Kilkenny and Waterford: Not So Blaa After All!
My dream of Ireland was years in the making. Before my cousin and I visited Dublin with her kids in 2023, before I watched more recent movies like Irish Wish, Wild Mountain Thyme, or even Leap Year back in 2010, all of which featured the Irish countryside, I was introduced to Ireland through PBS and Travels in Europe with Rick Steves. Much like my introduction to Italy, I saw the place I wanted to go while watching Sunday afternoon TV with my parents. They drank wine and imagined their own trip they’d take before I did, and I filed places away in my mind, not knowing which I’d be able to make a reality. More than the exact place names, I remembered the scenery and the experiences. In the cities, Rick experienced historic buildings and lively pubs, complete with crowds, music, and Guinness. In the countryside, the views I remembered him featuring were green rolling hills, impressive cliffs, and lots of sheep. My TV expectations were, thankfully, mirrored in reality.
In the summer of 2025, my friend Rachel and I both checked Ireland off our travel wish list. The idea was conceived when we learned our other friend was traveling to Northern Ireland for work. Unfortunately, meeting up with her wouldn’t work out, so once we learned that, we planned this trip as a southern loop, knowing we wouldn’t be able to hit everywhere we’d want to see. So, whether together or traveling apart, we’d have to return.
After flying into Dublin from separate origins and connecting flights, Rachel and I first met when she saw me standing at the American Airlines lost luggage counter. (We had previously only met on Zoom through a friend group.) After multiple delays, I made it, but my bag got rerouted through London Heathrow and had to catch up with us on the road. (Spoiler Alert: It was waiting for me on our second day of the trip when we arrived in Galway!) Once the paperwork was complete, we made our way out of the baggage area to the airport bus station. And by station, I mean a terminal with a few fast-food places, coffee shops, a convenience store where we each bought a sandwich, and a wall of automatic ticket kiosks. My prior experience and research had me convinced I’d be too tired from the flight to navigate a right-hand drive rental car for the first time in busy Dublin airport traffic. The wise move was for us to get a bus to our first stop - Kilkenny. Finding our correct bus wasn’t too difficult, but I’m glad Rachel was with me. Everyone spoke English, so I would have had no problem asking for help if I needed it, but it was nice not to have to navigate which bus to take on my own. Some of the buses didn’t have big, obvious numbers or destination signs posted in front like you may see in the movies. (Although even if it was more difficult, I wouldn’t be as proud of myself as I was when I got from my villa in a town outside of Naples to Kayak Napoli via three different public transportation lines and asking some nice old Italian men for help after wandering past where it should be. Yes, I was using my phone for directions, but if you had talent for getting lost in a city or two in your own home state, you’d be proud of yourself as well.) The two-hour bus ride from Dublin to Kilkenny wasn’t full of particularly interesting scenery. Rachel and I enjoyed catching up in person vs. over Zoom while we rode past green fields of mostly cows rather than the expected sheep. It was a warm, sunny day in a new country, though, so we were still happy to take it all in.
Rachel and I met twice over Zoom to plan our trip, including where we’d go and where we’d stay in terms of lodging. I joined a few Ireland Facebook groups to get suggestions and watched plenty of YouTube videos of other people’s travels. Knowing we wouldn’t be able to see it all in the six days we planned, while still wanting to see some major sites, we settled on staying in Kilkenny one night, Galway two nights, Westport one night, then Dublin two nights. We hoped to experience the country and culture as authentically as possible. Rachel liked to ask those giving us advice on places to see and food to eat if it was “authentic” or “traditional.” I thought it was funny at first, but I came to appreciate the heart behind it. If you go to another country, what’s the point of doing things or eating food you can get anywhere? You may as well not have left home. Only by participating and living like a local can you experience a new place like it’s meant to be lived. So, while we still did touristy things, we tried to keep our experience as authentically Irish as possible for two Americans.
