be continued...
