Ireland Guide
Kilkenny, Carlow and Wexford
The countryside of Ireland's southeastern corner is largely flat and insipid, but, thanks to its position, gets some of the best of the country's weather. County Kilkenny's attractions are focused on its namesake city Kilkenny, an effervescent place with a flourishing arts scene and a layout reflecting its medieval origins. County Carlow has almost negligible appeal, but County Wexford has much allure, especially in the genial county town Wexford itself and in Enniscorthy, a place redolent of the 1798 Rebellion.
Thanks to its strategic position just across St George's Channel from south Wales, Ireland's southeast has borne the brunt of the country's colonization. The Vikings founded an early settlement here, which grew into Wexford town, while the Anglo-Normans quickly exploited the area's economic potential and greatly altered its physiognomy. They developed Kilkenny and Wexford towns and built castles across the two counties, while also transforming uncultivated areas into productive farmland. However, control was not always easily maintained. The MacMurrough-Kavanagh Irish dynasty, based in the north of County Wexford, continually frustrated English attempts to control the region and full conquest only occurred when Cromwell arrived in the mid-1600s. Even after this, County Wexford witnessed some of the bitterest fighting during the 1798 Rebellion, when insurgents held out longer here than anywhere else in the country, before being finally defeated near Enniscorthy.
Highlights
1 Kilkenny city Vibrant and historic, Kilkenny retains its medieval framework, centred upon its imposing castle, and has two exciting festivals to boot.
2 Jerpoint Abbey Atmospheric ruins of a remarkable twelfth-century foundation, featuring a wonderful colonnaded cloister and several fascinating carvings.
3 Inistioge Gorgeous riverside village overlooked by the rejuvenated Woodstock Estate.
4 Wexford Lively town that retains much of its medieval layout and is renowned for its prestigious Opera Festival.
5 Duncannon A charming seaside village with a grand, sandy beach, overlooked by a looming fort.
6 National 1798 Centre Enniscorthy's enthralling multimedia account of the 1798 Rebellion.