Ireland's Medieval Capital
Trip Start
Apr 06, 2011
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4
7
Trip End
May 05, 2011
Where I stayed
What I did
Kilkenny, County Kilkenny, Ireland
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Waited 2 hours to catch the bus to Kilkenny (€13, 2hr) to discover the origins of the Kilkenny beer. We stayed in Kilkenny Tourist Hostel on Parliament Street. Room is ok with excellent
location, just a few steps away from the Smithwick`s Brewery.
Tip: For accommodation, stay near High St or Parliament St, everywhere is within walking distance.
Smithwick`s is the grandfather of Kilkenny beer whereby Kilkenny`s label is own by Smithwick`s. Kilkenny is the export version of Smithwick`s with a slight difference in the ingredient. The tour is value for money as you get to visit the factory and get to taste the perfect pint with a collapsible top at the end of the tour.
Personally I think both Kilkenny and Smithwick`s are almost the same, except that Smithwick`s is more sparkling (maybe because its freshly brewed). Kilkenny town is very medieval. There`s not many tourist attractions. We visited the Kilkenny Castle, went to a few pubs to taste their local beer and noticed that Irish started drinking after lunch and they get drunk before sun down.
