County Kilkenny

Known as the Marble City, from the vein of black stone found here, Kilkenny stands on the River Nore and has some beautiful buildings that have been well looked after. Unlike other towns and cities, here the local authorities have taken care of their city’s appearance and resisted the proliferation of ugly plastic signs. Visitors have been attracted to Kilkenny for decades, and it’s worth at least a daytrip if you are staying in Dublin or elsewhere.

The city was the ecclesiastical and political capital of the ancient kingdom of Ossory , and became the medieval capital of the country under the Normans . In 1172, Richard de Clare, known as Strongbow, built a wooden fortress here, and in 1208 it was granted a charter by William, the Earl Marshall, to attract trade. From the 14th century, Kilkenny Castle was the seat of the Butlers , the Earls and Dukes of Ormonde. King James I granted its charter as a city in 1609, amalgamating its two townships of Hightown and Irishtown.

From 1293 to 1408 and between 1642 and 1648 Anglo-Norman parliaments were held here. In 1642 the Confederation of Kilkenny saw Irish Catholics side with King Charles I. They lost to Cromwell in 1651 and after that most of the families involved were sent to Connaught and the city’s trade passed to Protestants.

The town has been a centre for brewing since the 17th century, and the tradition continues today. However, if you mention the city to most Irish people, they’ll immediately think of design. This is because in 1965 the government established Kilkenny Design Workshops in the 18th-century stables of the castle. It quickly developed an international reputation for the quality of its graphic, industrial and craft design. Since then, designers, artists and craft-workers from all over the world have established studios and workshops throughout the city and county.

The Kilkenny Castle was first constructed in 1172 as a wooden tower built by an Anglo-Norman known as Strongbow during the Norman invasion of Ireland . However, Strongbow was forced to retreat to Waterford and the castle was destroyed. It wasn't until 1195 that William Marshall, Strongbow's son-in-law, returned to Kilkenny and rebuilt the castle on a much larger scale. He constructed the first stone castle on the site with four roundtowers, one at each corner, three of which are still standing today.

In 1391, the Butler family, the Earls of Ormonde, bought the castle and lived there continuously until 1935. This influential Norman family had established an alliance with the English Crown in the fourteenth century that continued throughout most of the 700 years they inhabited Kilkenny Castle .

During the Kilkenny Confederation of 1642 to 1648, the Castle was in the hands of a Catholic branch of the Butlers and was used by the Confederacy for meetings and other administrative purposes.

In 1650, the castle received a severe beating from the Cromwellian army attempting to invade Kilkenny. The attackers eventually found it to be too formidable a fortress and ceased their attack on the castle and found another entry into the city.

In 1955, the Butlers decided to leave the Castle and held a great auction of all the interior items in the castle. After five days of auction, only the family collection of paintings and tapestries remained. Finally, after nearly 20 years of abandonment, Arthur Butler, the 24th Earl of Ormonde, handed the Kilkenny Castle over to the National Castle Restoration Committee for the nominal sum of 50 Irish pounds.

The castle's 50 acres of grounds and terraced rose gardens are open to the public, as is the interior of the castle, which includes the Butler Art Gallery . Tours of the castle are available throughout the day.