We have finally experienced what might pass for a summer day
in Ireland – no rain, few clouds and a little sunshine late in the day. After a delicious breakfast this morning we
left Athy (pronounced A-tie, by the way) and headed to Kilkenny, occasionally
encountering a large tractor or other mobile farming equipment hogging the
narrow road, requiring us to plod along behind it until we would be noticed by
the driver, who would then look for somewhere wide enough to pull over and let
us past. This happened frequently and
seems to be a feature of driving in Ireland once you get off the main roads
(which we want to do whenever we can).
On our arrival in Kilkenny we parked our
car and set off to explore the old city on foot. First stop was Kilkenny Castle, dating back
to the late 12th century. The
castle was run down during the 18th century but has been restored
back almost to its original form. Among
its features are expansive lawns and manicured rose gardens on opposing sides,
with the river and the high street on the other two sides.
From there we walked down the “Medieval Mile” and, from time
to time, ventured off into side streets, first to view the imposing Talbot
Tower, constructed in 1207 as an observation post. Then the Capuchian Friary Church, a modest
structure compared to our next stop, the 13th century Cathedral
Church of St Canice, the second longest cathedral in Ireland. Then the Black Abbey, a Dominican friary
built in 1225 and containing, among other relics, a wooden statue of St
Dominic, carved from oak before Henry VIII was born. The abbey
played a significant role in the attempts to save King Charles I (of
England and Ireland), which resulted in Kilkenny being put under siege by
Cromwell’s forces and many people dying from disease and starvation (there is a
row of 13 coffins still lying just outside the abbey, dating from that period).
Then to St Mary’s Cathedral, where we also had our morning tea of scones, jam
and cream in the Cathedral Café. And finally a stroll past the old courthouse
and gaol.
We then regained our car and drove the 60km to the Rock of
Cashel, which you can see miles before you reach it. It comprises imposing remnants of medieval buildings
set upon a limestone outcrop that stands more than 100 metres above the
surrounding countryside. This was the
traditional seat of the kings of Munster (the southern part of Ireland) from
the 6th century through to the 11th, when the chapel,
then the cathedral were built by the Norman conquerors. We did a short guided tour of the chapel,
consecrated in 1134, and could see evidence of original frescoes. The cathedral, with only the walls now
remaining, was built in the 13th century. The entire site affords extensive views over
the countryside.
We then continued on to Tipperary (which, surprisingly, was
not such a long way) and had a brief walk through the town before moving on to
Cahir for yet another castle visit, this one perched on a rocky island on the
River Suir. It is one of Ireland’s
largest and best-preserved castles, with its keep, towers and much of its
defensive structures still intact.
That was it for the day and after a short drive to the
delightfully-named village of Ballylooby we arrived at our quaint,
free-standing cottage for the night – in the middle of a farm and away from any
other civilisation (and from Wifi, hence this blog is a day late). Of course Elizabeth bonded with the resident
Shetland pony, Paddy, thinking that giving him a crispy apple would help the
bonding process. It was not until we read the comments in the guest book that
we discovered that Paddy is in the habit of standing outside the kitchen window,
staring in until somebody goes out and gives him an apple.
A home-cooked meal of Atlantic salmon and Caesar salad
tonight, then early to bed.
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