Kilkenny & The Southeast
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a walkable town with plenty of shopping and food. It’s worth the time to wander around. There were a couple of highlights worth exploring:
Kilkenny Castle is high on the hill and hard to miss. The large lawn in front of the castle is full of activity and a good place to hangout, picnic, or watch kids practicing various Irish sports.
Butler House Garden is scenic, peaceful, and was secluded when we visited in the afternoon.
Cashel
Rock of Cashel is a beautiful ruin on top of a small hill overlooking the town. The guided tour is insightful and worth an hour wondering around.
Granny’s Kitchen is a cafe right near Rock of Cashel with some great baked goods to refuel after your visit.
St. Dominick's Abbey, Cashel is a short walk down the hill from Rock of Cashel. There isn’t a formal tour and you can walk through the ruins on your own. There are some interesting carving and structures to explore over a vast swatch of land.
Thomastown
We stayed in a perfect inn called Ballyduff House with an incredible Irish breakfast each morning, beautiful gardens to wander through, and access to a scenic walking trail around the house. You really feel like you’re coming home to a castle as you enter the long tree-lined drive that opens onto the house and gardens.
Kinsale
We spent an afternoon wandering around the fishing town of Kinsale. It has some beautiful painted houses on a hill all overlooking the quaint harbor lined with restaurants. Spend an hour or so wandering through the narrow streets before grabbing a bite. We had a phenomenal meal at Fishy Fishy, which we’ve since seen on travel and food shows.
Cork
We spent a short time in Cork, but did love our exploration of a large indoor market, called the English Market. Wander through around lunchtime for a taste of what local artisans have to offer.
Cahir
We wanted to stop in Tipperary and found a small village called Cahir (a “tidy town”!). We spent an hour or two wandering around the castle there and exploring the surrounding gardens and stream. Lots of other people were out and about playing frisbee and being active in the castle grounds.
