The day after Blarney Castle, we headed to Kilkenny Castle for a different kind of experience. Kilkenny
Castle is in the middle of the city of Kilkenny. It was a Norman castle built by King John in 1260 to control a ford in the River Nore.  It was a symbol of Norman occupation with its four large, circular corner towers.

The castle was occupied continuously for over 700 years.  In 1967, Arthur Butler, 6th Marquess of Ormonde, sold the castle for £50 to the Castle Restoration Committee of Kilkenny. That price might sound cheap, but the castle was very much a fixer-upper by then.  The castle and grounds are now managed by the Office of Public Works, and the gardens and parkland are open to the public. The Parade Tower is a conference venue.

When we entered the castle, we started with a short movie about the history of the castle and the
families that lived there. Then we took a self-guided tour of 15 rooms in the castle that have been
restored to their Victorian era appearance. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to own a family
home through so many generations. It is so different to our American experience. Not only is the family
tied to a place, each subsequent generation has this grand heritage to maintain.

What would it be like to be the Arthur Butler, 6th Marquess of Ormonde and 24th Earl of Ormonde?  He had a son – didn’t he want to pass the castle to his son?  At what point do you choose to sell the 800 year
old family home instead of continuing to renovate it? Do you feel that you let all your ancestors down
because you couldn’t afford to take care of this grand, old building?

I was especially asking these questions as we walked through the art gallery where generations of
portraits were hanging. You could tell when they lived in the castle by their clothing. Hundreds of years
of one family, in all different permutations and political situations.  Fascinating.

When Tom and I finished touring the castle, we walked around the park lands. The city of Kilkenny uses
the extensive grounds as a public park. On the day we visited, we saw people having a picnic or a nap
on the lawn. Some young men were practicing hurling (like field hockey, not vomiting). Children
were playing on the colorful playground. People were strolling along the path by the river. Others were
enjoying an ice cream sold from a truck just outside the garden walls. It was nice to see so many people
enjoying this resource.

Once we were finished in Kilkenny, the tour bus headed for Dublin, our last Irish city and the capital of
Ireland. We arrived around 5 pm and had the evening free. Tom and I found a Tesco, a grocery/ready
to eat store that has been our staple for the suppers we have on our own. We grabbed two fresh salads,
our favorite Tesco rolls, and some chicken strips. A delicious, healthy, low-sodium supper.

Except for the donuts. On our way to Tesco we saw Offbeat Donuts and decided to go in and check it
out. The smell in that place was as good as the smell inside Krispy Kreme. Yeast and sugar. Heaven! I got a red velvet, cream-filled donut and Tom got a glazed donut with maple icing. We had the donuts
after our salads. They were so good! But there was enough sugar in one donut to last me for a week!
Good thing we have been walking a lot every day. Have to keep up our tourist energy.