After sleeping in, we were out the door at the crack of noon and on our way to see what there was to see in Kilkenny. The first unusual thing we saw was the sun!!! It actually started out as a beautiful sunny day. Kilkenny Castle, probably the biggest attraction in this charming little medieval city, was our first stop. Kilkenny Castle is not as old as Trim Castle and was much more luxurious as it was the residence for the ruling family, the Butlers, until they lost power. At one time, the castle fell into ruin, but the government took it over in the 60's and restored it to it's original ornate beauty. The castle grounds are beautiful, with walking trails and are open to the public.
After lunch we toured St. Canice's Cathedral built on the site of where St. Canice founded a monastery in the 6th century. The cathedral itself was built in the 13th century. We climbed the 100-some steps to the top of a 100 foot tower outside the cathedral. The tower was built to offer protection for the locals during the time of Viking invasions. It was quite a climb to the top, but the view was breath-taking and definitely worth it.
We got down out of the tower just as it started to--rain (of course). People here say " It rains between the showers." We made a little "visit" to another church (they are all over) and waited for the rain to let up. Then we went to Kyteler's Pub for a pint. Way back when, Alice Kyteler was a bit of a strong-willed woman who apparently got on the bad side of a Bishop who had her tried and convicted as a witch. He may have been right because she escaped and was never heard from again.
We got warmed up with the pints and some good Irish comfort food and headed back to our room at Butler's Court. We're turning in early tonite, in an effort to get up and going earlier tomorrow morning as we will be heading out to Kinsale.
No comments:
Post a Comment