On day 2 we arrive in Kilkenny, Ireland.
Debbie, Sharon and Steve outside Kilkenny Castle
Steve, Sharon, Barb and Corky wait for our tour of Kilkenny Castle to begin in the Main Courtyard and Castle Park.
Kilkenny Castle - Few buildings in Ireland can boast a longer history of continuous occupation than Kilkenny Castle. Founded soon after the Norman conquest of…
Built in the twelfth century, Kilkenny Castle was the principal seat of the Butlers, earls, marquesses and dukes of Ormond for almost 600 years. Under the…
Kilkenny castle, set in extensive parkland, was remodelled in Victorian times. It was formally taken over by the Irish State in 1969 and since then has…
The first castle was constructed here in the Anglo-Norman period by Richard Fitz Gilbert de Clare, but it was only replaced by a stone structure in 1192 by…
During the Irish Confederate Wars if the 1640s, the Protestant Butlers were on the side of King Charles I. However, Catholic rebels captured Kilkenny Castle,…
The Butler family increasingly struggled to raise the necessary revenue to keep the castle maintained, with odd pieces of work done when money appeared. In…
When James Butler died, huge amounts of death duties meant that the castle’s future was in jeopardy. It was besieged by the Irish Free State during the Irish…
Kilkenny Castle is a castle in Kilkenny, Ireland, built in 1260 to control a fording-point of the River Nore and the junction of several routeways. It was a…
The Chinese Withdrawing Room - Recreated to its original 18th century proportions. On the walls are remnants of hand painted Chinese wallpaper original to the…
A view of the Kilkenny Castle Formal Rose Garden from inside the castle.
The State Dining Room - This was the formal dining room in the 1860’s. Historic evidence shows that this room was hung in the late 19th century with a red…
Corky admires a set of antlers in the Entrance Hall. There has been an entrance hall here at least since the 17th century rebuilding of the castle. The black…
Debbie checks out the Entrance Hall. The room has been hanged with key portrait from the Butler family.
Debbie on the Grand Staircase - This 19th century mahogany staircase was designed and made by the local firm of Furniss & Son, Kilkenny. The use of mahogany in…
The Tapestry Room - This room was called the Great Chamber in the 17th century and the walls were decorated with embossed and gilded leather hangings on the…
Barb snaps a photo of the Library from the Ante Room. An Anteroom was a small room used as a waiting room, that leads into a larger and more important room.
The Library - The interior decoration is a faithful recreation of the furnishing style of the mid to late 19th century. Thanks to a salvaged fabric remnant…