Ireland - Day 16

September 5, 2025: This morning we left Cork and made our way to Kilkenny via the “Big Green Bus” which is a coach bus that travels from Cork to Dublin with stops in Kilkenny. It was about a 2-1/2 hour bus ride, so we arrive at around Noon. We had reservations at a place called The Marble Bar & Tea Room for lunch, but we stopped at our hotel (The Pembroke) first to drop our bags at the concierge. Luckily, our room was ready, so instead we dropped our bags in our room and then quickly headed to the restaurant. The Marble Bar & Tea Room is one of the oldest public houses in County Kilkenny. It’s famed for retaining many of its original features. I also selected it because it was close to the historic sites were were visiting today. After lunch we headed to St. Mary’s Medieval Mile Museum. The museum is housed within the beautifully restored 13th-century St. Mary’s Church in Kilkenny and provides visitors with an interesting journey through over 800 years of history in Kilkenny. There was a self-guided audio tour that we took advantage of which gave a lot of the history. Next we headed to Kilkenny Castle. Built in 1213 by Norman knight William Marshal, the castle was designed as a symbol of strength and control, guarding a key crossing point into the medieval city. For nearly 600 years it was the seat of the Butler family, one of Ireland’s most influential dynasties, who shaped much of the region’s political and cultural life. The castle withstood several sieges, including Oliver Cromwell’s infamous assault in 1650. It was reshaped into a grand Victorian mansion in the 19th century, complete with lavish interiors. When the Butlers finally left in 1935, the castle began to fall into decline until 1967, when it was sold to the people of Kilkenny for a token sum of £50. Since then, it has been restored and reopened to the public. We enjoyed walking through the castle and getting a feel for what life must have been life for those living here at the time.

We went back to the hotel for a while to unpack before heading out to check out the city of Kilkenny in evening. We stopped at a couple pubs, but our last stop was at The Cleere’s Bar & Theater and we were so glad we decided to stop there. We ended up meeting a group of Irish gentleman who were so much fun to hang out with. It was our 40th pub we had visiting, so they bought us a pint to celebrate. We shared stories, they gave us tips and we laughed. It was a great first night in Kilkenny! Rob, one of the crew, introduce us to a guy who will be working at our Smithwick’s experience tomorrow. He told him to take care of us, so it should be fun tomorrow :)