Kilkenny Castle
In 1260, a square stone castle rose from the earth to guard a fording-point of the River Nore. William Marshal oversaw its completion after decades of Norman expansion in Ireland. The structure featured four large circular corner towers and a massive ditch that still exists on the Parade today. Richard de Clare, known as Strongbow, had built an earlier wooden fortification in the 12th century. This initial timber work likely occupied the same site as the later stone fortress. Marshall's daughter Isabel married him in 1189, bringing the land into his control. He appointed Geoffrey FitzRobert as seneschal of Leinster in 1192 to begin major development phases. Three of the original four towers survive to this day while the fourth has been lost to time.
The Butler family acquired Kilkenny Castle in 1391 after it was seized by the crown. James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormond, established himself as ruler of the area following the purchase. The family changed their name from FitzWalter in 1185 before arriving in Ireland with the Norman invasion. They originally settled in Gowran where James Butler built Gowran Castle in 1385. Lady Margaret Butler was born within these walls around 1454 or 1465. She married Sir William Boleyn and became the paternal grandmother of Anne Boleyn. Many members of the Butler dynasty are buried in St. Mary's Collegiate Church Gowran. The family ruled the surrounding region for centuries until financial pressures mounted in the 20th century.
From 1642 to 1648, Catholic rebel parliament meetings took place inside Kilkenny Castle. Elizabeth Preston, wife of Lord Lieutenant James Butler, held the property during the Irish Confederate Wars. Her husband served as representative of Charles I in Ireland while his own castle hosted a rival government. Oliver Cromwell damaged the east wall and northeast tower during the siege of Kilkenny in 1650. These sections were later torn down after the conflict ended. Butler remodelled the structure as a modern château upon returning from exile in 1661. The building had become run down by the 18th century despite some restoration efforts by Anne Wandesford of Castlecomer.
Rising taxes and death duties forced the Butler family to abandon their ancestral home before 1967. George Butler, Earl of Ossory, sold its contents for £6,000 in 1935 before moving to London. Investment income dropped from £22,000 annually in the 1880s to just £850 by 1950. 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. Only one person was injured but significant damage required years of repair work. James Butler, 3rd Marquess of Ormonde died in 1919 leaving debts totaling £166,000.
Arthur Butler, 6th Marquess of Ormonde sold the property for £50 to the Castle Restoration Committee in 1967. He stated that too many ruins already existed in Ireland and refused to let this one fall into disrepair. The handover ceremony marked the foundation of The Butler Society which still connects descendants today. Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull attended the event with Jagger telling newspapers they had come to loon about. The Office of Public Works now manages both the castle grounds and gardens open to visitors. Since 2002 ceremonies for conferring awards and degrees on graduates have been held at the location. The Parade Tower serves as a conference venue for various events throughout the year.
Excavations by Ben Murtagh in the 1990s revealed traces of an earlier castle structure beneath the current walls. A postern gate and section of the castle ditch facing onto the Parade were exposed during these surveys. Various features including original stone buttressing and a garderobe were also uncovered during the work. Cóilín Ó Drisceoil led excavations in 2019 that found foundations of the great gatehouse built by William Marshal. These discoveries date back to the early 1200s when the first stone construction began. The entrance originally passed through what is now the missing east wall. The Marshal Gatehouse findings appeared in The Castle Studies Group journal volume 35 published between 2021 and 2022.
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Common questions
When was Kilkenny Castle built and by whom?
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.
Who owns Kilkenny Castle today and when did they acquire it?
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.
What happened to Kilkenny Castle during the Irish Civil War in 1922?
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.
How is Kilkenny Castle connected to Anne Boleyn?
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.
When were excavations conducted at Kilkenny Castle and what did they reveal?
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.