Kilkenny is a quintessentially Irish city that has the small-town charm we were looking for. While it is considered a city, the population is a little over 27,000, and it’s less than 1.5 square miles. With Rachel from a large Texas metro and me coming from the OKC metro, everything seemed smaller and easily walkable. There were plenty of shops, restaurants, pubs, and attractions to make this a worthwhile first stop. After checking into our hotel (the Kilford Arms), we walked down the street past the River Nore and the castle from the 12th century, which we planned to tour the next day. Our first stop was Smithwick’s Experience. I already toured the Guinness Factory in Dublin with my cousin and her kids, and my mom told me she was a fan of Smithwick’s beer (pronounced "SMITH-icks" or "SMIDD-icks"), so we agreed this would be a fun stop. The tour was interesting and worth the €22. Our young guide pretty much stuck to her script and didn’t welcome questions, but we learned about the family history (through Harry Potter-like moving portraits! This feature was lacking in the Guinness Storehouse) and the beer-making process.
As much as I think the tour was well-done, my favorite part came at the end. After the sensory room, where you can smell jars of ingredients that go into making the beer (malt, roasted malt, yeast, and hops), our tour guide took us into the tasting room. She explained what we could sample based on our ticket, and she left us to enjoy our beer in their small bar area. In the tasting room, the basic tour ticket got visitors a pint of the Red Ale or Pale Ale, or, for an extra fee, one could get a half-pint of all three varieties - the previous two plus their Kilkenny beer. I wish I had taken better notes and could tell you which one I tried, but I cannot. My guess is the Red Ale since it may have been more “authentic.”
Rachel and I went to a 4-top high table since that was the one available. Shortly after we sat down with our pints, another group came through, and the room started filling up. An older couple was looking for seats, so I asked if they wanted to join us at our table for four. That was a great decision! While looking out for others who might want to sit is a kind thing to do, Rachel and I both enjoyed talking with the couple, and they were our first trip connections. Rachel had a habit that I wanted to take with me. Any interaction longer than someone checking you out at the grocery store (although it really depended on the exchange), she would ask the people their names. It’s easy to have an interaction with someone you’ll never see again, get what you need, and get out. It takes more intentionality to see the person you’re interacting with as a person with a name worth knowing than as someone to immediately forget. It was Noleen and Cole who joined us at our table. We learned they were a retired couple from Australia who were finishing up traveling for over three months. They toured part of Canada and the U.S. northeast, then they joined a Scandinavian cruise and went from there to Ireland. They were fun to talk with and gave us some great tips!
After our experience at Smithwick’s, the next stop was the Dunnes department store we passed. These are found all over Ireland and seem to be similar to a Target. It had clothing, groceries, and home goods. Since I arrived without my bag, I needed to pick up some pajamas and at least a new shirt for tomorrow. I had a few other essentials in my carry-on, at least. Without this unexpected necessity, I don’t know that we would have stopped in a Dunnes since they’re not known for gifts and souvenirs, and we weren’t doing any cooking. So, a bright side of the unwelcome bag delay allowed us to see how the Irish shop for everyday items. We were getting hungry, though, so unfortunately, we didn’t browse the store that much. (We did have a few opportunities to see more Irish products later on, though!) After dropping my bag off at our hotel room, we ventured down a busier downtown street for dinner. While the store and Smithwick’s were in a touristy part of downtown, the pubs and restaurants were down a different street.
What helped us know we were going in the right direction was the music. The downtown streets were busy, full of visitors and locals. There were lots of restaurants, pubs, and bars from which to choose. (We learned a bar has food, pubs don’t, and restaurants are larger and sometimes more upscale.) As we walked the street trying to decide where to go, we perused menus and listened for live music. Before the trip, Rachel and I both discussed our hope to hear and see lots of Irish music in pubs. We knew Galway was known for this, which was why it was on our list, but finding something similar in Kilkenny would be a nice treat for our first night. We stopped at a non-crowded bar called Lanigan's when we heard music, which drew us in. We didn't know he'd only be doing American covers. We didn’t come to Ireland to hear Green Day and Neil Diamond, but it was fun to sing along with the locals nonetheless. We also didn’t know that Lanigan’s has Kilkenny’s biggest screen (as advertised on their website). If we were there for a football match, I’m sure that would be the place to be, watching the match live (if not in person) on their 14-foot LED video wall. For dinner, I ordered curry, which I saw throughout the trip was more common on menus than Shepherd's pie. It was a yellow curry served with rice and a good spice level. I think I got a 3 out of 5, and that was plenty! Rachel had a fish chowder, which was my second choice. She let me sample it, and it was also delicious. What accompanied her meal was a staple of the trip and any Irish table - brown bread. (More on that will be in my next Ireland post.)
