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Historic Buildings of County Kilkenny (G - K)
Republic of Ireland
Image right - Kilkenny Castle
Due to the numerous Historical buildings and castles in of County Kilkenny the project has been split into 4 projects. (The arrowed buttons below are linked to the other pages).
See Historic Buildings Ireland - Main Page
'''If you have information about any of the Buildings mentioned below please share it here. If you have ancestors linked to any of the places please add them to the project.
The object of this project is to provide information about historic buildings in County Kilkenny, with links to sub-projects for specific buildings as appropriate. GENi profiles of people associated with those establishments can be linked to this project and/or to individual projects where they have been set up.
Castles, Baronial and Historic houses
... in alphabetical order
Full sizes of the thumbnail images can be seen in the Gallery attached to the project or by clicking the thumbnail image. TIP - Use ctrl+the link to open the image in a separate tab, or use "back" to return to this project page) Sources for the images can be found in the image details as seen in the gallery.
Names with Bold links are to Geni profiles or projects. Other links take you to external biographical web pages. Please copy and paste the bullet used - ● - instead of * when adding items to the list.
G
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Glashare Butler Tower on a farm just off the main N8 between Johnstown and Durrow, and was inhabited until 1840.
Image © Copyright Mike Searle and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence at Geograph
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Gorteens Castle, Ruins
Image right - © Copyright Kieran Campbell and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence - at Geograph
Image right from British Library - Flickr in the Public Domain
● Gowran Castle - built in 1385 by James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormonde The castle is a manor house which was fully restored between 2013 and 2014. James died in Gowran Castle in 1405 and is buried in St. Mary's Collegiate Church Gowran. The Butlers owned the lands in the Gowran area for almost 500 years. Following the Norman Invasion of Ireland in 1169 the Manor of Gowran was granted to Theobald Fitzwalter (Theobald Walter, 1st Baron Butler) 1st Chief Butler of Ireland. In 1501 Margaret FitzGerald, Countess of Ormond rebuilt Gowran castle. Following the Cromwellian invasion in Ireland in 1650, Gowran was besieged, attacked and badly damaged by Oliver Cromwell. For the following 300 years the Agar family were a major influence in the Gowran area. In 1713 - Henry Agar built a new castle close to the Butler Castle using materials from the former Castle. After he died in 1746 his widow Ann married George Dunbar of Co. Fermanagh on 20 January 1753, and died 14 April 1765; she was buried in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin. Administration of her effects was granted by the Prerogative Court of Armagh to her second husband, 11 September 1765. From Archiseek 1816 to 1819 - Henry Agar 2nd Viscount Clifden rebuilt the Castle, (the current building), to the designs of William Robertson. Several generations of the Agars occupied Gowran Castle, many of whom are buried in St. Mary’s Collegiate Church Gowran. In 1957 - Gowran Castle and about.68 acres of land was sold to James and Mary Moran by the Land Commission on 14 May 1957. The Moran family lived in the castle until it was sold in 1998 to Tarajan Ltd., a company owned by a Northern Ireland developer Alastair Jackson who bought the property from Kevin Fennelly and Catriona Fennelly (Nee Moran). Following the sale of the property, applications were made by Tarajan to Kilkenny Co. Council to build houses on the estate. This was refused. The castle lay unoccupied and unprotected eleven years and fell into dereliction. In 2010 a fire (Kilkenny People) caused considerable damage but wasn't totally destroyed. Subsequently the Castle and the area surrounding it was designated "Tourism and Amenity". The portfolio was taken over by NAMA and was sold in 2013 and restoration work began.
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Grace's Castle, Kilkenny City.
○ See Kilkenny Courthouse Then and Now and more Images
○ The courthouse was originally built over and around Grace’s Castle, which was built in the early 13th century. In Kilkenny it is referred to as Grace’s Castle or Grace’s Courthouse. It remained a private residence until it was leased to the state in 1566 by James Grace, Governor of Ireland. It has been part of the justice system ever since - its exact function changing over the years. For about 200 years it was used by the state as a goal, and during the renovations there were several interesting findings relating to this time, among them remains of prisoners executed at the goal. It became a courthouse in 1792.
● Granagh Castle, Ruins
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Grenan Castle On the outskirts of Thomastown in a field a C13 hall keep probably built by Thomas FitzAnthony, the son-in-law of Strongbow who died in 1229.
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Hebron House - 1700s. Co.Kilkenny.
