WALKING KILKENNY

by Corey Taratuta

a self-guided walking tour

D R A F Tfor tour testing

AcknowledgmentsA special thanks to Liam Hughes and John Anthony Keegan

The following sources were used for reference:

Discover Kilkenny by JohnBradley (O’Brien Press, Ltd);

Frommer’s Ireland From $60 a Day by Mark Meagher(Wiley Publishing, Inc)

Kilkenny: A Touring Guide byBrian Fox and Pat Nolan (SouthEast Tourism and KilkennyTourism)

Lonely Planet Ireland by TomDowns, Fionn Davenport, DesHannigan, Etain O’Carroll andNeil Wilson (Lonely Planet)

Illustrated Guide to Irelandedited by Sandy Sheperd (The Reader’s Digest AssociationLimited)

www.irish-architecture.com

© 2005 Corey Taratutayesiree100@hotmail.com • www.knockahopple.com

1409 N. Prospect Avenue #302, Milwaukee, WI 53202

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WALKING KILKENNY MAP

Main Tour Route

Detours & Secondary Routes

Tour Stops

Restaurant or Pub (see page 21)

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WELCOME TO KILKENNY

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ABOVEThe round tower at

St. Canice’s Cathedral(Stop 14) is the oldest

building in Kilkenny

RIGHTJames Hoban, born

near Kilkenny in Callan,designed the White Housein Washington D.C. based

on Dublin’s Leinster House

Wear comfortablewalking shoes.

Dress for the weather.In Ireland it is oftenbetter to wear a water-proof hooded jacketthan to operate anumbrella.

The streets and side-walks of Kilkenny canbe very busy. The besttimes for a walkingtour are in the morningand the late afternoon.

Ask for directions.Every effort has beenmade to provide easy-to-use maps andinstructions, but themedieval web ofstreets can be disori-enting.

Kilkenny is considereda very safe town forvisitors. However, it isimportant to remainaware of your sur-roundings.

Read the tour prior toyour walk to familiarizeyourself with the sitesand stories you areabout to experience.

TIPS

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ou are about to experienceKilkenny, one of Ireland’s premiermedieval cities and one of the coun-try’s most enchanting inland towns.It once rivaled Dublin in importanceand has played a continuous role inIreland’s history. Today it is abustling market town that fosters athriving arts community.

This walking tour is designed totake you to each of the major attrac-tions and also off the tourist path tomany of the more hidden finds. Youwill learn much of Kilkenny’s histo-ry and stories and discover why ithas been called the Marble City, thetown of the Fighting Cats and theArtistic Heart of Ireland.

Expect the tour route to take aminimum of one hour to walk. Addin visits to Kilkenny’s many attrac-tions such as the castle, cathedralsand brewery and you could extendthe tour to last an entire day ormore.

Several detours have beenincluded along the way. Thesediversions will take you off themain track and allow you to exploreeven more of Kilkenny.

The tour begins at the KilkennyDesign Centre and ends at the near-by Butler House.

Kilkenny’s crest is displayedon the Thostle (Stop 6)

Kilkenny circa 1698

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THE BUTLER LEGACY

In 1177 Theobald FitzWalter wasinstalled as Chief Butler of Ireland andgiven the title of Prisage of Wine by KingHenry II. Such a privilege allowedFitzWalter to claim roughly 15 percent ofall wine in Ireland.

Not surprisingly, the control of alcoholmade the family extremely wealthy. In1328, the Butlers were made Earls ofOrmond and in 1391 John Butler pur-chased the castle in Kilkenny and a sig-nificant portion of the county.

In a time when the Anglo-Normansand the Gaelic Irish were severely segre-gated, John Butler was very effective inmanaging his Irish tenants. He spoke flu-ent Irish and worked to eliminate theStatute of Kilkenny, which forbadeAnglo-Irish marriage.

In 1811 the crown bought back theright to the Prisage of Wine for about£250 million in today’s economy ($475million). That money was used to exten-sively remodel the castle from its Frenchchâteau appearance to its current Baronialfacade.

