Kilkenny Castle

Lonely Planet review

Kilkenny Castle is one of Ireland's most magnificent fortresses and a premier tourist attraction. The first structure on the site was a wooden tower built in 1172 by Richard de Clare, the Anglo-Norman conqueror better known as Strongbow. In 1192 Strongbow's son-in-law, William Marshall, erected a stone castle with four towers, three of which still survive.

The focus of a 40-minute guided tour is the Long Gallery, in the wing of the castle nearest the lovely Nore river. The gallery showcases stuffy portraits of the Butler family in an impressive hall with high ceilings painted with vivid Celtic and Pre-Raphaelite motifs. The castle basement is also home to the Butler Gallery, one of the country's most important art galleries outside Dublin. Also in the basement, the castle kitchen houses a popular summertime cafe. You can head directly to either the Butler Gallery or the cafe without paying the tour admission price. About 20 hectares of parkland extend to the southeast, with a Celtic cross-shaped rose garden, a fountain to the northern end and a children's playground to the south.