Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
how the wooden fort built here by Strongbow in 1172 evolved into a 17th-century château.
Thengointothemaincastle entrance acrossthecourtyardfromtheturrettobuyyourentry
ticket. You'll be free to walk through the castle. A pamphlet explains the exhibits, and you
can also talk to stewards in the important rooms.
Nowrestored toits Victorian splendor,the castle'shighlight isthe beautiful family-por-
trait gallery, which puts you face-to-face with the wealthy Butler family ghosts.
Nearby:
The
Kilkenny Design Centre,
across the street from the castle in grand old
stables, is full of local crafts and offers handy cafeteria lunches upstairs (April-Dec Mon-
Sat 10:00-17:30, Sun 11:00-17:30; Jan-March Mon-Sat 10:00-17:30, closed Sun; tel. 056/
772-2118,
www.kilkennydesign.com
)
.
St. Canice's Cathedral
This 13th-century cathedral is early-English Gothic, rich with stained glass, medieval
carvings, and floors paved in history. Check out the model of the old walled town in its
1641 heyday. The 100-foot-tall
round tower,
built as part of a long-gone pre-Norman
church, recalls the need for a watchtower and refuge. The fun ladder-climb to the top af-
fords a grand view of the countryside.
Cost and Hours:
Cathedral-€4, tower-€3, combo-ticket for both-€6; June-Aug Mon-
Sat 9:00-18:00, Sun 14:00-18:00; April-May and Sept Mon-Sat 10:00-13:00 &
14:00-17:00, Sun 14:00-17:00; Oct-March Mon-Sat 10:00-13:00 & 14:00-16:00, Sun
14:00-16:00; tel. 056/776-4971,
www.cashel.anglican.org
.
Rothe House
This well-preserved Tudor merchant's house expanded around interior courtyards as the
prosperous family grew. The museum, which also serves as the County Kilkenny genea-
logy center, gives a glimpse of life here in Elizabethan times. The walled gardens at the
far back were a real luxury in their time.
Cost and Hours:
€5; April-Oct Mon-Sat 10:30-17:00, Sun 14:00-18:00; Nov-March
Mon-Sat 10:30-16:30, closed Sun; Parliament Street, tel. 056/772-2893,
Smithwick's Brewery
Smithwick's reddish ale is a Kilkenny institution...and my favorite Irish beer since my
first visit to Ireland. Older than Guinness (but now owned by the same parent company),
Smithwick's marked its tercentennial (300th anniversary) in 2010. To celebrate, the com-
pany offered extended tours of their working brewery—which were such a hit that the
brewery made them permanent. However, a corporate shake-up in 2013 put the future of