The 17th century saw many of theButlers emigrate to Europe and America,while others served in Continental armiesand were ennobled for their services.Variations of the Butler name are evidentin Spain, Sweden, France (Boutler or deButler), Austria and Germany (Buttlar)and Russia (Butleroff).

Through the years, the decline in rentrevenue, the Irish battle for independenceand the exorbitant costs to maintain thecastle made Kilkenny a less desirablelocation for the Butler family. In 1935 thecontents of the castle were auctioned off,and in 1967 the castle was given to thepeople of Kilkenny.

Kilkenny Castletoday with its

Baronial facade

Butler Castle circa1600 with its French

château facade

The Butler family crestincludes six goblets repre-

senting the family’sPrisage of Wine title

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1 The Kilkenny DesignCentre is housed in thecastle’s former stables.The stables, constructedin about 1780, feature asemicircular courtyard andcurved stable block. In1965 the stables wereconverted into theKilkenny DesignWorkshops. Created topromote quality Irish craftand design, the Centrehas established Kilkennyas the creative heart ofIreland.

The Design Centre is apopular shopping destina-tion for Irish crafts. A caféwithin the Design Centreserves tea, scones andlight lunches. From thesecond courtyard visitorscan gain access to thesplendid gardens of theButler House (see Stop25). Directly across thestreet is the castle.

3 The Parade wasoriginally a row of build-ings that formed the eastside of Castle Street.They were demolishedby the first duke ofOrmond in the early 17thcentury to create an areain front of the castle formilitary parades andassemblies.

The Parade nowserves as a central loca-tion for tours, public toi-lets and the occasionalstreet artist. Walk downthe Parade to Rose InnStreet. Across the streetyou will see the greystone front of the SheeAlms House (TouristInformation Centre). Forsafety, cross Rose InnStreet at the intersection.

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2 Kilkenny Castlebegan as a wooden towererected in 1172 byRichard de Clare, betterknown as Strongbow. Hisson-in-law, WilliamMarshall, later built thestone castle with fourlarge drum towers. In1391 the Butler familybought the castle andcontinued to live thereuntil 1935.

Cromwell’s siege from1650-1659 severely dam-aged the south wing, andone tower was lost. In1967 the Butlers handedthe castle to the city for amere £50.

The castle interior hasbeen refurbished to itsVictorian splendor, andguided tours offer aglimpse of rooms such asthe magnificent LongGallery.

MEDIEVAL HIGH SOCIETY

From 1277 until 1425, Kilkenny was apopular site for the English-ruled meet-ings of parliament and king’s council. In1366 one of the most famous of thesemeetings was held. It came to be identi-fied with the Statute of Kilkenny whichhad been passed at the meeting. Thestatute forbade any English settler toadopt an Irish name, wear Irish apparel oruse the Irish language. Those of Irishblood were forbidden to live within thewalls of any fortified town, and any set-tler marrying an Irish person was commit-ting high treason.

As a result, Kilkenny was divided intothree areas. Hightown included every-thing protected within the town’s walls; itwas located on the highest ground andincluded the castle and significant com-mercial and government buildings.Irishtown extended northwest from thecity. This was where a majority of thetown’s citizens lived. Across the river tothe east was St. John’s, named after thepriory that was built there. This area wasthe last area to be settled.

4 Shee Alms HouseShee Alms House wasestablished in 1582 tohouse six “honest, poor,unmarried men” on theupper story and six wid-ows of fifty years of ageor older on the lowerstory. Contact betweenmen and women was for-bidden except duringtheir two hours of prayer.Grounds for immediateexpulsion included mar-riage, missing weeklyDivine Service or convic-tion for an offense suchas fornication, adultery ordrunkenness. Restoredin 1986, the Tudor build-ing houses the TouristOffice. Note the crestsdisplayed above the frontand back doors. Take theinterior or exterior stairsto reach the back door.

