Clara Castle

4.5mi/7km east of Kilkenny, reached on a minor road which branches left off the N10, stands Clara Castle (15th C., National Monument), an unusually well-preserved six-story tower house which still has the original oak beams, giving an excellent impression of the character of a fortified dwelling of the period. Among features of particular interest are the forecourt, a passage with a "murder hole" (a hole in the roof through which intruders could be pelted with missiles), a fine fireplace and a secret room.