WHERE
Kilkenny is about 60 miles south and a bit west of Dublin, a drive of not quite 2 hours. We stayed outside town at a country estate, had a lovely dinner there, and then the next day spent several hours exploring the town on our own and with a guide. Kilkenny the town has a population of about 26,000 and the county a total of around 100,000.
WHAT
Kilkenny is a market town and a tourist draw today, but its history goes back to before the 13th century and before the Normans came from France. For a time it was the capital of a pre-Norman kingdom and, for a brief period in the 1600’s, an independent Irish parliament made Kilkenny its capital. Alas, in 1650, Oliver Cromwell came calling, destroying much, and capturing Kilkenny for the English. There’s a historic castle (13th century) which with its original four towers was part of the defensive wall around the city center.
St. Canice’s Cathedral, also from the 13th century, gave the town its name. Cromwell’s forces badly damaged it, but it is nicely restored. It is striking for its round tower.
THE DAY
It was Saturday morning, and we were impressed with how lively and busy Kilkenny was. This is a town that has a an active business district. Lots of shops and restaurants and folks sitting outside or waiting in line for cafe tables despite it being a chilly morning. The locals were in T-shirts while we were bundled up in several layers!
There were a few recognizable chain stores, but most were local shops in old stone buildings with attractive traditional signs. I didn’t see any neon or plastic whatsoever. We spent some time in an inviting and well-stocked bookstore and wandered up and down several shopping streets before we met Jason for our tour of more historic sites.
Jason is a local guy whose first career was as an electrician. When the recession of 2008 put him out of work, he started offering cycling tours. Today he owns a hundred bicycles and serves an international clientele, heavily American. He also has a fleet of water bikes, and renting one of these to peddle along the river appeals to the locals, offering him some insurance against events like Covid-19.
Aside from tourism, Kilkenny is known for its red ale which, Jason stated, is mostly drunk by people outside Ireland. And for hurling, an ancient sport that is sort of a cross between lacrosse and soccer.
Note: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved).