THE MARBLE CITYMarble quarried outside Kilkenny is noted for its black colorand random splotches and rings of white that resemble dropsof paint. A look around the city will reveal the marble’sappearance on numerous buildings, door frames and windowjambs. Even the streets were paved with marble until the1930s, which earned Kilkenny the title of Marble City. A localblack limestone is also common and was the primary stoneused for the old city walls and many buildings. However, thesofter limestone lacks the notable white markings.

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5 St. Mary’s Churchlies up the narrow lanebehind the Alms House.The 12th century churchserved as Hightown’smedieval parish church,and reverence to the sitewas evident in an ordi-nance passed in 1337,which rewarded anyonewho killed pigs found for-aging within the church-yard. The church closedin 1957; however, thekey is available at theTourist Office for visitorswith a special interest inheraldry. Continue up thelaneway to High Streetand turn right.

6 The Thostel gets itsname from two oldEnglish words “toll”meaning tax and “sael”meaning hall. In additionto being a custom house,the Thostel served as aguildhall and courthouse.Built in 1761 by aldermanWilliam Colles, a familyassociated withKilkenny’s distinctiveblack marble quarries,the Thostle is construct-ed of Kilkenny marbleand the town’s coat ofarms is displayed on thesouth wall of the building.Walk through the archedarcade where fresh dairyproducts were sold rightinto the 20th century.Continue down HighStreet until you reach anarch that reveals a nar-row lane.

7 The Butter Slip, tra-ditionally used by womento sell butter, served as apassage from High Streetto a boat slip on theRiver Nore. Walk downthe Butter Slip. Many ofthe buildings still havetheir original stone win-dow jambs and door-ways. At the end of theslip, you will reach KieranStreet. This street waspreviously called LowLane to differentiate itfrom High Street. Whenyou reach Kieran Street,turn left.

Parliament Streetin Irishtown

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THE WITCH OF KILKENNY

One of Kilkenny’s most notoriouscharacters was Dame Alice Kyteler (pro-nounced Kit-ler). The attractive and well-connected moneylender born in 1284 hadsurvived at least three wealthy husbands;each dying under suspicious circum-stances. When her fourth husband suf-fered from a mysterious illness in 1324,his children from a previous marriagesuspected foul play and appealed to theBishop to try her for heresy.

Despite being dismissed by town offi-cials, most of whom were friends or rela-tives of Alice, Bishop Ledrede persisted.Alice used her influence to have himimprisoned in Kilkenny Castle for a spell.Finally, Alice and five others were triedfor sorcery, consorting with demons,making potions and having intercoursewith the devil.

Alice was found guilty and sentencedto be burned at the stake. She escapedand fled to Scotland, but her maidPetronilla, one of her accused accom-plices, was burned in her place.

The case presented the first time witch-craft and heresy were linked and the firsttime heretics were presented as an organ-ized group and thus, set off the witchcraftcraze in Northern Europe. Modern medi-cine suggests the symptoms of her dyinghusband, an emaciated body, devoid ofbody hair, match those of arsenic poison-ing.

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Driven mad by the six,beatings she received to,

extract her confession,Petronilla of Meath did not,recant her heresy charges,and was paraded through,

the streets of Kilkenny and,burned at the stake on,

November 2, 1324,

8 Kyteler’s Inn is mostcommonly associatedwith Dame Alice Kyteler,the witch of Kilkenny. Inits day, the word “inn”described a residenceand it was unlikely thatDame Kyteler used it tolodge guests. It is now apopular pub and a visit tothe basement restaurantreveals a vaulted stoneceiling. Some windowson the north side havebeen blocked in; in anera when a tax waslevied on windows, manyangry homeowners optedto close up windowsrather than pay the tax,hence, the term “daylightrobbery.” Continue upKieran Street toParliament Street.

9 Parliament Street isthe site where HighStreet meets KieranStreet. Notice the modernsculpture of SaintCainneach (Canice). Theartwork featured fourstreams of water for ashort time, but the foun-tain was turned off afterdebris continuouslyclogged the drain.Continue up ParliamentStreet until you reach thegates of Grace’s Castle.

