The Butler family handed Kilkenny Castle over to the people of Kilkenny in 1967 – for £50!
The gravestone of Daniel O’Connell in Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin is made from Kilkenny black marble, and the stone was also used in the construction of Cobh Cathedral in Cork
One of the most instantly recognised buildings in Ireland, Kilkenny Castle has been an important site since Strongbow constructed the first castle, probably a wooden structure, in the 12th century.
In 1650 invading Cromwellian forces mounted an attack on Kilkenny castle and although it was initially successfully defended they eventually managed to take control of the city by another route.As of 2011, Kilkenny had played a total of 371 championship games, winning 265, drawing 16 and losing 90. They had played Dublin the most times(82) .
Nowadays, Kilkenny Castle is effectively three-sided. One of the four walls - and one of the great round drum towers - has disappeared over time.
Where did it go? Well, the Eastern wall and the North-Eastern tower were blown up during the 1650 Cromwellian siege of Ireland.
Kilkenny Castle has soared past some incredible competition to take the title of the most popular paid visitor attraction managed by the Office of Public Works (OPW) in Ireland.
AKA is a voluntary run arts festival that showcases the hard work and talent of independent artists and community groups across Kilkenny county and city.