Blarney/Kilkenny – Day 9

Day 9 – Wednesday, September 26:
Blarney (Kilkenny)
Left hotel at 9:00 AM
Arrived at Blarney 11:00 AM, Went to the castle.  Some kissed the blarney stone; others watched, some time for shopping. Woolen Mills before heading to Kilkenny Castle. We really enjoyed the shopping. Picked up some gifts and some things we were looking for after getting to Ireland.



 Blarney Woolen Mills had the best selection that we saw while in Ireland, but you really need to have enough time to see EVERYTHING. The store is HUGE. Prices were a little higher than in some of the other shops, but if you want color, style, and the widest selection, it might be worth it to you.
Left at 1:30 PM

Our next stop was Kilkenny Castle is a castle in Kilkenny, Ireland built in 1195 by William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke to control a fording-pointof the River Nore and the junction of several route ways.

The magnificent Kilkenny Castle overlooks the River Nore and has guarded this important river crossing for more than 900 years. The gardens, with extensive woodland paths, rose garden and ornamental lake, create the setting for a beautiful stroll.

Two wings of the castle have been restored to their 19th Century splendor and include a library, drawing room and the noted Long Gallery.

A suite of former servants rooms now houses the Butler Art Gallery, which mounts frequently changing exhibitions of contemporary art. The Parade Tower is the Castle’s conference venue.

Kilkenny Castle had a guide in certain rooms.  It was not easy for group to navigate to rooms; also lots of stairs. No camera's were allowed in the castle.

nope, NOT an escalator....

Walked to Ormonde Hotel, Kilkenny, Cork 5:30 PM
After dinner we had a chance to pick up a few souvenirs and a few hours before we left the next morning to explore the little town

 Tomorrow we are off to Dublin. We weren't departing our hotel until 10am