Kilkenny Castle and grounds

Kilkenny Castle sits on a large park beside a river. The formal gardens feature a fountain, and are set out in the shape of a Celtic Cross. The castle grounds also feature paths in bluebell woods, riverside walks and ponds with birds.

The castle was begun by the Earl of Pembroke in 1195 to control the waterways converging at the River Nore, and was later occupied by the Butler family, the Dukes of Ormonde, who held it from the 1390s to the 1930s.

Since 1967, the castle has been owned by the nation. It has been restored and maintained, with some considerable difficulty and expense, by the OPW, the Office of Public Works.