We started the next day with breakfast at Tower and Castle Cafe. The cafe was a small local spot. (We really didn’t run into many tourists except at major attractions.) I had what they called the “All Day Breakfast Blaa.”
The breakfast sandwich included what would be in a full Irish breakfast, so I feel like I checked that box (if I were to try the Ireland “must-eats”). There was egg, rasher (ham), sausage, black and white pudding (I tried them off the sandwich since it would be too big all stacked together), and Ballymaloe relish. Rachel and I were both pleasantly surprised by the black and white pudding and liked them! The patties seemed like they could have been bought frozen and then reheated in the kitchen, but either way, they were more appetizing than the blood sausage I’ve seen in UK travel shows. The Ballymaloe relish is another Irish staple I had to research. It was the one thing I didn't care for. I’d compare it to a smooth tomato chutney with tomatoes, onions, vinegar, raisins, brown sugar, and spices. Chutney is more common in Europe, so if I grew up eating tomato chutney on everything besides the occasional cheese plate, I’m sure I’d feel differently.
After our Irish breakfast, we wandered through more of Kilkenny that we didn’t see the previous evening. Outside Kilkenny Castle, our next stop, was a farmers’ market which is open Thursdays in the summer. We didn’t plan this, but I enjoyed seeing the local vendors of fish, fruits and veg, food carts, baked goods, and craft booths. I bought a jar of damson (plum) jam to take home with me. Afterwards, we bought tickets for a self-guided tour of Kilkenny Castle. The castle was originally built as a wooden structure in the 12th century by Richard de Clare, an Anglo-Norman.
He was known as “Strongbow” and married Aoife of Leinster, who was the daughter of Diarmait MacMurchada of Irish lineage. This marriage linked the two cultures (“Characters of Kilkenny Castle”). The current stone castle was built in place of the original building by William Marshall, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (a title inherited from his father-in-law), and was completed in 1213. The castle was bought by the Butler family, who lived there until 1935 (“Historic Kilkenny”). That’s the short version. The long version is much more confusing, but Ireland’s history has started to fall into place a little more coherently as I look back on pictures and notes. Strongbow and Aoife came up again in our tour in Waterford, and we visited his burial site (not on purpose) in Dublin at Christ Church Cathedral. And, at least in history class at some point, I am sure I’ve heard of William Marshal before, too, since he was known as “the greatest knight to ever live” (“Kilkenny Archaeological Society”).
From Kilkenny Castle, we walked through a few of the shops at the National Design and Craft Gallery, explored the gardens of Butler House (as recommended by our Australian friends, although we didn’t take a tour), and then we walked up the hill to St. Canice’s Cathedral and Round Tower. We were short on time and didn’t go inside. Instead, we walked the grounds and enjoyed seeing lots of painters replicating the scenery on canvas.
Our next stop was to go back to our hotel, get Rachel’s bag and my backpack, and then walk about 20 minutes to the rental car facility. There were two 20-something guys behind the counter. After we completed the paperwork and they scanned our licenses, one walked us to our car (a red Nissan Juke), and we were free to go. We couldn’t believe it. No third degree about whether we're sure we can drive on the left. No showing us where all the controls, like the lights and wipers, are. He was fine letting us go about our trip like every other American tourist. Well, that’s why they require insurance, I guess.
