Kilkenny - High Town

In High Street, the continuation southwards of Parliament Street, we come to the Tholsel (1761), now the Town Hall of Kilkenny, in which the civic insignia and muniments (dating back to 1230) are preserved.

Not far from the Kilkenny's Town Hall on Market Yards is the oldest building in the town, Kyteler's Inn, today restored with an old style interior. It is still an inn. It is said that in the 14th C. a certain Alice Kyteler lived here. She aroused suspicion, as she survived four husbands. Condemned as a witch, she could have escaped by fleeing; but a scapegoat was used and her old servant ended on the scaffold.

Adjoining St Mary's Hall, southeast of the Kilkenny Town Hall, is Shee's Almshouse, founded in 1582 by Sir Richard Shee, which remained in use as an almshouse until 1895. After a complete restoration the building now houses both the Tourist Information Office and the City Scope Exhibition which illustrates in miniature Kilkenny in the 17th C.

The 22 minutes presentation used the computer to control battery of lights which gives one of the most exciting and imaginative portrayals of Ireland's colorful past.

Off Kilkenney's Parliament Street to the left of Black Abbey Church can be seen the ruins of St Francis's Friary (National Monument), a Franciscan house founded about 1232 and extended in 1321, when the beautiful seven-light east window was inserted. The slender tower has fine sculpture.

To the right of Kilkenny's Rothe House on Parliament Street, higher up, can be seen St Mary's Cathedral (1843), with a tower 200ft/60m high.

Southeast of the Kilkenny Town Hall is St Mary's Hall, originally built as a parish church (13th C.?) and now a community house. It has a number of monuments from the old church, notably the tomb of Richard Rothe (d. 1637) and, in the churchyard, a monument with figures of Faith, Hope and Charity and the Twelve Apostles.