10 Grace’s Castle wasbuilt in 1210 for theGrace family. In 1566, thefortified home was givento the county for use as ajail until 1779 when it wasrebuilt as a courthouseand the current facadewas constructed. Nowlook directly across thestreet at the large stonebuilding.

11 Rothe House, builtin 1594, is a fine exampleof a wealthy Tudor mer-chant’s home. In the mid-17th century the homeand the Rothe familyplayed an important rolein the Confederation ofKilkenny, established torestore the rites of theCatholic Church. The fam-ily lived here until evictedby Cromwellian orders in1653. The family regainedthe property in 1660 onlyto lose it again after theBattle of the Boyne in1690. The home has beenrestored and houses theKilkenny ArchaeologicalSociety and their collec-tion of historic artifacts.The society offers toursand a gift shop with a vari-ety of books and litera-ture. Continue downParliament Street.

Grace’s Castle

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THE HOLY SITES

Is it Catholic or Protestant?The history of Christianity in Ireland is

long and turbulent. Missionaries such asSaint Patrick brought Christianity toCeltic Ireland in the 5th century.

In the 12th century, Catholic Anglo-Norman nobles took control of Irelandmaking it subject to English rule. By thistime Ireland had become known as the“Land of Saints” and numerous monaster-ies were already formed.

In the 16th century, England’s HenryVIII broke from the Catholic Church anddemanded all his subjects convert to theProtestant Church. Thus began centuriesof fighting with the Irish. England pre-vailed and introduced severe laws thatreduced the rights of Catholics.

The enforcement of these laws variedbetween communities, but that changedwhen Oliver Cromwell arrived in 1649.Cromwell traveled the country closing,destroying and/or converting all Catholicchurches by any means necessary. Allmonasteries were closed, and their con-tents seized.

In the 1790s, Catholics regained therights to own land, vote, marryProtestants and practice law. Although 90percent of the population was Catholic,the Protestant gentry maintained all posi-tions of power. As a result, Catholics didnot reclaim their churches, but built newones instead. As a result, most ProtestantChurches one visits in Ireland today wereonce Catholic.

12 Saint FrancisAbbey Brewery nowhouses the SmithwickBrewery (pronouncedSmit-icks). The arch andalley named “The Ring,”which leads to both thefriary and the brewery, isoften called “Heaven’sGate.” Established in1710, the brewery is nowowned by Guiness andbrews Smithwick’s,Kilkenny and Budweiserbeers. The monks of theSaint Francis Abbey arereported to have beenexpert brewers all theway back to the 13thcentury. A video presen-tation in the atmosphericbasement offers freesamples every afternoonin the summer months.Continue downParliament Street to thestoplight.

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13 Saint Francis Abbeyis visible to your rightwhen you reach the stop-light. Founded in 1232, itwas desecrated byCromwell in 1650. Theabbey is located withinthe brewery complex, andit is recommended thatthose desiring a closerlook should make priorarrangements with thebrewery. After the inter-section, you will cross awide, inconspicuousbridge. This was the bor-der between Hightownand Irishtown. Walk to theend of Parliament Street,cross Dean Street andtake the steps to SaintCanice’s Cathedral. At thechurch gate you maychoose to take a detourto visit the Bishop’sPalace.

14 Saint Canice’sCathedral was built inthe 13th century on thesite of a 6th centurymonastery founded bySaint Canice. WilliamOutlawe, son of theKilkenny Witch, financeda new lead roof for thebell tower to avoid sen-tencing in his heresy trial.It collapsed shortly afterin 1332, and in 1650Cromwell’s troops used itas a stable. The roundtower, built in 1100, isKilkenny’s oldest building,and visitors are allowedto climb to the top. Theclimb is not for the weakor claustrophobic. Fromhere follow the roadback to Dean St. Youmay detour to Kenny’sWell or cross Dean St.and take narrow road toAbbey St.

