We borrowed the keys to this castle and got to explore on our own — thank you Kilkenny Office of Public Works!
More stories and videos of Burnchurch Castle to come, as soon as I figure out how to rotate the image for WordPress….
Category / Visiting Ireland
Burrishole “Abbey”
It turns out Burrishole Abbey was never actually an abbey. Although some people know it by that name, the more proper term is Burrishoole Friary.
Glen brought us there in September, when I expressed interest in seeing ruins. It’s located just outside of Newport, which is where he favorite B&B, Seapoint House, is located. (Carol took such great care of us there!)
If you have family there, you can even check the Find a Grave website to locate their internment location.
“When will we go in Ireland?”
When I texted this photo of St. Canice’s interior to my (awesome) sister-in-law Lucy she texted back:
Christopher (age 2) wouldn’t stop staring at the image on the screen.
David (age 4) asked, “When will we go in Ireland?” That’s exactly what I want to know! How I miss my nephews (and their parents).
St. Canice’s nave.
Kilkenny and her Round Tower
I’ve been to Kilkenny three times now, and the place never ceases to inspire and amaze me. I’ll be posting videos soon of the adventures Dave and I had exploring castles/tower houses in the area.
Today, I’m posting some images from a day mom and I spent there this past weekend. We visited the town, its castle, and St. Canice’s Cathedral with one of the only two round towers in Ireland (I read) that’s open to the public for climbing a top.
St. Canice is part of the Church of Ireland… it’s a Protestant church of Anglican/Episcopalina heritage, as evidenced by the kneeling rail a front the altar and the Evening Song we observed.
A view from the bridge on St. John Street.
Kilkenny is the home of Smithwick’s brewery, but Guinness is popular here, too.
Mom and i visited Kilkenny Castle.
We visited the Cathedral Church of St. Canices. It was too wet that day to climb the Round Tower, but we enjoyed displays and singing inside the church.
Evening song at St. Canices.
Stained glass window from St. Canices. It was destroyed, but fortunately an Italian who had wanted to buy it had had it carefully documented, and they were able to produce another.
The impressive heating system in St. Canices. Now that, my friends, is a radiator! The pipes continue down, under the floor. Heat rises up through the ornate grates.
View back from the altar of St. Canices, toward the choir area.
We got caught in the rain… surprise!
Giant Irish Deer
Giant Deer roamed Ireland 10,000 years ago. The soil here (bogs of peet in many places) is a good preserver. They’ve found many interesting fossils in the bogs, including human remains.
In Thurles, Dave and I saw an impressive set of antlers hanging in the dining room of the castle. And in Kilkenny, my Mom and I saw another set in the dining room of the Rothe House. These antlers haven’t been hanging her too long (in Irish terms). They were uncovered only in 1900.
They have been hung at the height the deer’s head would have stood above the floor. An impressive creature, no? The informational plaque depicts what he would have looked like during his lifetime.
Antlers of a Giant Irish Deer.
Description posted at the Rothe House in Kilkenny
Loving Westport
A canal runs through downtown Westport.
This is the “octagon” in Westport.
A favorite archway… Glen McClure brought us here last month.
The Protestant church in Westport.
A contemporary sculpture next to the IshSko Center.
Reflections on news
It never ceases to amaze me that the Irish serve lasagna with a side of fries (which they call “chips” or “wedges”). Here, potato chips are called “crisps.”
Salad Plate
Many thanks to Glen McClure for introducing us Chances to the Irish “salad plate.” (I always take a bite before I remember to take a snapshot for you!)
This is a “Achill salmon salad plate.”
High Tech in Kilkenny
A vist to the Rothe House in downtown Kilkenny, with Mom.
We learned a bit about technology over the centuries during our visit to Kilkenny’s Rothe House this weekend… everything from timber frame construction, to cooking techniques, to fashion.
The Rothe House also provided a diagram of the garderobe, to help you understand the toilet system used throughout Europe from the medieval ages until the Industrial Revolution. Unlike this one, in most of the castles around Kilkenny, the garderobe was inside the wall and accessed through a corridor in the wall. They hung clothes in this corridor, because the acid in the air deterred mites and bugs.
Of course, there’s always been the option of a chamber pot. I’ve provided a reflection shot of an antique shop that has two chamber pots for sale.
Chamber pots for sale.
Garderobe diagram
Description of the guarderobe.
How’s this for style? I’d have thought this metal contraption was for fishing, not wearing!
Innovative cooking methods.
The Roth House’s magnificent timber roof structure.
A vist to the Rothe House in downtown Kilkenny, with Mom.
A Stunning River Valley
Mom has been out in County Kerry the past four days, seeing the place her grandmother grew up and meeting her distant cousin, Eilish O’Hanlon. Dave and I had the pleasure of meeting Eilish and her husband Con in 2003 and am thrilled Mom finally got the chance to know them.
They live quite close to the mouth of the River Shannon.
I’ve attached a beautiful photo, taken farther up the River Shannon, that my friend Glen McClure shared on Facebook some weeks back. It makes me want to get back there soon. I caught a glimpse of the River recently myself, as the train sped over it on the way to Westport last Monday.
Doesn’t this ad make you want to visit Shannon?
Westport
The canal running through downtown Westport.
It never ceases to amaze me that they serve lasagna with fries (called chips or wedges). Here, potato chips are called “crisps”.
The Protestant church in Westport.
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A contemporary sculpture next to the IshSko Center.
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Reflections on news.
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The “octagon” in Westport.
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A favorite archway… Glen McClure brought us here last month.
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This is a “Achill salmon salad plate”. Many thanks to Glen McClure for helping me figure out what a “salad plate” is.
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The train knew I was coming. All the train cars are brand-spanking new.
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The Cullan brothers sat across from me on the train. Our Macs communed. (And my iPhone distorted their heads… live and learn!)
Ireland by Chance 