KILKENNY AND WEXFORD
Rich Cultural Heritage of Ireland’s South East Counties
County Kilkenny is known as the heart of Ireland since its ancient days as the seat of the Irish Ossory Kings and the 12th Century Norman knight “Strongbow”, Richard de Clare. The magnificent castle at Kilkenny is one of Ireland’s most visited set along the river with its popular green park (see Kilkenny Castle). The historic draw of Kilkenny City, Ireland’s medieval capital, with its narrow slipways and side streets of preserved buildings, is matched only by its reputation for fine dining, great shopping, entertainment and accommodation. Sample a purely Irish brew at the Smithwick’s Brewery located at an ancient monastery with the destroyed Abbey on the property (see Smithwick’s Abbey Brewery), and starting in the town itself and leading out into the beautiful countryside, follow the Kilkenny Craft Trail of workshops and artist studios, beginning at the Kilkenny Design Centre in across from the castle and heading out through the surrounding country (see Jerpoint Glass Studio).
Kilkenny has some of the loveliest countryside in the south east of Ireland, along with ancient castles and abandoned abbeys, Celtic burial sites and stunning rock formations. The valley of the River Nore is home to some of the country’s most notable monastic settlements, like Jerpoint Abbey near Thomastown (see Jerpoint Abbey) and Duiske Abbey, which dates back to the 13th century. Golfers will be spoiled by challenging golf courses including the glorious Mount Juliet Manor, while horse racing enthusiasts can get a thrill at Gowran Park with prominent national racing events throughout the year. For gardens and parks, Kilkenny offers the Woodstock Garden and Arboretum, Jenkinstown Park, Castlelinch Wood and The Watergarden at Thomastown, and for some local gourmet specialties, check out the Goatsbridge Trout Farm for some trout caviar or the Truffle Fairy in Thomastown for designer chocolate (see Truffle Fairy Chocolates).
County Wexford with its spectacular coastline, stunning and evocative historical sights and scrumptious seasonal strawberries, is famous in Ireland as a holiday destination for international visitors as well as locals to explore its wealth of attractive typically Irish towns and coastal villages, hundred miles of beautiful coast and Blue Flag beaches at Curracloe, Rosslare Strad, Courtown, and Duncannon. This is the sunniest and warmest county in Ireland, with many of Ireland’s favorite seaside resorts, and bristling with historic heritage sites, a mix of mountain scenery, verdant river valleys with fine fishing, miles of beaches, parks, gardens and walking trails.
Wexford Town is the historic capital of the county with a plethora of shopping opportunities, restaurants and lively nightlife. The world famous Wexford Opera Festival is held every year in autumn (see Wexford Opera), while the ancient history is revealed at the Irish National Heritage Park. In nearby New Ross, the Dunbrody Famine Ship presents a fascinating living look into the voyages of Irish emigrants of the Great Famine (see Dunbrody Famine Ship), and the New Ross Tapestry records the medieval legends of the Normans in fascinating threaded colors (see Ros Tapestry). Wexford’s maritime heritage is evident from the statue of America’s first naval Commodore John Barry, watching out over the harbor to the Hook Lighthouse, one of the oldest operational lighthouses in the world, while a few miles away in Enniscorthy, the National 1798 Rebellion Centre explores the birth of modern democracy in Ireland. © Bargain
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SEE ALSO:
ABBEY HOUSE B&B - JERPOINT ABBEY VIEW
MOUNT JULIET HOTEL & GOLF
THE GATHERING 2013 EVENTS
