Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [190]
Across the Parade from Kilkenny Castle, the 1760-built former castle stables have been extensively renovated and now house the National Craft Gallery Click here, as well as a number of local craftspeople such as silversmiths. The front building contains the gallery-like shops of the Kilkenny Design Centre ( 056-772 2118; www.kilkennydesign.com; Castle Yard), where top-end Irish crafts and artwork for sale includes items by artisans county-wide.
Pick up a free craft trail brochure from the tourist office.
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CENTRAL KILKENNY
The area south – and most notably southeast – of Kilkenny city is laced with country roads and dotted with cute villages overlooking the rich, green Barrow and Nore valleys. This is fine walking country and is also home to some of the county’s most notable craftspeople, whose workshops can be visited.
Much of the area is easily visited on a daytrip from the city, but you really need your own wheels, as public transport is limited.
Kells & Around
Kells (not to be confused with Kells in County Meath) is a mere hamlet with a fine stone bridge on a tributary of the Nore. However, in Kells Priory, the village has one of Ireland’s most impressive and romantic monastic sites. The village is 13km south of Kilkenny city on the R697. A taxi from Kilkenny city costs about €25 one-way.
KELLS PRIORY
This is the best sort of ruin, where visitors can amble about whenever they like, with no tour guides, tours, set hours or fees. At dusk on a vaguely sunny day the old priory is simply beautiful. Most days you stand a chance of exploring the site alone (apart from bleating sheep).
The earliest remains of this gorgeous monastic site date from the late 12th century, while the bulk of the present ruins are from the 15th century. In a sea of rich farmland, a carefully restored protective wall connects seven dwelling towers. Inside the walls are the remains of an Augustinian abbey and the foundations of some chapels and houses. It’s unusually well fortified for a monastery and the heavy curtain walls hint at a troubled history. Indeed, within a single century from 1250, the abbey was twice fought over and burned down by squabbling warlords. It slid into permanent decline beginning when it was suppressed in 1540.
The ruins are 800m east of Kells on the Stonyford road.
KILREE ROUND TOWER & HIGH CROSS
About 2km south of Kells (signposted from the priory car park) there’s a 29m-high round tower and a simple early high cross, which is said to mark the grave of a 9th-century Irish high king, Niall Caille. He’s said to have drowned in the King’s River at Callan some time in the 840s while attempting to save a servant, and his body washed up near Kells. His final resting place lies beyond the church grounds because he wasn’t a Christian.
CALLAN FAMINE GRAVEYARD
West of Kilree, and signposted off the main road 2km south of Callan, is a cemetery where the local victims of the Great Famine are buried. It isn’t much to look at, but the unmarked graves are a poignant reminder of the anonymity of starvation.
Bennettsbridge & Around
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Just 7km south of Kilkenny city on the R700, Bennettsbridge is an arts-and-crafts treasure chest, although these treasures are scattered throughout the town, rather than within a concentrated area.
In a big mill by the river west of town, pottery shop Nicholas Mosse Irish Country Shop ( 056-772 7105; www.nicholasmosse.com; 10am-6pm Mon-Sat, 1.30-5pm Sun) specialises in handmade spongeware – creamy-brown pottery decorated with sponged patterns. It also sells linens and other handmade craft items (although some hail from lands of cheap labour far from Ireland). A seconds shop yields huge savings. Its cafe is the best choice locally for lunch, with a creative line-up of soups, sandwiches, hot dishes and its renowned scones.
Signposted up the road, Keith Mosse Bespoke ( 056-772 7948; www.keithmosse.com; 11am-6pm Wed-Sat, noon-6pm Sun) is home to the eponymous craftsman,