The Bishop’s Palacewas built as theEpiscopal palace dur-ing the 1350s andremodeled in its currentGeorgian design in1736. The building andits gates are currentlybeing remodeled toaccommodate thenational headquartersof the Heritage Council.Adds 5 minutesroundtrip

Smithwick’s is brewed at Kilkenny’sSaint Francis Abbey Brewery

DETOUR

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THE GUARDIANS OF THE CITYFor several years, Marty the

Dominicat has guarded the courtyard ofthe Black Abbey. The friendly black andwhite tabby not only resembles a robedDominican friar, but he is also namedafter Dominican St. Martin DePorres.People working in and near the abbeykeep Marty fed. In return, he greetsabbey visitors with a nudge and a purr.

Although his favorite spot is right out-side the front door, Marty often patrolsthe stone coffins on display in the court-yard. The coffins were discovered amongthe ruins while the abbey was being reno-vated. It is believed that these coffinsbelonged to wealthy Norman settlers whofelt that like stone homes, stone tombswere considered signs of distinction.

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Marty the Dominicatwatches over the

Black Abbey

16 Old City Walls andBlack Freren Gate pro-vide a glimpse of thecity’s old fortifications.About 1,450 meters ofwall enclosed the seventyacres of land known asHightown. The walls werebuilt of local limestone.Black Freren Gate (BlackFriars’ Gate) is the onlysurviving gate to the city.It was a minor entranceto Hightown and allowedthe friars, who had theirown keys to the city, tocome and go as theypleased. The metalbeams on the gate wererecently added for preser-vation. Continue upAbbey Street and followthe path the monks wouldhave used. Turn right onParliament Street, andturn right again on NewBuilding Lane.

17 New Building Lane<waiting for additionalinformation>

Follow New BuildingLane. It will merge withAbbey Street at theBlack Abbey. Turn lefton Black Mill Street.

15 The Black Abbeywas built outside the citywalls in 1225 and got itsname from the blackhabits worn by theDominican monks. In1543, after the dissolvingof all monasteries, it wasconverted into a court-house. After 1650, it wasleft a ruin until beingrestored in 1866. Theabbey contains contempo-rary and 14th century win-dows and its “L” shapefloor plan results from newstructures built over thenorth transept while theabbey was in ruin. Walkup Abbey Street to thearched entrance; noticethe remnants of themedieval walls.

Kenny’s Well, associated with Saint Kieran orKenny, offers a pleasant walk through Irishtown.From St. Canice’s, follow Coach Road down thehill, cross Dean Street, turn right on Dean Streetand take note of the homes with fine Georgiandoors on your left. Stroll through the small patchof green space located near the roundaboutbefore crossing Dominic Street. Kenny’s Well islocated just beyond The Well Food Market onKenny’s Well Road. The well once suppliedwater for the Black Abbey. The cell built aroundit is believed to date to the 8th century.

Adds 15 minutes

DETOUR

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Stone coffins outside The Black Abbey

20 Capuchin Friarywas built in 1847. An off-shoot of the FranciscanFriars Minor, Capuchin isshort for the Italian wordscappuccini or hermits.The Capuchins arrived inIreland in 1615 andemphasize a modestlifestyle and focus muchof their efforts on beingconfessors and confi-dants for people in theirtime of need. For thisreason, there is a bellinside the front door ofthe church. Ring it, and afriar will dutifully takeyour confession.

21 IRA Plaque placedon the corner of thebuilding next to the friarycommemorates two IRAsoldiers who were killed1921 <waiting on addi-tional information>

Follow Friary Streetuntil it joins Parnell andNew Streets. Turn left onNew Street. If you arelooking to end your tourearly, this would be agood point to stop andreturn to the KilkennyDesign Center or HighStreet.

19 Saint Mary’sCatholic Cathedral,located at the top of thehill, stands as the talleststructure in Kilkenny.From Blackmill Road youwill be passing behind thecathedral. Notice theentrances to the cryptsbelow (one crypt has aparticularly interestingskull and cross bones).Built between 1843 and1857 amidst the GreatFamine, the design isbased on the EnglishGothic cathedral ofGloucester, but due toeconomic constraints, it isbelieved the nave wasshortened.

