Ireland – Day 8 – Travels with Carolyne

Kilkenny – Day 8 of a 9-Day Trip in Ireland

Day 8 was a full day of exploration in Kilkenny. Kilkenny is a city south of Dublin, about a two hour bus ride. You can easily visit Kilkenny as a day trip from Dublin. The main Kilkenny attractions are all walkable distances from the city centre. The accommodation is much more affordable than Dublin however, so I decided to do a two night stay. It also made the most sense to complete my Ireland Loop (Dublin –> Galway –> Killarney –> Kilkenny –> Dublin).

Day 8
Kilkenny

First place to visit was the Kilkenny Castle, about a 10 minute walk from the Pumphouse. I got there at 9am before they opened (9:15am) so I walked around the castle grounds. Being one of the first visitors of the day was great, the castle was so quiet and barely anyone was in my photos. The original Kilkenny Castle was built in 1260. Over time, it has gone through expansions and renovations. It has many rooms furnished with antiquities and lovely artwork. My favourite was the Picture Gallery – a long room painted in dark red with paintings lining the walls.

Next, I walked over to the National Design and Craft Museum for the architecture (left photo). The museum is closed on Sundays and Mondays and the day I visited was unfortunately a Sunday. Close by is the Butler House and Garden (right photo). The Butler House was once the home of one of the major families living in Kilkenny – the Butlers – and was built in 1798. Today, it is a guesthouse with a restaurant.

Afterwards, I walked to Saint Mary’s Medieval Mile Museum. The museum was once one of the many churches in Kilkenny. It was built in 1202, but deconsecrated in 1957, then converted into a museum in 2017. The admission fee for the museum is 8 euros/person and includes a self-guided tour. The front desk will give you a small device that can scan the QR codes scattered around the museum to provide more details on what you are looking at. The graveyard is still intact and open to the public to wander as part of the admission fee. What I found interesting is that archaeologists are able to determine the age of the tombstone based on what is inscribed and how it is inscribed.

I then headed over the River Nore to the Butler Gallery, a free art gallery featuring modern art. I appreciated the lovely view of Kilkenny Castle from the river. On the way, I passed by St. John’s Church of Ireland. I’m not sure if the church was open, but I snapped a photo from the outside.

It was lunchtime, so I headed to Anatolia Cafe and Restaurant for a Turkish meal. I ordered the kofta kebab for lunch, which came with rice, pita bread, salad, and sauces. This meal was amazing – it was by far the best Turkish food I had ever had.

I walked along the Medieval Mile Trail to the Rothe House and Garden. The Medieval Mile Trail is the street that goes through Kilkenny from the Kilkenny Castle to the St. Canice’s Cathedral and Round Tower. The street has loads of history with many stores scattered along the streets. The Rothe House and Garden is on this trail and was once the home of another of the major families that once lived in Kilkenny – the Rothe Family. The admission fee is 8.50euros/person. It has three houses originally built in the early 1600s, three courtyards, and a garden. The garden is well maintained and preserved to look like it did in the 1600s.

Next destination was at the end of the Medieval Mile Trail – St. Canice’s Cathedral and Round Tower. St. Canice’s Cathedral was built in the 13th century and is lovely, but the real gem here is the 100ft tall Round Tower. This Round Tower is one of the only two towers in Ireland that visitors may climb and is honestly a very scary experience. My legs were shaking the whole climb up! After climbing the rickety ladder for what felt like forever, I reached the top. The tower is slightly slanted, really windy on top, and made me feel like I would get blown off if I was not careful. The view from the top was incredible though. The admission fee for the Cathedral and the tower is 10euros/person, but there are reduced rates if only visiting one of the two. I would recommend the tower over the cathedral if I had to choose. There are other cathedrals in Ireland, but not many climbable towers.

After returning to steady ground, I walked to the Smithwick’s Experience to join a guided tour. Smithwick’s is a well known Irish brewery, originally founded in 1710. Its most popular beer is the Irish Red Ale. In 1965, it was acquired by Guinness. The operations was moved from Kilkenny to Dublin in 2013, so no beer is brewed in Kilkenny anymore. The basic tour included a pint of Smithwick’s beer at the end.

After enjoying my drink, I walked back to Kilkenny Castle to wander the gardens. The sky was blue with few clouds. It had been a bizarre day for the weather, starting with cloudy and gloomy, then sun, then rain, then back to sun. Finally, it was time for dinner. I had made reservations at the steakhouse – Butcher. I ordered a glass of red wine, medium rare ribeye steak with the green peppercorn sauce, and a side salad. The steak was fatty and perfectly cooked. Delicious and the ideal way to end my day!

Complete Day 8 Itinerary

*Travel times may vary. Check Google Maps for most accurate travel details.

8:00am: Have breakfast.

9:00am: Visit Kilkenny Castle (10 minute walk from the Pumphouse).

10:00am: Visit the National Design and Craft Museum (1 minute walk from Kilkenny Castle). Wander the Butler House and Garden (5 minute walk from the National Design and Craft Museum).

11:00am: Visit the Saint Mary’s Medieval Mile Museum (5 minute walk from the Butler House and Garden).

12:00pm: Visit the Butler Gallery (6 minute walk from Saint Mary’s Medieval Mile Museum). See St. John’s Church of Ireland (2 minute walk from the Butler Gallery).

1:00pm: Have lunch at Anatolia Cafe and Restaurant (5 minute walk from the St. John’s Church of Ireland).

2:00pm: Visit Rothe House and Garden (6 minute walk from Anatolia Cafe and Restaurant).

3:00pm: Visit St. Canice’s Cathedral and Round Tower (4 minute walk from Rothe House and Garden).

4:00pm: Visit the Smithwick’s Experience (5 minute walk from St. Canice’s Cathedral and Round Tower).

6:00pm: Have dinner at Butcher Restaurant (5 minute walk from Smithwick’s Experience).

7:00pm: Have a drink!