DAY 9 / FRIDAY / MARCH 16
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF IRELAND
OVERNIGHT IN DUBLIN
Kilkenny, on the shores of the River Nore, is the finest medieval town
in Ireland and one known for its artisans. A flourishing civic, ecclesiastical
and government center for more than 1,000 years, it boasts splendid
buildings, including the dominant
Kilkenny Castle.
Built in the 1190s by the Norman leader
Strongbow, Kilkenny Castle was
occupied right up until 1935. The powerful Butler family lived in it from
the late 14th century, but because of the exorbitant upkeep, their descendants
donated the Castle to the nation in 1967.
Blue Hall Portrait Gallery at Kilkenny Castle
Kyteler's Inn, a medieval coaching inn, is named after Dame Alice Kyteler,
a 14th-century witch who once lived in the building. Like most of the pubs
in the city, Kyteler's Inn sells Smithwick's beer, which has been brewed in
Kilkenny since 1710.
Kilkenny Design Centre, housed in Kilkenny Castle's stable block, has a
nationwide reputation. You can see craftspeople in action and also buy
their works.
Virtual Tour of Kilkenny
From Kilkenny, we drive to Dublin and visit the
National Museum of Ireland at Michael Collins Barracks.
The museum is home to a wide range of objects which include weaponry, furniture,
silver, ceramics and glassware, as well as examples of folklife and costume.
The exhibitions have been designed in innovative and contemporary galleries.
One section of tghe museum is devoted to The 1916 Easter Rising and the heros of Irish Independence. like
Michael Collins and
Patrick Pearse.
The five-star Conrad Dublin hotel, located in the heart of Dublin city center, is just
across the street from the National Concert Hall and around the corner from beautiful
St. Stephens Green.
The hotel's traditional Irish Pub of our Dublin hotel, called "Alfie Byrne's", is as popular
with the locals in Ireland as it is with Conrad Dublin hotel guests.
