Kilkenny Castle
6.1.09 - We wake up at the Butler House in Kilkenny, dress, and walk across the gardens separating the Butler House and Kilkenny Castle to the old stables. The stables now house a restaurant and galleries of Irish crafts. The breakfast is another amazing one. One, like the previous days, that will probably hold us all day until dinner.
After checking out of the Butler House, we walk across the gardens to take a tour of Kilkenny Castle. Kilkenny Castle has been standing in some form for over eight hundred years. It was privately owned for centuries until 1967. It is a beautiful place, as castles tend to be. There are some unique things about touring it, such as being able to see the foundation below ground and how it was built. It also contains the second longest room in Ireland housing paintings owned by the household, some dating to the 1600's. The longest room, by the way, is at Trinity College in Dublin. We hope to visit there tomorrow.
Our hotel, the Butler House
Kilkenny Castle
After the castle tour, we walk down Patrick Street to High Street, then cut across to see St. Mary Cathedral. Another spectacular building.
The floor in St. Mary's
It's time to head east. We get Teresa a quick lunch at the Kilkenny Hibernian Hotel, then get the car to drive to Wexford. The drive shows yet another part of Ireland that is just a little different than anything we've seen before.
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