Our trip south to Waterford wasn’t one we originally planned. Instead, we decided on our bus ride to Kilkenny to make the out-of-the-way trip south. When one’s dad (Rachel’s) offers to buy Waterford Crystal Whiskey glasses as a gift, we couldn’t not go! Rachel was fine with driving first, and I was happy to let her. The right-hand driving and controls took a little getting used to, but it wasn’t as nerve-wracking as I originally thought. I don’t know if I ever got used to being a passenger in the narrow, country lanes, though. The other cars definitely look closer from the passenger side than from the driver’s!
Rachel adjusted well for our first leg, and we made it to Waterford in about 40 minutes. We wanted to do something while we were there, other than see the Waterford Crystal Warehouse, so we scheduled a 45-minute Epic Walking Tour. We joined a solo traveler from another part of Ireland and a Scottish couple for a historical tour that took us around a few downtown blocks. I enjoyed learning the history of the city that was founded around 914 AD by Norwegian Viking settlers (“An Introduction to Ireland’s Oldest City”). With ancestral roots in both Ireland and Norway, I can’t help but think that at least one side of my ancestors passed through the city before me. We saw The Mall, a building where the rebellion club “The Young Islanders” met and put up the first Irish flag designed by Thomas Francis Meagher (pronounced “Marr”). I had previously heard of Meagher in Montana. He made his way to America and, during the Civil War, joined the Fighting 69th, an Irish-American unit of the New York Army National Guard. His name came up when I was learning about Montana with my FoodCorps AmeriCorps cohort because, after the war, he served as the Secretary of Montana Territory and was the first person to serve in the absence of a governor (“Thomas Francis Meagher”). We saw a replica Viking ship; Reginald’s Tower, Ireland’s Oldest urban monument in use for over 800 years; French Church, AKA Greyfriars Abbey, which was a former Franciscan friary built in 1241; and we ended at Christ Church Cathedral.
The present building was the fourth church to stand on the site in over 1000 years, with the previous three buildings destroyed or damaged over the years. The first was a wooden structure constructed by the Vikings. The following styles were Roman, Gothic, and now it is a neo-classical Georgian style (Waterford City & County Council, 2020).
After we finished the walking tour, we crossed the street to the Waterford Crystal Warehouse. If we had more time, the factory tour would have been interesting, but we still had a 3-hour-plus drive to Galway ahead of us.
We probably spent close to two hours perusing the beautiful crystal in the busy showroom. Rachel had a few sets of Whiskey glasses from which to choose. What I thought was interesting is that while their pieces are still designed in Ireland, most of their manufacturing is outsourced to Eastern Europe. I splurged on a crystal star Christmas tree ornament for myself, and the box says “Made in Slovenia” but designed in Waterford, Ireland. That’s something, at least! After a late lunch at a cafe, we made it back to the car to head on to Galway. Day 1 was not over yet, but we said goodbye to our time in Kilkenny and Waterford!
When I was thinking about what to replicate at home from my first few days in Ireland, Waterford Blaa seemed like the obvious choice. According to Karen’s Kitchen Stories, “The Waterford Blaa is a large, soft, and fluffy roll that is exclusive to Waterford City, Ireland. It is also distinguished by its floury crust. This bread has achieved PGI (protected geographical indication) status, which is a big deal in the European Union. Any bread sold as a Waterford Blaa must be made by one of the certified bakeries. The origin of this bread is attributed to the Huguenots, Calvinists driven out of France in the seventeenth century and welcomed into Ireland because of the trades they brought with them. They mostly settled in southern Ireland. This bread, made with white flour, which was new to Ireland at the time, is derived from the French bread tradition. One theory is that the name is derived from the French word ‘blanc’” (Karen’s Kitchen Stories). I made Karen’s version, and my Waterford Blaa rolls turned out fluffy and delicious. My helper claimed they were the best rolls I’ve ever made, but she’s said that before. I wonder how often I can keep topping myself in her eyes? 🙂
There is so much to share about my time in Ireland, so I’ll be writing two more posts. Stay tuned for “Gray Skies, Green Fields, Brown Bread” and “Scones and Irish Hospitality!”
Comments