Emily Cable is a student at the University of Rhode Island and an ISA Featured Blogger. Emily is currently studying abroad with Interstudy in Dublin, Ireland.
This weekend I was fortunate enough to take a trip to Kilkenny where we were able to take a tour of the beautiful Kilkenny Castle that sits atop a hill and looks over the town.
William Marshal completed the Kilkenny Castle during the thirteenth century. Over its eight centuries, the castle has received many additions and alterations, resulting in several different architectural styles.
The Castle came into the ownership of one of Ireland’s most powerful families, the Butlers. The Butler family lived in the Kilkenny Castle for almost six hundred years until 1967 when the family sold the castle to the people of Kilkenny. Though the owner at the time wanted to just give the castle to the people, money had to be exchanged to make the deal official. They settled on an agreement of only £50. As of the current pound to dollar exchange rate, that is only $75.55 I wish I could get a castle for that much!
Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take any pictures on the inside of the castle in fear of damaging the old furniture inside. But I was able to snap a shot of this guy!
Beautiful! Would definitely hate to be a member of the Butler family though, imagine finding out that the entire castle could have belonged to you! :P