"Kilkenny Castle" Top 5 Page for this destination Kilkenny Castle Tip by Dabs

Kilkenny Castle was the first castle of many that we visited on our trip, at the time we did not realize that most of the sights included on the Heritage Card were supposed to have guided tours, they discontinued them here which sent an Italian tour guide near us into a tizzy. The Italian students she was with, however, didn't seem to care at all, most of them rushing through like there was a competition to see who could get done first.

They did give us a photocopied sheet containing information on each room, in some ways I prefer that to a guided tour as I get to take the information home with me and I can go at my own pace and didn't have to wait until an official tour started. The attached website goes into even greater detail if you want to read up before you go. No interior photos are allowed which is why I don't have any. Except that one I took before I saw the no photo sign...

Kilkenny Castle was built in the 12th century for William Marshal, 4th Earl of Pembroke and later became the principal residence for the Butler family for almost 600 years until 1971 when it was given to the people of Kilkenny for a token sum of £50.

Most of the castle was renovated in the 19th century and the room that impressed me most in the castle only dates back to the 19th century, the Picture Gallery Wing. The walls are covered in paintings but what is really striking is the painted ceiling and the cross beams with gilded animal heads.

I understand that there are gardens behind the castle but when I went to look around the backside of the castle the rain changed from a vertical to a horizontal position and we decided to look for a drier place to hang out for a bit.

Admission to the castle was included on the Heritage Card.

Website: http://www.kilkennycastle.ie/en/