After 10 hours’ sleep, we went downstairs this morning to have our first Irish breakfast in the Riversdale House B & B. And what a breakfast it was: eggs, porridge, bacon (which looked and tasted exactly like ham), white pudding, black pudding (remind me to look those up), cooked tomato, yogurt, toast & jam (jelly for you Southerners), and tea. We gotta stop eating like this. The sign on the wall announced, “If you’re lucky enough to be Irish, you’re lucky enough.” We’re feeling pretty lucky ourselves, at this point.
On a back road to Kilkenny
We headed out with TomTom in the off position after deciding to drive to Kilkenny over the back country roads. That way we could see the “real” Ireland, covering ground that most tourists never see. We could also sharpen our navigating skills and take significant detours around road construction sites while watching for road signs that didn’t exist. The first long climb was to Wicklow Gap, and from there you might say it was downhill all the way. We did see lots of interesting little towns, beautiful rolling green countryside, ancient stone walls, and approximately 275,000 sheep. We arrived in the fine town of Kilkenny just in time for a late lunch.
We headed out with TomTom in the off position after deciding to drive to Kilkenny over the back country roads. That way we could see the “real” Ireland, covering ground that most tourists never see. We could also sharpen our navigating skills and take significant detours around road construction sites while watching for road signs that didn’t exist. The first long climb was to Wicklow Gap, and from there you might say it was downhill all the way. We did see lots of interesting little towns, beautiful rolling green countryside, ancient stone walls, and approximately 275,000 sheep. We arrived in the fine town of Kilkenny just in time for a late lunch.
Irish cottage between Glendalough and Kilkenny
Kilkenny dates from the sixth century. It claims to be the most excellent illustration of a medieval town in Ireland, The castle is the center of attention, and to appreciate it one must have a little understanding of Irish history. It may surprise you to learn that the use of nicknames here was somewhat in vogue a thousand or so years ago. A Norman knight named Richard de Clare, nicknamed Strongbow, came here with others in 1172 and immediately did what all respectable leaders did back then; he built a castle. You may be concerned about the crime rate in the U.S. these days, or wars and skirmishes around the world; but did you ever think about why every medieval town had a big wall around it? Can you name a single place in Europe that existed before, say, 1300 A.D., that was not protected by considerable fortifications? The people must have been in a constant state of turmoil and fear. What on earth could have kept them all so stirred up all the time? If only someone had thought up representative government; then no one would have had time to think about attacking other towns--they would have all been too busy fighting city hall. Or what if someone had thought up TV, video games, cell phones, and computers? Think of the time those inventions would have taken away from making war and attacking your neighbors.
But you have been waiting patiently to read about Strongbow. He must have been short on cash, because the castle he built was of wood, on high ground above the River Nore. But he talked his daughter into marrying real money, and his son-in-law, the Earl of Pembroke, built a stone castle to take the place of the wooden one 20 years later. 90 years or so passed by, and in 1270 Sir Gilbert De Bohun inherited the County of Kilkenny and the castle from his mother. Yes, you read correctly. The County. When it comes to acquiring wealth, being born into it is by far the simplest method. Marrying into it is a distant second, but we will not discuss the reasons behind that statement here.
Inheriting an entire county in a country that had only 32 of them (only 29 these days) must have surely set the tongues to waggin'. It must have ticked off Edward I when he heard about it, because in 1300 he outlawed Sir Gilbert. Think about what that means, for a moment. Gil apparently did something to regain the good graces of the king, because he was reinstated three years later. He kept the castle until his death, whereupon the castle was seized by the crown and sold to the Butler family. The Butlers held it until 1935, when the Great Depression got the best of them and they abandoned ship, selling the entire contents for £6000. The place deteriorated until Arthur Butler, 6th Marquess and 24th Earl of Ormonde, sold it to the Castle Restoration Committee for £50, saying there were already too many ruins in Ireland. It must have been a big deal, because even Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull turned up at the party when the place was handed over.
There is a great deal more interesting history involving the castle at Kilkenny. You don't want to hear it, you say? Well, then, it's your loss. But send a note if you would like the 52 pages that tell the rest of the castle story. Meantime, let us describe the building itself. The local tourist office offers a 1-hour tour through the castle with experienced guides who know everything about the castle. The interiors have been extensively rebuilt, using original materials wherever possible and remaining faithful to the original design. Walking out onto the small balconies through the Venetian gothic windows, you are amazed with the splendor of the huge gardens below. The attention to detail to the plasterwork cornices and the bookcases in the library are particularly interesting. It is a shame that photos are not allowed inside the castle. It is also a shame that we had to acquire the information in this paragraph from guidebooks and web sites. You see, today is Good Friday, April 6, 2012, and the castle and tourist office are closed on Good Friday. We hope to go inside tomorrow morning.
Kilkenny dates from the sixth century. It claims to be the most excellent illustration of a medieval town in Ireland, The castle is the center of attention, and to appreciate it one must have a little understanding of Irish history. It may surprise you to learn that the use of nicknames here was somewhat in vogue a thousand or so years ago. A Norman knight named Richard de Clare, nicknamed Strongbow, came here with others in 1172 and immediately did what all respectable leaders did back then; he built a castle. You may be concerned about the crime rate in the U.S. these days, or wars and skirmishes around the world; but did you ever think about why every medieval town had a big wall around it? Can you name a single place in Europe that existed before, say, 1300 A.D., that was not protected by considerable fortifications? The people must have been in a constant state of turmoil and fear. What on earth could have kept them all so stirred up all the time? If only someone had thought up representative government; then no one would have had time to think about attacking other towns--they would have all been too busy fighting city hall. Or what if someone had thought up TV, video games, cell phones, and computers? Think of the time those inventions would have taken away from making war and attacking your neighbors.