St. Mary’s houses anumber of notable stat-ues, mosaics and therelics of Saints Clement,Cosmos and Damien.However, the mostunusual is the wax-encased relics of SaintVeronica on display undera side altar. The SacredHeart Altar, statue andaltar rails are credited tothe Marble Works ofJames Pearse, father ofPadraig Pearse, a leaderof the1916 Rebellion.

Enter the church fromJames St. To continue,follow James St. to HighSt. and turn right. Turnright again at Friary St.

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The wax-encased relics ofSt. Victoria displayed in St.Mary’s Catholic Cathedral

Photo ofSt. Victoria’s

Relics

FIGHTING CATS OF KILKENNY

18 James StephensHome, located at #38Blackmill Street, housedone of Ireland’s early cru-saders for independence.Stephens, 1825-1901,was born and educatedin Kilkenny and helpedcreate a secret organiza-tion called the IrishRepublican Brotherhoodand its U.S. counterpart,the Fenian Brotherhood.They recruited andtrained soldiers to fightfor Ireland’s independ-ence. Stephens wasarrested for conspiracybut escaped on a shipbound for France bydressing as a lady’smaid. The U.S. Civil Warinterrupted the groups’flow of U.S. backedfinancing, but independ-ence was eventually wonin 1921.

SAINTS VICTORIA & ANATOLIAArranged for marriage to noble Roman pagans, sisters

Victoria and Anatolia refused to marry and devoted their lives toGod. Their angry suitors had them tortured in hopes of breakingtheir faith. Refusing to worship idols, the sisters were executed.Their guard, so moved by their example, converted before hetoo was executed. Legend states Victoria’s executioner wasimmediately struck with leprosy and died six days later, eatenby worms. The story is suspected to be pious myth.

St. Victoria’s wax-encased bones and a chalice of her bloodwere a gift from the Pope in 1845 in honor of the consecrationof St. Mary’s Cathedral where the relics are now housed.

The source of the popular expression“fighting like Kilkenny cats” is unknown,but many theories exist on its origins. Theproceedings of the meetings of Parliamentand the frequent squabbles betweenHightown and Irishtown have both beengiven credit. However, the most likely his-tory stems from a sport common with thesoldiers stationed here during a rebellion in1798. Two cats were tied together at theirtails and thrown across a line and left tofight their way free.

Commanders quickly banned the sport,but soon after, an officer on patrol heard acatfight and sought to confront the perpetra-tors. An offending soldier heard hisapproach and cut the cats free with a swingof his sword. When the officer arrived at thescene, only two bloody tails were left dan-gling from the line. The misguided officerbelieved the cats had fought until only theirtails remained and hence the famous rhymewas born:

There once were two cats in Kilkenny,Each thought there was one cat too many,So they fought and they hit, They scratched and they bit,Till excepting their nails,And the tops of their tails,Instead of two catsThere weren’t any.

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THE FLYING GREY MARE

The Kilkenny Hunt Club was well knownfor boisterous evenings. Simon Morris, whowas manager of the Hotel in the 1860s,recalls a particular night:

“A celebrated grey mare was the subjectof discussion. A bet of £50 made by Mr.Courtenay, the owner of the mare dared thathe would ride up the two flights of stairs,into the club room and jump over the screen.

Mr. Courtenay went to the stables anddemanded the animal. He started on his per-ilous escapade, then up one flight of stairs,turned the landing and faced the secondflight.

Not faltering, a slip of the iron hoofs onthe brass protectors of the stairs causedevery eye to strain, every heart to beat wild-ly.

The door was reached and the wholeassembly at the banquet, with gaping eyes,beheld their equine guest. All the voices inthe room were raised to stop the foolhardyventure. The leap was placed so he couldjump it from the door, towards the front win-dows. Only now the imminent dangerbecame apparent. Would the animal firstclear the screen, then rush through the win-dow and on to the street sixty feet below?

