Wednesday morning, we headed from the Gresham Hotel, our Dublin residence, to Enterprise Car Rentals, picked up a Kia Sportage rental, we thought with GPS. Not so much, it turned out somebody had lifted the SIM card, so they gave us a Garmin and off we went.
Immediately Rosa jumped from Sharon’s travel bag to the dashboard of the car, HDR favorite spot from which to view the world. She had enjoyed being in Dublin but just did not get out and about enough. Now she is happy.
Kilkenny is less than 100 km from Dublin so we hit town early enough to tour the castle, get in a bit of a look at some crafts, and have a good meal. An afternoon well spent.
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| The castle dates back to the 12th century. It was built by Strongbow and passed on to the Butler family or Ormand in1391. They held it until 1967. Over the centuries, the various holders of the Ormond added to the building to create a rather unlovely, but imposing, structure |
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| Much of the medieval town that grew up around the castle remains as what locals call the Medieval Mile, a precinct of shops and restaurants, not all of which cater to the tourist trade |
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| Side gate to the castle grounds |
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| Sharon at the entrance |
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Guided tours are available. Jessica at right explains the
Victorian character of the medieval building. |
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| The Long Gallery, originally a portrait room, is said to be the second longest room in Ireland |
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