We were in Kilkenny the day before we left Ireland. Kilkenny's most famous landmark is its castle. The first Kilkenny Castle was a wooden one. It was built in 1172. It was replaced with a stone castle a couple of decades later. The castle has been largely restored, Victorian style. Kilkenny Castle has a long association with the Butler Family, who sold it to the people of Kilkenny in 1967 for £50.
We took a formal tour inside the castle. There were many beautiful rooms, halls, paintings, pieces of furniture, and tapestries. The grounds were meticulously groomed. There were flower beds and a water fountain. They are continuing to excavate the property near the castle. The have found remains of other castle structures.
When we were walking around the city, we came across a statue of hurling. Hurling is Ireland's most popular sport. It is a native Gaelic sport. It shares some similarities with Irish football, but also uses a stick. Sounds more like lacrosse to me. Female hurling has a different name (Camogie). We saw lots of kids with sticks. Kilkenny is the hurling capital of Ireland. Their team is especially successful.
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