Kilkenny

MB was back in his homeland in recent weeks. The weather was early Summerish with tiny buds and mini leaves in evidence on the trees; the normal deep Irish green mostly therefore confined to the vivid green grass. The mid March trip to Ireland is an annual pilgrimage for MB for certain personal reasons and some mini internal road trips often ensue. One such trip on this occasion was to the old city of Kilkenny, one of Ireland’s smallest and an absolute gem of the ‘Ancient East’ of the country. MB had never previously been.

Kilkenny was born in the 6th century as a ecclesiastical (religious) centre. The Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century saw the construction of a protective castle and walled town, and King James 1st of England granted city status in 1609. In short, the city is steeped in history and MB has merely scraped the surface. The castle, which was the home of the Butler family for many hundreds of years, remains maintained to the present day and is the jewel in the city’s toutourism crown attracting huge annual numbers from the world over.

Another of the oldest structures in the present day city is the Church of Ireland (Protestant) Cathedral and Round Tower of St Canice. St Canice was an Irish Abbott who preached Christianity to the native population and to the Scottish Picts, founding many monasteries along the way. Canice died in the year 600AD and the Cathedral dates from the 13th Century, notably being the second longest Cathedral in Ireland after St Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin. Nobody beats St Patrick!

It was MB’s good fortune that his visit to the Cathedral coincided with the hosting by the Cathedral of the Museum of the Moon, a 1:500,000 scale replica of, you guessed it, the moon! The very detailed moon replica, complete with impact craters etc, is a production by British ‘Installation’ Artist Luke Jarram and travels the world, already having displayed this year in Spain, California, is presently in Kilkenny and will go in the coming months to Long Island, NY, and onwards to the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ontario (assuming it’s not subject to US tariffs!). Stop it MB!!!

The adjoining Celtic Christian Round Tower is one of many similar structures in Ireland, dating from the 9th century, with the entrance door being many meters above ground level, the idea being that the monks and villagers could flee to the tower during periods of attack, pulling up the ladder before locking the door until the attackers had fled. It is one of only three in the country that can still be climbed internally to the top.

MB and family stayed at a beautiful boutique hotel in the centre of the city called The Pembroke, only a few hundred meters walk from the castle and a haven of peace, delicious food, fine Jameson whiskey and the friendliest staff one could ever meet. The Pembroke takes its name from the Earl of Pembroke (Richard de Clare) who lead the Norman invasion of Ireland, more commonly known in Ireland, and described in Irish school history books, by his nickname ‘Strongbow’.

MB can highly recommend a trip to ‘The Marble City’ as Kilkenny is known, if ever visiting the Emerald Isle. There are ample craft shops and a number of re gre shopping streets to be explored, thankfully absent most international High Street brands, in addition to the better known historical structures. A host of eateries and gastro pubs also abound. In addition, the city hosts a number of renouned annual festivals; Tradfest (Irish music), Cat Laughs (Comedy) & the Kilkenny Arts Festival, amongst a number of others. A stay at Strongbow’s (Pembroke) Hotel is also highly recommended.