A weekend in Kilkenny

More or less a month ago I published an article on my Spanish blog about Kilkenny (Ireland) in order to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. So, take your favourite green shirt because we're going to good auld Éire: the country where I had the luck to live between 2006 and 2007.

Allegorical sculpture of Ireland. Behind that you' can see the Irish tricolour: green representing the catholics, orange for the protestants and white standing for the peace between them (these days more practical than theorical). 

I'd bet most of you know Dublin, Cork or even Galway -I'll write their rightfully deserved articles later on- but today we're visiting a touristy (but not yet overcrowded) Irish town: Kilkenny.

Toponymy

If you had the luck of traveling around Ireland, I'm sure you've come across several towns and places which names start by Kil- (Kildare, Kilarney, Kilkee or Kilrush, just to mention some of the most famous ones). Kil is the English transliteration of the Irish Gaelic word cill (an old word meaning "church"). Obviously Kilkenny is not an exception to this rule and this town is named after the Church of Saint Canice/Kenneth/Kenny, a Northern Irish saint from the 6th century.

Saint Kenneth's bust in Kilkenny

Just some HistoryShortly after his death, a church was created in his name. A century later, this monastical centre was well known accross the Emerald Isle and around it, the small town of Kilkenny started to grow. It resisted well the Viking invasions and it flourished as one of the capitals of the Kingdom of Ossory/Osraige. A new golden age came with the Norman invasions that gave the city its actual shape divided in two main areas: Irishtown and Hightown. 

Reasons why you should visit KilkennyKilkenny is quite a small town, so if you don't pay much attention... you can see most of it in just a couple of hours. However, I'd recommend you to take it easy and stay overnight in this wonderful medieval town. 

The most famous landmark is its incredible Norman castle and wonderful gardens. It should cost around 6€, a bit painful, perhaps... but it's deffinitely worth it. 

St. Canice's Cathedral is another must-see. Formerly a catholic church, these days is used by the Church of Ireland. By the church we can see an Irish round tower. From the top of it you'll be able to enjoy a wonderful view of the whole area... however, if you suffer from vertigo, don't do it... the "stairs" to the top are very -I said VERY- steep.

And from a temple of sanctity to a temple of sin: the Kyteler's Inn, continuously open since 1324. In 1280 Alice Kyteler was born in this house to a Norman aristocratic family. She made quite a good fortune with her 4 lucky marriages and her inn became relatively well-known. However, her pub was closed down as she was accused of witchcraft (let's say everyone suspected of her since her husbands had a tendency to die). She could escape to England, but one of her maids was sentenced to death in one of the earliest witchcraft cases in Europe and the first in Ireland.

And since we're talking about a temple of beer, we can't skip Kilkenny's and Smithwick's brewery... my favourite Irish ales. These days you can visit the factory and try its wonderful juices of barley. A funny fact is that within this factory (placed right in the middle of town) there's the ruins of an old church.

Besides, you should not miss:

 The Tholsel (some sort of Medieval public building) -the current town hall

The medieval ruins laying around the city centre (Priory of Kells, Jerpoint Abbey...)

The Rothe House (both inside and outside)

In June a must-see is the Cat Laughs Festival. Kilkenny Tourist Hostel and The Metropole are cheap and neat, but the old Butler House is just perfect if you're looking for an unforgettable romantic getaway. Wherever you stay... don't forget eating a good Irish stew with delicious local beer!

Sláinte daoibh!