Kilkenny Castle

Welcome to Kilkenny Castle, a magnificent fortress that has stood as the watchful guardian of this city for over eight hundred years. As you stand here on The Parade, you are looking at one of the most iconic landmarks in all of Ireland, a site where history has been written in stone since the twelfth century. This spot was chosen for its strategic height overlooking a crossing point of the River Nore, making it the perfect place for the Anglo-Normans to assert their power. While the castle you see today has the polished look of a Victorian grand house, underneath that facade are the massive walls and circular towers of a medieval stronghold that survived sieges, civil wars, and the rise and fall of dynasties. Take a moment to appreciate the sheer scale of the three remaining original towers, which have survived since the thirteenth century, framing a courtyard that once echoed with the sounds of knights and noblemen. You are standing at the heart of the Marble City, so called because of the dark, fossil-rich limestone that paves the streets and gives the castle its distinctive, silver-grey glow. Let us step closer and discover the stories of the family that called this fortress home for nearly six centuries.