The Parade

Kilkenny Castle & The Parade

Kilkenny Castle is Kilkenny city’s most famous landmark, and is cared for by the Office of Public Works.

The first Castle was a wooden structure, built in 1172 by the Anglo Norman Richard Fitzgilbert de Clare, better known as Strongbow. A stone Castle was built between 1192 and 1195.

Kilkenny Castle has a long association with the Butler family who came to Ireland with the Normans. The Butlers were so called having been given the royal title of Chief Butler of Ireland. The 3rd Duke of Ormonde, James Butler bought the Castle in 1391. The Butler family handed over the Castle to the people of Kilkenny in 1967 for the sum of £50.

The Castle and adjacent parkland, together with the Castleyard , the Parade, and the tree lined Gravel Walk combine to form an impressive civic space, which has been used as a meeting place by generations of Kilkenny people.

The Castle Yard, which is now home to the National Crafts Council of Ireland, was the stable block for the Castle, with the shape and outline still intact. The Craft Council continues a strong presence for craft and design dating back to the 1960’s when the Kilkenny Design Centre was established.