○ Sub-project
I
J
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Jerpoint Abbey Granted to Thomas, earl of Ormonde (The Black Earl), who in turned granted it to Oliver Grace. Cistercian abbey near Thomastown, constructed in 1180, probably on the site of an earlier Benedictine monastery built in 1160 by Domnall Mac Gilla Patraic, King of Osraige. Jerpoint is notable for its stone carvings, including one at the tomb of Felix O'Dulany, Bishop of the Diocese of Ossory when the abbey was founded.
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Kells Priory one of the largest surviving mediaeval religious settlements in Ireland. Augustinian priory ruins which lie beside the King's river south of the medieval city of Kilkenny, It was founded on the banks of the King’s River in 1193 by Geoffrey FitzRobert; he had already established a church here a decade earlier. An Anglo-Norman knight, FitzRobert was married first to Basilia, sister of Richard de Clare (otherwise known as Strongbow) and then to Eve de Bermingham, widow of Gerald FitzMaurice, 1st Lord of Offaly (making her the forebear of the Dukes of Leinster). FitzRobert became known as Baron of Kells around 1204 when he was also appointed Seneschal (administrative officer) of Leinster. In his confirmatory charter to Kells Abbey he declared that he had founded the friary ‘for the salvation of my own soul and the souls of my predecessor and successors; for the honor of God and the Blessed Virgin; for the spiritual welfare of my Lord, William Marshall’ – who had advised the foundation and consented to it – and ‘at the desire and with consent of my wife Eva.’ In line with other Augustinian houses of the period, the first friars came from England, from Bodmin Priory in Cornwall. it was attacked and burned three times. The priory was subject to the Dissolution in March 1540, when it was forfeited to James Butler, 9th Duke of Ormonde. Kells Priory is sometimes known as Seven Castles due to the tower houses found around its outer walls which give it a fortress-like appearance. The towers were probably constructed in the 15th century
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Kilbline Castle Intact Castle. Typical tower house - 5 storeys high. Usually dated to the 14th/15th centuries but a large limestone chimneypiece on the first floor carries the date 1580 so it is possible that was when the building was completed. There is reference to Kilbline Castle being forfeited by Thomas Comerford of Ballymac in 1566 so perhaps the chimneypiece was inserted into the tower by a later owner. Thomas Shortall of Rathardmore died in 1628 and not long after his heir Peter moved to the castle of Kilbline. His estates, which ran to some 1,500 acres were declared forfeited by the Cromwellian government in 1653 and his sons ordered to be sent to Connaught, although one of them seems to have returned to Kilbline, perhaps after the restoration of Charles II in 1660. William Candler who was probably an officer in Oliver Cromwell’s army during the Irish wars of 1649-53, was rewarded for his service by being promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and granted lands in County Kilkenny, including those on which stands Kilbline Castle. He and his wife Anne Clarke, widow Villiers had two sons, the younger of whom John is known to have lived at Kilbline. John Candler had a single son Thomas who, in turn, had only the one child, Walsingham; he never married and so that line of Candlers came to an end. The older son of Lt. Col Candler, Thomas, who lived at Callan Castle had four sons, one of whom Daniel caused a rumpus within the family by marrying an Irishwoman, possibly a Roman Catholic, called Hannah and as a result was obliged to leave first County Kilkenny and then Ireland. Around 1735 Daniel and Hannah Candler moved to the America Colonies, initially settling in North Carolina before they moved to Bedford, Virginia. Their great, great, great-grandson was Asa Griggs Candler, who in 1888 bought the formula for Coca Cola. The castle was inhabited until the late 20th century.
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Kilcash Castle Butler tower of six storeys, dates from the late C16 or early C17, and is currently undergoing restoration.
