Ireland is the land of picturesque green fields and hills. It is the home of St. Patrick’s Day, the shamrock, and endless pubs. Ireland has many stereotypes known around the world. For all these reasons and many more, Ireland deserves a spot on your upcoming vacations list. The following is the second part of a four-part Ireland Itinerary. This portion of the Ireland Itinerary covers the towns of Kilkenny and Killarney. Both of these small towns show off the Irish countryside complete with castles, gardens, and Irish step dancing.
- 2 Full Days in Dublin
- Twin K Cities: Kilkenny and Killarney (this post)
- Irish West Coast: Dingle and Galway
- Overview of Belfast in 2 Days
Post Contents
Day 3 – Kilkenny
Pick Up Rental Car
The first thing to do on day three is to collect your transportation for the rest of the trip. While there is a lot to see in Dublin, the rest of Ireland has so much more to offer. The famous countryside and coastlines are difficult to explore without a rental car. There is some public bus service to other cities in Ireland, but it is fairly infrequent. If you have a lot more time than this itinerary is designed for and really want to avoid a rental car, public transportation can be an option. However, I highly recommend getting a rental car for the freedom of movement that it affords.
Driving in foreign countries can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. For example, cars in Ireland have the steering wheel on the right side of the car, they drive on the left side of the road, and many of the road signs are a little different than they are in the U.S. All of these make driving a little more complicated, but it’s nothing that a driver can’t overcome to have a good vacation. Take the first few kilometers slowly to get a feel for driving on the opposite side of the road. Over a day or two of driving, this will become natural.
Powerscourt Estate
Powerscourt is a famous estate, house, and garden located south of Dublin in Enniskerry. Even though the estate house was originally a 13th-century castle, the gardens, which were designed in 1731, are the reason to visit this estate. The curated gardens are vast at over 47 acres in size. The property has different themed sections of the gardens including a walled garden, Italian Garden, Japanese Garden, Pet Cemetery, and an old castle tower. The gardens are immaculate. For this reason, Powerscourt Gardens was named the third best garden in the world by National Geographic.
After purchasing a ticket to the gardens, all visitors are able to walk the grounds freely. There is a preset route that is indicated on a map brochure provided with your ticket purchase. While I do encourage following the preset route loosely, don’t hesitate to venture off the main paths to get closer views of various parts of the garden. The entrance ticket to the gardens also includes a GPS-enabled audio guide. The audio guide is well-done as it describes the sights, plants, and history of the gardens at various stops along the way. The notable downside is that the built-in speaker is not very comfortable to hold and listen to. Therefore, it is recommended to bring corded headphones for a more comfortable listening experience.
Lunch in Kilkenny or On the Road
Due to the late start and drive, picking up lunch occurs a little later in the day. As you are driving from Powerscourt to Kilkenny, there is the option to stop at any number of places along the way. However, most of the drive will be on primary motorways with few local dining options located nearby. For this reason, waiting until you are in Kilkenny for lunch is a great idea. If you can make it the whole way there on just breakfast, the small town has a lot more local options.
The main street through Kilkenny is High St. Many shops, cafés, restaurants, and sites are located along this main drag. I recommend strolling the street to find a menu that resonates with you.
Medieval Mile Museum
The Medieval Mile Museum is located in the old 13th century St. Mary’s Church in the center of Kilkenny. This museum documents Kilkenny’s history as one of Ireland’s main medieval cities. The displays include many Kilkenny artifacts such as local Gaelic monastic crosses and multimedia features showing maps of medieval Kilkenny. The visit to the museum also includes an overview of St. Mary’s Church in which it is located. The surrounding cemetery is also tourable to visitors. Overall, the museum is small but well-done. It provides great historical context for Kilkenny and the surrounding region to visitors.
An interactive audio tour is available for all visitors to the museum to do a self-guided tour at any time. The audio tour requires each visitor to have a smartphone to play the downloadable audio guide. There are also guided tours conducted at varying times. Check to see if a guided tour departure aligns with your expected visit time. If so, it is well-worth taking the guided tour to get the local resident interaction. Guides will also tailor the tour to the group. If you have children, they do a great job of entertaining the younger guests as well as calling out specific facts that guests are interested in.