But you have been waiting patiently to read about Strongbow. He must have been short on cash, because the castle he built was of wood, on high ground above the River Nore. But he talked his daughter into marrying real money, and his son-in-law, the Earl of Pembroke, built a stone castle to take the place of the wooden one 20 years later. 90 years or so passed by, and in 1270 Sir Gilbert De Bohun inherited the County of Kilkenny and the castle from his mother. Yes, you read correctly. The County. When it comes to acquiring wealth, being born into it is by far the simplest method. Marrying into it is a distant second, but we will not discuss the reasons behind that statement here.
Inheriting an entire county in a country that had only 32 of them (only 29 these days) must have surely set the tongues to waggin'. It must have ticked off Edward I when he heard about it, because in 1300 he outlawed Sir Gilbert. Think about what that means, for a moment. Gil apparently did something to regain the good graces of the king, because he was reinstated three years later. He kept the castle until his death, whereupon the castle was seized by the crown and sold to the Butler family. The Butlers held it until 1935, when the Great Depression got the best of them and they abandoned ship, selling the entire contents for £6000. The place deteriorated until Arthur Butler, 6th Marquess and 24th Earl of Ormonde, sold it to the Castle Restoration Committee for £50, saying there were already too many ruins in Ireland. It must have been a big deal, because even Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull turned up at the party when the place was handed over.
There is a great deal more interesting history involving the castle at Kilkenny. You don't want to hear it, you say? Well, then, it's your loss. But send a note if you would like the 52 pages that tell the rest of the castle story. Meantime, let us describe the building itself. The local tourist office offers a 1-hour tour through the castle with experienced guides who know everything about the castle. The interiors have been extensively rebuilt, using original materials wherever possible and remaining faithful to the original design. Walking out onto the small balconies through the Venetian gothic windows, you are amazed with the splendor of the huge gardens below. The attention to detail to the plasterwork cornices and the bookcases in the library are particularly interesting. It is a shame that photos are not allowed inside the castle. It is also a shame that we had to acquire the information in this paragraph from guidebooks and web sites. You see, today is Good Friday, April 6, 2012, and the castle and tourist office are closed on Good Friday. We hope to go inside tomorrow morning.
Kilkenny Castle, Good Friday 2012
In Kilkenny are located some of the most famous pubs, some of them centuries old. We had heard about their magnificent interiors and were looking forward to a meal in one of them. Unfortunately, on one day of the year all the pubs in Ireland are closed. You are quite capable of guessing of what day of the year I write. For those of you who have a wish to experience Irish beer or whiskey, you might mark your calendar with a big “X” on Good Friday. Funny thing about the Irish, though. This day without alcohol is surely in honor of a day of great sadness; but since most of the bars will be open tomorrow, folks here must not dwell on sadness for long. And since the bars will all be open on Easter Sunday, they’ll use any excuse for a celebration.
We did visit the Cathedral of Saint Canice, home church Dame Alice Kyteler, a wealthy lady who was convicted of witchcraft in the early 1300's, not long after Sir Gilbert got his castle back. Alice didn't have the physical appearance we normally associate with witches. This is evidenced by the fact that she convinced four consecutive men to marry her, the first three of whom she was suspected of poisoning, and the fourth of whom went mad. The Bishop, who was offended by her wealth and personal attacks on him by her relatives, conducted a local Inquisition, and among the charges brought against her and her fellow sorceresses was number 5, from the official record:
In Kilkenny are located some of the most famous pubs, some of them centuries old. We had heard about their magnificent interiors and were looking forward to a meal in one of them. Unfortunately, on one day of the year all the pubs in Ireland are closed. You are quite capable of guessing of what day of the year I write. For those of you who have a wish to experience Irish beer or whiskey, you might mark your calendar with a big “X” on Good Friday. Funny thing about the Irish, though. This day without alcohol is surely in honor of a day of great sadness; but since most of the bars will be open tomorrow, folks here must not dwell on sadness for long. And since the bars will all be open on Easter Sunday, they’ll use any excuse for a celebration.
We did visit the Cathedral of Saint Canice, home church Dame Alice Kyteler, a wealthy lady who was convicted of witchcraft in the early 1300's, not long after Sir Gilbert got his castle back. Alice didn't have the physical appearance we normally associate with witches. This is evidenced by the fact that she convinced four consecutive men to marry her, the first three of whom she was suspected of poisoning, and the fourth of whom went mad. The Bishop, who was offended by her wealth and personal attacks on him by her relatives, conducted a local Inquisition, and among the charges brought against her and her fellow sorceresses was number 5, from the official record:
"In order to arouse feelings of love or hatred, or to inflict death or disease on the bodies of the faithful, they made use of powders, unguents, ointments, and candles of fat, which were compounded as follows. They took the entrails of cocks sacrificed to demons, certain horrible worms, various unspecified herbs, dead men's nails, the hair, brains, and shreds of the cerements of boys who were buried unbaptized, with other abominations, all of which they cooked, with various incantations, over a fire of oak-logs in a vessel made out of the skull of a decapitated thief."
Alice also became the first alleged witch to be accused of having intercourse with demons, further demonstrating the Bishop's ability to think outside the box. The Dame's spirit still resides at nearby Kyteler's Inn, they say, and roams the streets of Kilkenny as well. We are going to bed now, with the covers pulled up over our heads.
Cathedral of Saint Canice, Kilkenny
Charlie and Tricia
Copyright 2012
Hi Charlie-
ReplyDeleteLove these blogs. Sam told me to tell you that as he understands it, you can buy a castle there and as long as it has no roof, you do not have to pay tax on the property...
Happy Travels!
FS