After breakfast we did a quick walk around Kilkenny, We walked the Medieval Mile as it is named, culminating with a visit to St. Canice’s Close. Of the original monastery built there in the 6th century, only the bell tower remains. Originally it was meant to ring out the hours for the monks. Over the years, fighting between the Protestant and Catholic churches often targeted the monastery on the hill overlooking the river Nore. Cromwell even had a crack at it. The “Close” was a compound which surrounded the monastery and the homes of the canons and church officials. The earliest records show large gardens within its walls.
All that remains of the original monastery is the bell tower, but 800 years ago the ruins of the first monastery was cleared and a grand Gothic Church was built adjacent to the bell tower. Only small sections of the wall of the Close remain. The church yard has some large grave plots, probably of those who had the means to gain permission to be buried there. Jon and Beth decided to climb to the top of the bell tower. I declined and stayed on the ground reading the history of the place and waved to them when they reached the top, a good bit over 100 ft. tall, and built in 1111 A.D.
About noon we met Marianne who joined us for the trip to Killarney. Marianne had a good mapping device on her phone so she was able to help Beth navigate. They sat in back and I sat up front with Jon - in the left seat. It seemed so strange to be sitting there; I felt like I should have a steering wheel in my hands. But the view out the front was a nice change from yesterday.
We stopped at several castles. Beth is “scoping out” venues for her upcoming Ireland tour. The first castle, the Rock of Cashel, was impressive in its height. There was not much to see inside; some old tools in glass cases, a large stone St. Patrick’s cross, various shields carved in a rock frieze and a room set up to show a typical medieval kitchen. But the immense size of the castle and the great interior arches were imposing. They are reconstructing parts of it and the plans show something like six floors from bottom to top, all in stone of course.
It had started raining about the time we left Kilkenny that morning and before long we were “socked in” as we traveled towards the Wild Atlantic West, as the west coast of Ireland is called. It rained most of the rest of the day, finally tapering off in late afternoon. So it was raining when we got to Blarney Castle, home of the Blarney Stone. World statesmen, and legends of the silver screen have joined other pilgrims who have journeyed to kiss the Blarney Stone, believed to bestow the gift of eloquence.
It turns out that the Blarney Stone is at the very top of the Keep. With encouragement from my companions I thought I might try it, but after tackling only a few feet of the stone staircase, I declined. Kissing the Blarney Stone is not on my Bucket List. Instead I retreated and outside found a nice wooden walkway beside banks of flowers, small waterfalls, huge boulders, through ahaped arches of small trees, over bridges across streams, a very nice walk indeed and I finished my walk about the time the rest of my party returned triumphant from kissing the Blarney Stone. (Did you know one has to bend backwards over nothing but air in order to kiss the stone?)
We ate our main meal for the day in Blarney, then proceeded on, getting into Killarney with just enough daylight to drop Marianne off at her hostel and find our own B & B before dark. We told our host we were “in for the night”. It has been another long day.
One of today’s impressions is of driving for miles through so many trees and shrubs on either roadside, it was almost like going through a green tunnel. The trees didn’t arch overhead like sometimes maples or oaks or elms would but they were so tall and willowy looking you got that tunnel or maze effect. One saw only green walls.
Shall stay tuned, indeed! Love the descriptions!!!
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