Servants shrieked; the mare’s own groomoffered his last entreaty to stop his master.All to no purpose. The course was clear -AWAY! And the house reverberated from theshock. The mare well jumped it, but thestake was not won. She touched the screen inpassing.

Again the screen was arranged. This timethe position changed so to avoid the possibil-ity of the animal bounding on to the street.The signal was given, and, with a noblejump, the grey mare cleared the screen,greeted with the shouts of an alarmed andamazed audience.”

Adapted from Hotels of Ireland by Frank Corr

St. Kieran’s College,built in 1836, served asa seminary until 1994.It now houses theNational University ofIreland MaynoothKilkenny campus. Adds 15 minutes

DETOUR

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23 St. Patrick’s Churchwas built in 1899 underthe guidance of BishopBrownrigg. Thirteenyears earlier he had invit-ed the Sisters of St. Johnof God to establish aconvent on the site. Thesisters remain at St.Patrick’s, as does BishopBrownrigg. His remainsare buried in front of thealtar. If you visit thechurch, be sure to notethe unique choir loft andthe gold plate honoringBishop Brownrigg. Fromhere you may choose adetour to the grounds ofSt. Kieran’s College orturn up Ormond Road.

24 Club House Hotelserved as the “clubhouse” for the KilkennyHunt Club, founded in1797. The club becamethe horse switching sta-tion on the Cork to Dublinstagecoach. As clubmembership dwindled,the guest rooms and din-ning room were openedto the public. Legend hasit that on a bet Mr.Courtenay of CountyCork rode his marethrough the second storywindow to the streetbelow without injury.However, the true story isbelieved to be told on theopposite page.

25 Butler House wasbuilt about 1780 for thewidowed countess ofOrmond. Without a prop-er heir, the castle andfamily wealth passed toher nephew, the 16thEarl of Ormond. Thewidow was assured life-long housing and astipend; this share in herhusband’s estate wasknown as her dower. Thestreetside is simple, butthe courtyard gardenshows more character.Access to the courtyardcan be gained from theKilkenny Design Centre(Stop 2). Butler House isnow a B&B.

Plaque honoring Bishop Brownrigg dis-played in St. Patrick’s Church

22 Talbot’s BastionTalbot’s Bastion is thelast remaining turret thatonce guarded the walledcity. Few remnants of theoriginal fortificationsremain. One other turretand four wall-towers pro-tected the city’s westwall. In contrast, therewere no such battle-ments on the city’s eastside because the RiverNore provided adequateprotection. Look at thechurch diagonally acrossthe street from Talbot’sBastion.

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WALKING SAINT JOHN’SThe suburb of St.

John’s, known as“the continent”because it lies acrossthe water from therest of Kilkenny,provides a differentperspective of thetown. Although thearea is primarily res-idential, walking St.John’s provides itsown bit of history.

This tour begins inone of Kilkenny’shistoric pubs, cross-es the River Noreand gradually climbsto scenic Wind Gap.This tour takes aboutan hour (longer ifyou add LackenWalk).

A Tynan’s BridgeHouse Bar, located on astreet once an exerciserun for horses, has beenaround since the 18thcentury and in the samefamily since 1919. Thefront bar displaysshelves, scales andmemorabilia from thedays when it doubled asa grocery and pharmacy.The U-shaped bar, tilefloor, gas globe lampsand brass fixtures give aVictorian ambience thatmakes this is an idealspot to enjoy locally-brewed Smithwick’s orKilkenny ales.

B John’s Bridge con-nects St. John’s with therest of Kilkenny andoffers a picture-perfectview of the castle andthe River Nore.Originally built after1200, John’s Bridge wasdestroyed and rebuiltafter the great floods of1487 and 1763 (as wasthe Green Street Bridgeto the north). The pres-ent bridge was thelongest single spanferro-concrete (rein-forced concrete) bridgein the British Isles at thetime of its completion in1910.

