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Kilkenny City is a lively, busy town full of shops, cafés and
pubs, with a fantastic nightlife. It was also Ireland’s medieval
capital. Known as the Marble City it is full of historic buildings.
Kilkenny Castle has been fully restored and dominates the town.
Built as a 12th century castle it was rebuilt in Victorian times
into a stately home and now houses the Butler Art Gallery.
Rothe House and Canices Cathedral are just a couple of the cities
old buildings, buildings that give the town a very special
atmosphere. Out of town history is still abundant with
monuments like Jerpoint Abbey and Kells Priory welcoming to
visitors. The countryside is pretty with many small farms and
picturesque villages located in the gentle countryside. At the Nore
Valley Park an open farm allows an insight into the rural community.
Some of Ireland’s fi nest studio workshops are clustered in the
scenic valley of the
River Nore near the small village of Bennettsbridge. There are
hills, but only fairly gentle ones, with the Sieveardagh Hills to
the west, the Booley Hills to the south and Brandon Hill overlooking
the Barrow Valley to the east. They do, however, allow for splendid
walks, especially on the South
Leinster Way long distance footpath.
All-in-all a county that will reward a visit, and I haven’t even
mentioned the good food or restaurants, nor its very friendly and
welcoming inhabitants.
Worth a look...
Dunmore Cave
History and geology blend at Dunmore Cave, a
series of chambers formed over millions of years.
Jerpoint Abbey
Said to be the fi nest Cistercian abbey ruins in
Ireland, its chief delight is the sculptured cloister
arcade with unique carvings.
Kilkenny Castle
A 12th century castle remodelled in Victorian times and set in
extensive parklands. A suite of former servants’ rooms is now the
Butler Art Gallery.
Did You Know
Both Jonathan Swift and William Congreve were contemporaries at Kilkenny Grammar School. The former wrote
Guilliver's Travels, the latter, a Yorkshire by bith, was noted for his poetry.
Dunmore Cave, an awesome sight for anyone's money, contains the finest calcite formations in Irealnd and is in the care of the heriatage service, Duchas. There was a massacre in the cave by Vikings in 928.
Terence Rattigan's play The Winslow Boy - about a naval cadet who is alleged to have stolen a postal order - was based on the true story of George Archer-Shee. Both the Archers and the Shee's were long established Kilkenny families.
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