Category Archives: R. Doug Wicker

June 23, 2021 · 5:35 am

Ireland — Kilkenny Castle

Today I present to you the magnificent KilKenny Castle. This incredible residence was home to the Butler family from 1391 until 1935. Alas, that taxes did them in, and in 1967 Lord Ormonde relinquished the dilapidated remains of the estate to the State for the bargain basement price of £50. See: History of Kilkenny Castle.

Next week I’ll show you the interiors of this wonder, but today we’re concentrating on the exteriors:

The grounds you see above are east of the actual structure. Here’s a view of the estate gardens awaiting you on the west side of the castle:

Now let’s enjoy some of the exterior detail of this example of late 12th century Norman architecture:

Ireland — Kilkenny

About forty minutes after leaving Jerpoint Abbey we reached our next destination, Kilkenny. Kilkenny is a smallish town with about 27,000 residents, but it feels larger.

The downtown area, adjacent to the sprawling and impressive Kilkenny Castle (Wednesday’s article) has a bright, colorful charm all its own. Below is Saint Mary’s Roman Catholic Cathedral as seen from The Parade, a street that runs alongside Kilkenny Castle:

There is much to photograph here, and not only from ground level. Be sure to look up. You may recall from last week’s series on Jerpoint Abbey that the moon was visible in several photographs. Here’s that same moon phase as views from Kilkenny:

Ursula and I had a nice lunch at The Field Bar and Restaurant, then took off to take in the sights before we were due to regroup back at the castle. Clicking the link above will take you to Google Maps, where you can find reviews on this charming place. If you’re wondering why I’m sending you to reviews in this manner, it’s because I no longer deal with the abysmal TripAdvisor and their ridiculous policy of protecting bad businesses (see explanation at TripAdvisor is NOT your friend).