Kilkenny & Home of Southpark

Castle across the river
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It was longer travel than we did suppose, about four hours by the bus… when we finally got to Kilkenny, and even for a regular price found the B&B in the first place we asked, we got outside to see a part of down town. After a few blocks we have been right in front of Kilkenny’s and Smithwick’s best place to have a drink and food in one. Kyteler’s Inn, named after Lady Alice Kyteler, a 14th century witch which once lived in the building, and where they gave us to sit by an amazing table with no usually desk, just a big Butcher’s Block. It was after eight, so we enjoyed the Kyteler’s interior with pretty aged design, a traditional Irish stew as a basic dish of any Irish chief, and Kilkenny’s beers on bumpy table. Then we headed back to the B&B place, where they have Smithwick’s on tap, so “One more round for us!” Guys stayed until the bartender pushed their ass up the stairs… Good night, short night… Witness, warmness, goodness, and smoothness in one day… it is all good!

Canice's
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In the morning we decided we gonna stay in Kilkenny one more night. Where this day flied out, guys just could dream about… I was in wonder that guys really get the Breakfast down stairs in the restaurant, and we did order just according our mood and strength… Right after we have took all three of cameras of ours, and get out of the warm room right to a windy day. After a couple of hours we get frozen from the sharp wind, and wished a cup of tea, so get to get Philee up, had a snack, warmed our tummies, hands and feet… and guys had a fight with their tired head… or they did make up a fight of a make up that they made up? Wait a minute… What? Wait an hour, at least… Guys just taking nap? So it wasn’t a fake fight tho!

...a traditional Irish stew as a basic dish of any Irish chief, and Kilkenny’s beers on bumpy table.

Streets of Kilkenny
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Good afternoon guys, how was your nap? Do you would like a cup of tea before we gonna go see through the secrets of Kilkenny’s Castle? “Five more minutes” sez Jerry… “Five more hours” did answer Philee, but he was the one who get up, and get the next walk all around with me. We get out the B&B and agreed with Jerry that we gonna meet in Kyteler’s at 6ish pm. He appreciated that, because of a time that he needed to recover himself… after that long day and short night… Pump House down hill of the main street, and Kyteler’s, where we had at 6ish randez-vous with Jerry. This time we had the Irish stew all three of us. In the kitchen must cook some Witch! Because bumps wasn’t only on the table this time, they were behind our ears as well, that much we enjoyed our meal… and looked for another place to stay in Cork. We wish that our last night in Ireland is all calm in chill mood, before to fly back to Prague.

The Lable
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Back in the B&B to pack and wrap all the rest and mess in our nest. We were ready to go after this extra day of adventure, but did have time to find St Canice’s, which is the second biggest cathedral in Ireland. We didn’t been there yet, and it could be a shame if we missed it. So, good night, the bit of tomorrow is still ahead!

The first thing that we were thinking today about was how to get to the Abbey Cathedral, and what to have for Breakfast. It wasn’t so far to get the St Canice’s Abbey, we went a couple of blocks down street, and a few tiny Lanes as a short cut. It was a quite nice walk along the river where we could smell cooked barley and malt from the brewery. The Abbey was on the top of hill in Irishtown where there one Church by another, but still part of Kilkenny city as the heart of Ireland with many towers such as St John’s Church, St Mary’s Church, all of them with colorful stain glasses windows as part of legendary expressions of Christians paths… it means a lot for me, it is part of exhibition of many artists of different industrial ways… we get through the Castle park once more to see the front of the biggest Castle we have seen on our trip all across the Ireland, in a different day light, and let’s go back to Cork, our first and last stop of our adventures here in Republic of Ireland. Oh yeah, old, good Cork city in southern Ireland…

The Canice
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Recipe of the Day

This is one of the oldest and most famous of all Irish recipes, traditionally made only with neck of lamb, potatoes and onions, flavoured with herbs.

Irish Stew

1,5 lb neck of lamb, middle or best end, cut into cutlets

What is left of Saint John's Church
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and trimmed 2 large onions, peeled and sliced

1 lb potatoes, peeled, sliced and weighed after preparation

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

and 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme, mixed together

We do aim to the Saint Mary's Heart
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Salt and black pepper

1/2 to 3/4 pint water

Set oven to 325°F or Mark 3. Layer the lamb, onions and potatoes in a casserole dish, sprinkling the herbs and seasoning between each of the layers and finishing with a neat layer of potatoes on top. Pour in the water, cover with a piece of buttered greaseproof paper and put on the casserole lid. Cook for 2 to 2,5 hours. The traditional accompaniments to Irish Stew are either pickled red cabbage or carrots. Serves 4.