Killkenny Castle
The most famous and popular sight in Kilkenny is its namesake, Kilkenny Castle. Anglo-Normans occupied the lands of current day Kilkenny in the 12th century. The Anglo-Normans began the construction of Kilkenny Castle in 1195. The first version of the castle was completed in 1260. Over the years, the castle served as a house for many powerful and wealthy families in this region of Ireland. The longest resident and likely wealthiest family to reside at Kilkenny Castle was the Butler Family of Ormonde. In the 20th century, the castle started to fall into disrepair. Once it was evident that the Butler/Ormonde Family could not continue to maintain the castle due to decreasing wealth and increasing costs, the family sold it to the city and people of Kilkenny for £50.
A tour through the castle is well-worth an hour to an hour and a half. Self-guided and guided tours are both offered. In addition to the inside of the castle, visitors are able to explore the grounds. While a ticket is not required to explore the grounds, a walk around the walls and the green should be on your itinerary.
Day 4 – Killarney
Waterford Crystal Factory
Waterford Crystal Factory (in nearby Waterford, Ireland) is a world-renown crystal producer. Some of the most well-known crystal objects in the world are made at this facility. These objects include the US College Football Championship Coach’s Trophy, the Ryder Cup Trophy, many heads of state gifts, and others. In addition to these trophies and commemorative items, the factory also produces traditional crystal items such as glasses and vases.
Given that you are so close to this factory in Kilkenny and Killarney, this is a great opportunity to see how crystal is made by hand. In addition, because there is so much artisan crystal produced at the facility, you have the opportunity to see some of the artisans working to cut and shape the crystal into works of art.
A tour of the factory begins in the visitors center. This room highlights the history of the factory, the factory ownership, and many of the workers and artisans who produce the crystal. The tour then enters the factory floor. The tour includes stops at different workbenches that produce, cut, shape, and polish the glass into the final product. You are able to get up close and personal with several in-work pieces during your tour. It is also great to see how much of this is performed by skilled hands.
The tour concludes in the Waterford Crystal shop. Waterford crystal is expensive, so most visitors are unlikely to purchase anything while they are here. However, if you are interested in purchasing crystal, this is a great opportunity to pick up some one-of-a-kind pieces. If you aren’t in a position to purchase any, still take some time to look through the pieces in the shop. There are some really beautiful pieces in the collection.
Blarney Castle
The Blarney Castle is a well-known medieval castle near Cork, Ireland. The current castle was constructed in 1446. Despite some degradation over time, the majority of the castle is still open to exploration. Visitors get the opportunity to see the great rooms, bedrooms, hallways, kitchens, and other living areas of the castle. Also open to visitors are the battlements, turrets, and other castle defenses.
Perhaps one of the most famous parts of the castle is the Stone of Eloquence, also known as the Blarney Stone. This is a stone that is part of the battlements of the castle. According to an Irish legend, those who kiss the stone gain the skill of eloquence or smooth speaking. Visitors to the castle get the opportunity to kiss the stone if they wish. In order to kiss the stone, visitors do have to exert a little effort. Visitors must lay on the edge of the castle’s parapet and lean backward to reach the stone. If you are afraid of heights, this could trigger your acrophobia. There are assistants on hand to help visitors as well as guards to ensure safety, but attempts to kiss the stone can be a little unnerving.
Finally, the grounds of the Blarney Castle deserve some time and exploration. The grounds include several walking paths, a poison plant garden, a lake, and many manicured gardens and forest areas. In addition, the castle site also has the Stable Yards café. This is a great spot to grab lunch and snacks before or after exploring the castle.
Overnight in Killarney
The next overnight stop on this itinerary is the town of Killarney, Ireland. This town is located in the small southwest Ireland county of Kerry. This county gives its name to the famous Ring of Kerry drive. In addition to the Ring of Kerry, the county also boasts the Killarney National Park, Ross Castle, the Lakes of Killarney.
By following the above itinerary, your arrival will be late in the afternoon. Travelers should take some time to check-in and get situated. The time between now and the Celtic Step Show (described below) should be used to explore the Killarney town center and have some dinner.
Celtic Step Show
A traditional Irish step show is something that all visitors should experience while they are in Ireland. Killarney has one of these step shows put on by the Celtic Steps company. While this show may not be as polished as some found in the larger cities, it is definitely more personal. This show provides an explanation of the different types of dances and instruments present throughout the show. This creates a more interactive and informative experience.
The cast of this show includes local singers, musicians, and dancers who have been recognized worldwide for their music or as World Champion Irish Dancers. These artists are very talented, and it shows throughout the performance. These shows cater almost exclusively to tourists, but it is still a highly recommended experience.
The venue has a bar serving alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. The bar also has some snacks available, but they are small. Definitely eat dinner before coming to the show.
This itinerary now moves on to the Western cities of Dingle and Galway.
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