The latter part of my weekend at my friend Sally’s house in Wicklow consisted of trips to County Carlow and County Kilkenny, where much of our time was consumed by exploring castles.  The really great part about Ireland is that it doesn’t take too long to venture anywhere… it took ten minutes to drive from Sally’s house in Baltinglass, Wickow to Duckett’s Grove in Carlow.

After our adventurous day in Glendalough and Avoca on Saturday, we spent Sunday driving to a place called Duckett’s Grove in Carlow.  Sally and her friends had told us stories the night before about how the grove was supposedly haunted, and it was easy to see why when we arrived.

My first sight of Duckett’s Grove was definitely creepy but beautiful!

Aside from the uncommonly thick fog, exploring the castle ruins of Duckett’s Grove was incredible.  Much of our walk around was creepy, but I loved it.  Sally told us that the grove was a common spot for people to spend time, especially in the summer.  She and her friends would meet up there to play sports, play board games and cards, pack picnic lunches, and generally just spend time together.  I can’t think of a more beautiful and interesting place to casually meet up with friends or family!

A tower with arrowloops – the sky really was that color!

The castle looked fairly abandoned on the inside, but that was only because the interior had to be preserved and protected from people entering it, especially late at night or early in the morning.  Sally said it was common for people to explore the castle when it was dark in order to find ghosts or get a good scare.  It sounded like a fun time to me!

Nicky, Kelly, Mary, and I hoping to meet a ghost!

After we finished our escapade at Duckett’s Grove, Sally drove us to Kilkenny for an afternoon at Kilkenny Castle.  Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to take photos inside of the castle, but I did get a few of the gorgeous exterior.

Kilkenny Castle through the trees.

The interior was just as beautiful.  We visited a large portrait gallery in a hall that reminded me of Pemberly (Mr. Darcy’s home) from Pride & Prejudice.  There was also a tapestry room which captured all of our imaginations… we admired the incredible craft work that went into creating a masterpiece like a wall-length tapestry.  The dining room was so intricate that I thought it would be a perfect film location for Downton Abbey – every single table setting was perfectly in place.  One of my favorite places was the library, though.  There were huge cupboards filled with old books, various writing desks near gargantuan windows, and cozy seating areas beneath paintings and portraits.  The Butler family, who lived in Kilkenny Castle, certainly didn’t want for comfort!

Outside, the grounds were filled with statues, a fountain, stone steps, and walkways.  Kelly and I even made a friend who decided to pose for a photo with us.

He insisted on the pose… don’t blame us!

Also, as a side note, if any of you are fans of Hozier (born in Wicklow – one of Ireland’s own!) he recorded a live version of his song “In A Week” at Kilkenny Castle.  Here is a link to the video if you’re interested in watching it.  I highly recommend it… Hozier is one of my favorite musicians.

When we returned to Sally’s house, we were exhausted but immensely satisfied.  We had explored so much in only three days – my weekend visiting Wicklow, Carlow, and Kilkenny will be a time of my life I will never forget!

Until next time,

Maddison

Location: County Kilkenny, Ireland