Based on the reviews of Kilkenny, it said that you can basically see the Castle from anywhere in the city. We found this mostly true and it is certainly a main reason that tourists make their way to this town. We saw it while crossing the bridge as we hiked to our hotel from the train station. We saw it as we crossed the street to our hotel and all over anytime another building wasn't blocking it or in the way. Once it was time for our tour, it was a beautiful sunny day with bright blue skies, a few clouds, and a good breeze.

We opted for the guided tour rather than the self-paced because of the reviews online and we would agree with what others are saying. For an hour long tour, you definitely get your money's worth. Our guide, John Kelly did a fantastic job keeping the group engaged and was a wonderful storyteller. It was really interesting to hear about the history of the castle and it's residents, the Butler family (and company). Our favorite part was the terrace leading our the garden, which the road had to be removed in order to make room for this expansive garden. You could see this all from the "guest rooms" which were decorated to match some of the periods the researchers were able to find picture of and replacate. Most of the items and decor were not originals, as we learned that there was a lot of damage before the castle was turned into a museum. We learned that the last "owner" sold the property for very very little in the 1960's to the community so that they could refurbish and open it to the public. The long room at the end of the tour was incredibly detailed and impressive. It was fairly new in construction compared to the rest of the castle and its design was inspired by an upside down ship hull.

After the tour we had plenty of time to explore the park and surrounding area.

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