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Photo ofTynan’sBridge

House Bar

D Maudlin Castle, aname derived fromMagdalene, guarded theentrance to the Hospitalof St. Mary Magdalene.The hospital dates backto at least the early 14thcentury, and the castle isall that remains. By 15thcentury, the hospital wasfunded by urban rentsand the best room wasreserved for the sover-eign of Hightown.

C Kilkenny Collegebegan as grammarschool established before1539 beside St. Canice’s.It moved to this locationin 1684 and served as auniversity for six monthsin 1690. The currentbuilding, built in 1782,was transformed into theCounty Hall in 1985. Itspupils included JonathanSwift, 1667-1745, authorof Gulliver's Travels; his-torian Richard Stanihurst,1547-1618; philosopherGeorge Berkley, 1685-1753 and Admiral David(later Earl) Beatty, 1871-1936.

F St. John theEvangelist Church, builtin 1908, was constructedwith money willed byMartin O’Loughlin whoemigrated and prosperedin the gold mines ofAustralia. Built near thechurchyard of an earlierSt. John’s Church (the oldcemetery is nearby), thebuilding was extensivelyremodeled in 1984 andfeatures Victorian tiles,beautiful windows, inter-esting organ pipes andvisitors are encouraged tolook for angels among theornamentation.

E Wind Gap provides aview of the city very fewtourists see. With viewsof the castle and St.Canice’s Cathedral, thispanorama was commonin 19th and 20th centurypaintings. Across thestreet from Wind Gap isthe home of John Banim,1798-1842. Considered“Ireland’s Walter Scott”Banim’s series “Tales bythe O’Hara Family” pro-vides a historic look atKilkenny’s poverty andhierarchy in the 18th and19th centuries. Banim isburied in nearby St.John’s cemetery.

F Lacken Walk, locatedat end of the Wind Pointviewing spot, takes youdown a narrow, steppedpath to Lacken’s Well andonward to a riversidepath. It can be quite iso-lated, so use caution,especially on uneven ter-rain. The rustic naturetrail becomes less mani-cured as you go; back-tracking is necessary toreturn to Wind Gap.

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G St. John’s Abbeywas built by AugustinianMonks in the 13th centu-ry and served as theparish church of the sub-urb of St. John’s.Because of its continu-ous run of windows onthe east wall, it becameknown as “the lantern ofIreland.”

Photo ofKilkennyCollege

Jerpoint Abbey, built inthe12th century by theBenedictines, featuresunique stone carvings onthe pillars of the cloisterthat provide a uniquelook at 14th and 15 cen-tury life.

Kells Priory is a spec-tacular complex of ruins.Founded in the 12th cen-tury, this Augustinian pri-ory offers an almost end-less assortment of 13thto 15th century buildings,walls and towers toexplore. The best way toenter the priory is fromthe old mill located nearthe Kings River.

Kilree Abbey offers aquiet ruined church witha well-preserved roundtower.

Kilfane Glen andWaterfall offers a pictur-esque walk through thegardens and a view of anartificial waterfall andrustic cottage.

Bennettsbridge, homeof Nicholas MossPottery, has become apopular destination forIrish crafts.

Duiske Abbey wasrestored in the 1970s tocreate a medieval churchthat accommodates amodern liturgy. Localcraftspersons paid spe-cial attention to medievalconstruction methods,going so far as usingwedges and dowelsinstead of nails. The siteincludes a visitor center,giftshop and two highcrosses.

Dunmore Cave, famousfor a massacre that tookplace inside. Guidedtours of this Duchas(Irish Heritage) site takevisitors into the gapingmouth of the cave andshare historic and geo-logical story of the cave.

Distance to:Belfast 177mi (284km)Cahir 42mi (67km)Cashel 47mi (75km)Clonmel 32mi (52km)Cork 92mi (148km)Dublin 73mi (117km)Galway 107mi (172km)Killarney 123mi (198km)Limerick 70mi (113km)Rosslare 61mi (98km)Shannon 75mi (119km)Waterford 30mi (48km)Wexford 50mi (80km)

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SITES AROUND KILKENNY

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EATING, DRINKING & SHOPPING

This area will describe some suggestedstops for restaurants