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Kilcurl near to Baile Heil, Hugginstown, Cnoc an Tochair and Knockwilliam.●
Kilfane Castle fortified church dating from the C14 has a four storey tower adjoining the church, formerly with a wall walk and parapets. The tower's second storey contains a fireplace, below which is a vaulted chapel. The tower is original, and has remained unaltered through the centuries, providing both accommodation and protection for the priest. The church at Kilfane is renowned for its late C13 or early C14 knight effigy. Charles Kendal Bushe and his wife Anne Campton stayed at the house for a while in 1788.●
Kilkenny Castle (Irish: Caisleán Chill Chainnigh) - the present castle was built in 1195 by William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke. The first castle, most likely a wooden structure was built by Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, (Strongbow), in the 12th century. The Anglo-Normans had established a castle in 1173. Kilkenny formed part of the lordship of Leinster, which was granted to Strongbow. Strongbow’s daughter and heiress, Isabel married William Marshall in 1189. The Earl Marshall owned large estates in Ireland, England, Wales and France. He appointed Geoffrey fitz Robert was appointed seneschal (steward or governor, judicial officer) of Leinster. He responsible for much development in Kilkenny, including the construction of Kilkenny Castle. The first stone castle on the site, was completed in 1213. This was a square-shaped castle with towers at each corner; three of which survive. James Butler, 3rd Earl of Ormonde, bought the castle in 1391 and became ruler of the area. This James built Gowran Castle in 1385 which was his residence. He is buried in St. Mary's Collegiate Church Gowran. James was also called the Earl of Gowran. The Butler dynasty ruled the surrounding area for centuries. They were Earls, Marquesses and Dukes of Ormonde and lived in the castle for over five hundred years. Notable people include, Lady Margaret Butler (c. 1454 or 1465–1539) daughter of Thomas Butler, 7th Earl of Ormond; She was born in Kilkenny Castle and married Sir William Boleyn and was the paternal grandmother of Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII of England. The Castle became the seat to the very powerful family, the Butlers of Ormonde or Butler family, who lived there until 1935. Today the property was transferred to the people of Kilkenny in 1967 for £50 and the castle and grounds are now managed by the Office of Public Works.
○ Kilkenny Castle Stableyard - Pinterest - across the street from the castle consist of two courtyards and buildings. The main range is parallel to the street, now the Kilkenny Design shop. Behind that is a courtyard which has the curved range to its rear. Through the central archway on this block leads to another courtyard which has been converted to workshops for various small craft industries.
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Kilmurry Castle/
● Kilmurry House near Thomastown - Associated families - Bushe, Butler, sub Mountgarret, Archer Houblon. Parts believed to have been from the 17th century or earlier, but now predominantly 18th or early 19th century. Kilmurry House had been built by Colonel Bushe in the 1690s, when he built a seat on lands granted to him under the Cromwellian settlement. ]Charles Kendal Bushe, orator and advocate known as "The Incorruptible" added wings to the house between 1814 and 1830. His father the https://www.geni.com/people/Thomas-Bushe/6000000015240066689 Reverend Thomas Bushe and his wife Katherine Doyle owned the house but he was forced to sell it to pay his debts. Charles was able to repurchase it in 1814 with money he had given his wife, Anne Campton to buy jewellery and which she had not spent. (Reference page 175 Burke's Guide to Country Houses, Volume 1 - Ireland). Charles Kendal Bushe's children sold the house after he died in 1843 to Major Henry Butler of the renowned Anglo-Irish Butlers of Ormonde dynasty of Kilkenny Castle. His daughter, Mildred Anne Butler (1858-1941), the water colour painter, bequeathed it to her cousin, [Doreen Archer Houblon, CVO Doreen Archer Houblon, the equestrian. It remained in the Butler family until it was sold in 1981. The Irish businessman who bought the house for a reported €1.5m in 2009 attempted to modernise part of the listed building in 2011
○ Irish News 2011
○ Buildings of Ireland
○ WIKI Mildred Anne Butler
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Kilrush Castle close to the present Kilrush House (an early-C19 design by the architect William Robertson), - a ruined late C16 Shortall tower house. It was occupied by the St George family and their descendants from the 1650s until around 1820, the date Kilrush House is thought to have been completed, and whose building they had commissioned. It was then that the tower house was abandoned as a residence in favour of the new house where the family have lived ever since, a continuous period of occupation at Kilrush for well over three hundred years.
○ Reference Geograph - Mike Searle, Kilrush
● Kilrush House A branch of the St Georges settled here in the 17th century but for a long time the family lived in a late mediaeval tower house which was refurbished and enlarged. Finally in the second decade of the 19th century and following his marriage, Arthur St George commissioned a new residence from local architect William Robertson.
References and Sources
County Kilkenny Specific
▷ WIKI - Buildings and Structures in County Kilkenny
▷ - Eircom
▷ Facebook - Kilkenny Archaeology
General
▷ WIKI List of historical abbeys, castles and monuments in Ireland
▷ Irish Tourism - Buildings in Ireland
▷ Irish Tourist - Historic Buildings
▷ Irish Central - Historical sites to visit in Ireland
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Other Pages for Historic Buildings of Ireland Counties
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Historic Buildings of County Kilkenny
Historic Buildings of County Kilkenny A-B
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