Short answers, pulled from the story.
Kilkenny Castle rose from the earth in 1260 under the supervision of William Marshal. The structure replaced an earlier wooden fortification built by Richard de Clare known as Strongbow in the 12th century.
The Office of Public Works manages both the castle grounds and gardens open to visitors since 1967. Arthur Butler, 6th Marquess of Ormonde sold the property for £50 to the Castle Restoration Committee that same year.
Republicans besieged the castle during the Irish Civil War in 1922 while Free State forces attacked from outside. A machine gun was positioned directly outside the bedroom where the Ormondes remained with their pet Pekinese resulting in one injury and significant damage requiring years of repair work.
Lady Margaret Butler was born within these walls around 1454 or 1465 and married Sir William Boleyn. She became the paternal grandmother of Anne Boleyn through this marriage line.
Excavations by Ben Murtagh in the 1990s revealed traces of an earlier castle structure beneath the current walls including a postern gate and section of the castle ditch. Cóilín Ó Drisceoil led excavations in 2019 that found foundations of the great gatehouse built by William Marshal dating back to the early 1200s.