Why You Should Do the Kilkenny to Kinsale Drive
Normally, day 6 would have been a short two-hour drive from Kilkenny to Kinsale. But the day was really about Castles and Bridges!
Author & Photographer: George Mitchell
Our recommendations are not influenced by affiliate links – we do not have any. Our advice is derived from our personal experience and knowledge based on living in Europe for seven years and studying its art, architecture and culture. Ireland is one of our favourite destinations.
All of our recommendations are top-rated by Google Maps Ratings, which is based on everyone, not just tourists. Each place recommended in our custom Ireland East Map is appended with a Google Maps Rating (G0 to G5).
Cahir Castle
We had a photo opp with a 14th-century Cahir Castle (G4.6). I walked to the footbridge over a stream. The castle was granted to the Butler Family of Kilkenny Castle fame. The Butlers owned a lot of property in Ireland and England. They were one of the wealthiest and powerful families in Ireland, owning a large swath of Southern Ireland.
Swiss Cottage
About 2 km south of Chair Castle is Swiss Cottage (G4.6). We drove to a park and walked up the stairs through the “servants’ entrance”. At the top was a thatched-roof summer cottage built in 1810 by the wealthy Butler Family of Kilkenny Castle fame.
The cottage was meticulously repaired and refurbished by Heritage Ireland (OPW). They bought furnishings typical of the 19th century to replace the ones sold by the family to pay off debts in 1935. One large original window was returned by some locals. You could see wavy imperfections typical of glass produced in that era.
One room held a foldable “camp bed“. This name did not come from camping. Instead, the term was originally campaign bed and camp beds were used by officers to get a comfortable sleep while the other soldiers slept on the ground.
The interior can only be viewed on a guided tour included in the OPW entry fee. So far, every tour we went on was a goldmine of interesting stories. For instance, an American philanthropist gave €500,000 to repair the structure and purchased custom-made reproductions of the original furnishings. But what was most impressive was the sheer opulence of the nobility compared to the extreme poverty of the average person.
Glanworth Bridge
Glanworth Bridge is not a must-see, nor was it recommended to us. Instead, I found this site on Google Maps, and it had a high rating of 4.8. So we drove off the M8 motorway to see it.
We parked next to a dozen recycling bins, where we chatted with one of the senior residents of the town, who had lived all her life in this town.
We crossed to the other side of the road, where there was an old mill. Here we could see the full extent of the medieval bridge built in 1446. It is the oldest and narrowest working bridge in Europe. But the most amazing thing is the 12 stone arches spanning the river.
Final Comments on this Itinerary
This itinerary does not go to touristy sites made famous by what I call name recognition. But we turned an expressway travel day into a sightseeing tour. We saw Cahir Castle (G4.6), Swiss Cottage (G4.5), and Glanworth Bridge (G4.8). All three places are very highly rated by Google Maps and are worth a visit.
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Itinerary Map & Resources
If you have more than a week, then combine this tour with places in the Ireland East and the Best Places for 2 Weeks in Southwest (SW) Ireland itineraries below. Or just visit some of the nearby places listed below.
Google Maps Ratings
Google Maps provides a rating from 0 to 5 for all sights, hotels and restaurants (but not cities). All of our recommendations are appended with the rating (prefixed with a G) from Google Maps. As it is based on feedback from tourists and locals, it is much more reliable than travel booking websites. We consider a score of 4 to 4.39 to be Very Good; 4.4 to 5 to be Excellent.
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