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Kilkenny: An historic melting pot
 Formed
from the old Gaelic kingdom of Ossory, an independent buffer state between
the provinces of Leinster and Munster, Kilkenny is one of the most individual
counties in Ireland.
The county’s two great rivers, the Nore and the Barrow, flow through
rich pastures and woodland, past beautiful towns and villages and past
dramatic ruins of castles, monasteries and friaries.
Kilkenny has a proud hurling history the local cry is: “Hurling
is a game for piano tuners; football is a game for piano removers.”
But it also boasts that very rare thing in Ireland a colliery town.
Castlecomer was at one time the centre of Ireland’s only significant
coal seam, the Leinster coalfield.
“Burn everything British except for their coal!” was their
motto.
But it is the beauty of the county and the city which is the area’s
glory, inspiring songwriters and poets alike. The poet Edmund Spenser
visited on at least two occasions and wrote in the Faerie Queene of “the
stubborn Nore whose waters grey by fair Kilkenny and Rosponte [New Ross]”.
Although Kilkenny’s history stretches back to pre-Christian times,
it wasn’t until the swinging ’60s (the 860s to be exact) that
Kilkenny began to emerge as a city of prominence.
The Vikings arrived in Ireland in the mid-ninth century and a local king,
Cerball Mac Dúnglainge, saw the potential of uniting various bands
of Viking raiders and managed to turn himself into one of the most powerful
kings in Leinster. Kilkenny was on its way!
ANGLO AGGRO
In the 12th century the peace of Kilkenny (and Ireland) was shattered
by the arrival of the Anglo Normans.
Over the next century-and-a-half the new arrivals made more than a bit
of a nuisance of themselves but then they too gradually settled in to
their new home.
So successful were the newcomers in integrating into Kilkenny society
that in 1366 the parliament in London passed the Statutes of Kilkenny
to prevent the colonisers becoming “more Irish than the Irish themselves”.
But it was too late. Practically all Kilkenny residents by this time had
both Celtic and Norman blood coursing through their veins and the character
of the county even today reflects this great amalgamation of cultures.
Kilkenny city has long been central to Anglo-Irish affairs. It was one
of the chief venues for Anglo-Irish parliaments in the Middle Ages and
when in 1641 the Great Rebellion broke out, Kilkenny became the de facto
capital of Ireland.
Now all is peace and tranquillity and although Kilkenny bears the indelible
marks of its long history — it is quite simply one of the most handsome
cities in these islands.
Most of the surviving buildings are made from limestone rock, which when
polished becomes “as black as ink”, as per the description
in Carrickfergus.
The survival of medieval Kilkenny is attributable more to accident than
to design.
Until the 1650s it remained of prime importance but thereafter its fortunes
dwindled and later generations of townspeople could not afford to demolish
the old buildings, with the pleasing result that much of the original
city survived castles, cobblestoned alleyways, cathedrals and churches.
Today the citizens of the city not only have their spiritual side looked after
with all the cathedrals and churches about their cultural needs are well
attended to as well.
Every August the Kilkenny Arts Festival brings international artistes
from all over the world, while in June the monumentally-successful Kilkenny
Cats Laughter Festival attracts some of the finest alternative comedians
these islands (and beyond) have to offer.
To paraphrase Bob Monkhouse when someone first suggested a comedy festival
in Kilkenny everybody laughed.
Well, they’re not laughing now. (Well, actually, they are.)
castles and ccobblestones
Kilkenny Castle is up there with Edinburgh Castle, the Tower of London
or Mad Ludwig’s Castle in Bavaria one of the great castles of Europe.
It looms large over 800 years of the city’s history, built just
after the Norman invasion.
You can tour the inside of the old grey building, walk in the gardens,
or visit the art gallery.
The Long Gallery has an extensive portrait collection of the Butlers,
the big shout in these parts from 1391 until 1935 — and arguably
beyond, because Princess Di was part of the family.
The 24th Earl of Ormonde sold the sadly dilapidated castle to the State
in 1967 for 50 quid and auctioned its contents.
Fortunately most of the stuff was recovered and the Butler Gallery in
the castle now exhibits some of the finest art in Ireland.
The 50 acres of estate round the castle are well-equipped with yew trees,
rose garden, fountain, arboretum and children’s playground.
In the castle’s stable yard during the 1960s the Irish Government
established Kilkenny Design Workshops. A stream of talented designers
and craftworkers from around Europe set-up shop in the 18th century crescent
of stables.
Many subsequently established studio workshops in Co. Kilkenny, spawning
a thriving crafts culture.
The Crescent Yard, now headquarters of the Crafts Council of Ireland,
is also home to one of the country’s best craft stores, Kilkenny
Design Centre and the National Craft Gallery, where regular exhibitions
are held.
Crafty Co. Kilkenny
A trip up the Nore valley will take you past some of Ireland’s loveliest
villages such as Inistioge, where Maeve Binchy’s romantic yarn Circle
Of Friends was filmed.
Near Inistioge are the postcard-grade villages of Kilfane and Bennettsbridge
the latter is the place to head for if crafts are your bag almost literally.
You will find innovative leather bags by French designer Edmond Chesneau.
His meticulously-finished, pigskin-lined bags in edgy shades of turquoise,
lime green and red, are destined for boutiques in Dublin and London but
you can grab a sly look here in deepest rural Ireland. Tel + 35356 7727456
www.chesneaudesign.com
Bennettsbridge is also home to the old flour mill that houses Nicholas
Mosse Pottery, specialising in traditional Irish spongeware. Downstairs
you can see pots being thrown and decorated with hand-sponged patterns.
To continue your crafts trail, head for Ireland’s only town in Ireland
named after a Welshman.
Set amidst some of the Nore Valley’s soporifically lovely scenery,
Thomastown is an old Anglo Norman settlement.
The ruins of the old walls still surround the town and a 13th century
church remains.
Just outside the town is All That Glisters, the home of Sue Bowden’s
contemporary jewellery made from Connemara marble and of course black
Kilkenny marble.
Just outside Thomastown is Jerpoint Abbey and nearby are the Jerpoint
Glass Studios.
Here you can see glowing furnaces and watch on as four teams of master
craftsmen blow, balance and manipulate red-hot molten glass. |
