We arose to yet another good day of weather, starting our day with Mass in the nearby church of St. John the Evangelist, still a little tired from the hike the day before. Our first stop was Kilkenny Castle – an elaborate structure with a long history in the Butler family, situated on the River Nore. Amidst the giant portraits of English and Anglo-Irish conquerors in the long gallery, we were informed that the castle is also the home of the first flush toilet. Altogether a very impressive place.
As we left the castle we crossed over to the old stable structures which now house Kilkenny Design workshops. This was a welcome stop and many took the opportunity to shop for gifts. We continued back across the Nore into the city of Kilkenny, named for the "church of St. Canice." Chartered in 1207, though an ecclesial center from the 8th century, the city is an interesting mix of modern and medieval. We visited the site in a pub where the poet Thomas Moore proposed to his wife, and read a famous poem of his from our packet there, "The Meeting of the Waters." We moved on to several early medieval buildings including an almshouse and the home of Dame Alice Kyteler, who gained fame for being prosecuted as a witch after accumulaing considerable wealth through the death of several banker husbands.
On a more elevated note, we saw a Dominican church and St. Canice’s Cathedral and round tower. We were not able to access these because there was a confirmation underway when we arrived.
On our way back to Dublin, we stopped in the small town of Castledermott at an ancient monastic site to see two fine examples of High Crosses. These were engraved with bible stories as a way of teaching the word of God to those who couldn't read it themselves. At the site here was also a "hogback", a burial stone associated with the Vikings, which suggests that they had perhaps raided the site at one point. We enjoyed a quick ride home – safe and sound by 6 PM to our host families.
No comments:
Post a Comment