Rothe House & Garden

Rothe house is one of the places on the Medieval Mile in Kilkenny I thought would be worth a look for completeness sake, especially with so many incredible cathedrals and a castle along the strip, but it ended up being my favourite attraction. With a measly €5.50 entry fee I and an unassuming frontage I definitely wasn't expecting to spend 2 hours wandering around the estate and loving every minute. Rothe house is a late 16th century mansion built by one of the most powerful men in Kilkenny and inhabited by his descendants. The exhibit is broken down to 3 time periods (16th century, 19th century and prior to the 14th century) within the 3 houses that make up the estate. At the back of the property is a massive garden which appears out of nowhere and imbues you with an added appreciation to how wealthy the Rothe's were and also how much effort has gone into the restoration. There are enough relics and rooms to keep yourself occupied for a couple of hours if you want to take your time, but on the same token you could easily spend a few minutes in each area and still take a lot away from it. The whole experience is really well done and props to those who have gone to so much effort to make it look so authentic. Well worth a visit.