Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [184]
ST CANICE’S CATHEDRAL
Soaring over the north end of the centre is Ireland’s second-largest medieval cathedral (after St Patrick’s in Dublin), St Canice’s Cathedral ( 056-776 4971; www.stcanicescathedral.ie; St Canice’s Pl; adult/child €4/3, combo ticket with Rothe House €6; 9am-6pm Mon-Sat, 2-6pm Sun Jun-Aug, 10am-1pm & 2-5pm Mon-Sat, 2-5pm Sun Apr-May & Sep, 10am-1pm & 2-4pm Mon-Sat, 2-4pm Sun Oct-Mar). This Gothic edifice with its iconic round tower has had a long and fascinating history. Legend has it that the first monastery was built here in the 6th century by St Canice, Kilkenny’s patron saint. Records show that a wooden church on the site was burned down in 1087.
The existing structure was raised between 1202 and 1285, but then endured a series of catastrophes and resurrections. The first disaster, the collapse of the church tower in 1332, was the consequence of Dame Alice Kyteler’s conviction for witchcraft. Her maid was also convicted, and her nephew, William Outlawe, was implicated. The unfortunate maid was burned at the stake, but Dame Alice escaped to London and William spared himself by offering to re-roof part of St Canice’s Cathedral with lead tiles. His new roof proved too heavy, however, bringing the church tower down with it.
In 1650 Cromwell’s forces defaced and damaged the church, using it to stable their horses. Repairs began in 1661 and are still ongoing. The beautiful roof in the nave was completed in 1863. Also worth a look is a model of Kilkenny as it was in 1642 – things haven’t changed that much.
Inside, highly polished ancient grave slabs are set on the walls and the floor. On the northern wall, opposite the entrance, a slab inscribed in Norman French commemorates Jose de Keteller, who died in 1280; despite the difference in spelling he was probably the father of Alice Kyteler. The stone chair of St Kieran embedded in the wall dates from the 13th century. The fine 1596 monument to Honorina Grace at the western end of the southern aisle is made of beautiful local black limestone. In the southern transept, a handsome black tomb has effigies of Piers Butler, who died in 1539, and his wife, Margaret Fitzgerald. Tombs and monuments (listed on a board in the southern aisle) to other notable Butlers crowd this corner of the church.
Outside the cathedral, a 30m-high round tower (adult/child €3/2.50; Apr-Oct) rises amid an odd array of ancient tombstones and is the oldest structure within the grounds. It was built sometime between AD 700 and 1000 on the site of an earlier Christian cemetery. Apart from missing its crown, the round tower is in excellent condition and those aged over 12 can admire a fine view from the top. It’s a tight squeeze and you’ll need both hands to climb the 100 steps up steep ladders. The approach to the cathedral on foot from Parliament St leads you over Irishtown Bridge and up St Canice’s Steps, which date from 1614; the wall at the top contains fragmentary medieval carvings. The leaning tombstones scattered about the grounds prompt you to look at the very least for a black cat.
ROTHE HOUSE
Ireland’s best surviving example of a 16th-century merchant’s house is the Tudor Rothe House ( 056-772 2893; www.rothehouse.com; Parliament St; adult/child €5/4, combo ticket with cathedral €6; 10.30am-5pm Mon-Sat, 3-5pm Sun Apr-Oct, 10.30am-4.30pm Mon-Sat Nov-Mar). Built around a series of courtyards, it now houses a museum with local artefacts including a well-used Viking sword found nearby and a grinning head sculpted from a stone by a Celtic artist. The king-post roof of the 2nd floor is a meticulous reconstruction.
In the 1640s the wealthy Rothe family played a part in the Confederation of Kilkenny, and Peter Rothe, son of the original builder, had all his property confiscated. His sister was able to reclaim it, but just before the Battle of the Boyne (1690) the family supported James II and so lost the house permanently. In 1850 a Confederation banner was discovered