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Days 206-207, 4-5 Jan '15, Rest Day... then Day trip to Kilkenny self-guided walking tour, lunch at infamous Kyteler's Inn & Cross Country Drive home. Incredible day out in lively Kilkenny. Super town about an hour from home on rural(ish) roads. We had fun heading the main way there via quaint Gowran and St Mary's Church. Possibly the only town in Ireland without a cafe. Also an abundant amount of clearly vacant new-build housing. We think the Celtic Tiger's tail was well and truly trodden on here during the last global crash. We strolled around Kilkenny in a self-guided walking tour and took in all the sights - The Butter Slip (a chilly alleyway once frequented by, wait for it, butter vendors), St Canice's church and tower, the Black abbey and it's gate, Rothe House and, most interestingly, Kyteler's Inn. The original owner was Dame Alice le Kyteler. She was born in Kilkenny in 1280. In her time she was notorious - not least because she'd acquired and "lost" (possibly poisoning) four husbands and accumulated a considerable fortune along the way. Forty four years later in 1324 the successful businesswoman, moneylender and innkeeper fled to England after her enemies conspired to have her accused of witchcraft (the first woman to be accused in Ireland). Her property, including Kyteler's, was confiscated. The witch trials of Kilkenny went ahead in her absence however and her friends suffered in her stead - in particular her maid, Petronella, who was tortured, whipped and burned at the stake. The current owners of the inn believe she still hangs about within the walls of her friendly and hospitable inn - but you have to be nice to her! What a great bit of history to read up on as we ate our lunch. Really awesome spot to hang out. Eventually we moved on however and decided to be adventurous and head home cross-country, via myriad little towns and villages. Up hill and down dale and through driving rain. Pretty darn adventurous indeed. Back to Kilkenny in a couple of days to visit the castle - and maybe eat at Kyteler's again.
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