Kilkenny

 Today was my Kilkenny day. 

Kathy, my lovely AirBnB host gave me my itinerary and as the house is only a mile from the centre of the city, it was a walking tour. 

It also helps enormously that the city is remarkably compact.

Since it’s cold and raining today I took the opportunity to do a tour of the city. Not an open top bus nor a taxi but in these narrow streets -- a Dotto train! It was great.

 
I was the only passenger and Paul my driver seemed to know absolutely everyone: taxi drivers, children and old people walking their dogs. Everyone waved at him. The trip had a commentary and Irish folk music and took just 30 minutes to travel the important sites. 

When a rather naive American asked if the castle were real, this cheeky chap said, “ of course not.! It’s the most expensive inflatable we could rent from Dublin.”. The American turned to his wife and said, “ See Muriel, I told you so.”  🤣      

The Design Centre opposite the Castle has a cafe and even my lunch of tempura prawns with mango salsa looked like art. 


Then a quick look round the city for doing the historical things on my agenda. I needed a book shop as my total lack of knowledge about Irish history is embarrassing. Found several independent ones including this one. 





Then on to the castle. 
We have a castle near my house that goes back to 1066. It’s old but it’s also a ruin. Kilkenny Castle is something else altogether! My beloved number one daughter Morgan has a castle blog. She’d have loved it. 





Also in the castle, on loan, were panels from the Ros Tapestry. Similar to the concept of the Bayeaux Tapestry from my point of view seeing these wonderful pieces of stitched history were worth the price of the castle ticket entry alone. 




Alice Kytler was the first recorded person condemned for witchcraft in Europe. Apart from Witch-craft she was also accused of poisoning her four husbands. She escaped to England and her servant Petronilla was flogged and burnt at the stake instead. Alice was born in Kytler House which is now a bar. 
 



I’m not a Catholic but St.Mary’s Cathedral was warm and beautiful

By then I was heritage site maxed out so walked back to my AirBnB and was offered supper! 

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