Fun things to do in Kilkenny

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Walking further north along the High street you come across a limestone and bronze statue called Cainneach (St. Canice, from whom comes the name Kilkenny) and then to the Old jailhouse and Court formerly known as Grace's castle. It was the town house of the Grace family and was leased to the crown in 1566 as a prison. The building stayed that way for over 200 years until being transformed into a courthouse. The facade still has parts of the old jail to be seen. Just across the road is a nice little lane that climbs a small hill behind Rothe house and has some well renovated terrace houses. Rothe house is one of Kilkenny's historic houses and dates from 1610. It now houses a genealogical museum and can be visited along with the gardens. There are some 2500 articles in the museum and show much of Kilkenny's heritage.
http://rothehouse.com/

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After leaving the castle by the Parade, cross the road and this is the High street, which is the main shopping area and also has a few of Kilkenny's monuments. First you come to the Town Hall that sits astride the walkway and St. Mary's church, not to be confused with St. Mary's cathedral, which is further along and to the left. The town hall, known as the Tolsel was built in 1579 and further extended in 1760. The clock tower on the roof is copper plated and octagonal. Under the arcade were a couple of buskers keeping warm and here apparently there are exhibitions from time to time. Although rebuilt in the 1700's St Marys was originally built in the early 13th c but has been de-consecrated since 1957. It has been bought by the Council and is part of a project to bring life back to the old stones. The graveyard holds many of the tombs of the rich merchants of Kilkenny and a tour is available by appointment with the Borough council. Just along from the town hall is Butterslip, a narrow dark alleyway that leads down to St. Kierans street. Rather picturesque, so called because of the medieval butter sellers, that came here when the passage was made in 1616.

Located on the Nore River in the heart of Kilkenny, the castle is one of Irelands best restored fortresses.

Building began back in the 12th Century and restoration work continues today.

It is a specactular looking place, surrounded by beautiful gardens.

To explore the castle you have to do a guided tour. The tour lasts for approximately 1.5hrs, costs around 5 euro and was very informative and well worth the money.

Kilkenny town centre has very narrow streets lined with old , beautiful and historic buildings. Ideal streets to walk and admire the buildings.We loved exploring the little streets, side alleys and the buildings.

After arriving in Kilkenny and settling down in our B&B we decided to go for a walk to explore the town a little as we had a long day of driving. The first thing we saw after leaving our B&B and crossing the river was Matt the Miller's pub. Address: John Street, Kilkenny
Directions: Bridge over River Nore.

At the black Abbey we met two elderly gents who just came from church and started talking to us about what to see in Kilkenny. I mentioned that I wanted to see the gate, but pronounced it totally wrong only to be corrected by the one old dear and I am sure he taught me the gaelic name for it. It is the only remaining gate or entrance to the walled city. The city walls, built around 1300, formed three sides of defense with the river as the fourth, making the city nearly impenetrable from attack.

Rothe House, is a unique Irish 17th century merchant’s townhouse complex located in the city of Kilkenny, Ireland.[1] The complex was built by John Rothe Fitz-Piers between 1594-1610 and is made up of three houses, three enclosed courtyards, and a large reconstructed garden with orchard.[2]

Rothe House is considered to be nationally significant because of the wide range of original post-medieval features which survive in good condition in Ireland.[3] The property, an important element of Kilkenny’s heritage, is owned by the Kilkenny Archaeological Society and houses some of the society's collection of artefacts relating to Kilkenny City, County and Ireland.

The garden to the rear of the house has been reconstructed to reflect a typical 17th century garden. The burgage plot on which Rothe House was built survives intact one of a few in such an unaltered state. Kilkenny's medieval city wall forms part of the curtilage of the Rothe House complex.

John's Bridge is one of two main bridges in Kilkenny spanning the River Nore it connects John Street to Kilkenny city. It was first built after 1200 and has been rebuilt many times since the twelfth century due to constant floods including the great floods of 1487 and 1763. It has been called John's Bridge since the Middle Ages.

The present-day John's Bridge was completed in 1910 and spans 140 ft (43 m) across the River Nore. It was reputedly, at the time it was completed, the longest single-span reinforced bridge in Ireland or Britain. The Design was by Mouchel & Partners using the Hennebique system of reinforcement. The arch consists of three ribs, tapering from 2 ft 6 in (0.76 m) to 2 ft (0.61 m) deep. The traverse deck beams are each 2 ft (0.61 m) deep.