Editing Kilkenny (section)

===Kilkenny Castle and city walls===
[[File:Kilkenny Castle, 2024-03-22 02.jpg|thumb|[[Kilkenny Castle]]]]
[[File:Black Freren Gate.jpg|thumb|The Black Freren Gate, part of the medieval city walls]]

[[Kilkenny Castle]] in Kilkenny city was the seat of the Butler family. (Formerly the family name was FitzWalter.) The castle was sold to the local Castle Restoration Committee in the middle of the 20th century for [[Irish punt|£]]50. Shortly afterwards it was handed over to the State, and has since been refurbished and is open to visitors. Part of the collection of the National Art Gallery is on display in the castle. There are ornamental gardens on the northwest side of the castle, and extensive land and gardens to the front. It has become one of the most visited tourist sites in Ireland.

The first stone castle was begun in 1204 by [[William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke|William Marshall]] the site was completed in 1213; it was a symbol of Norman occupation and in its original thirteenth-century condition it would have formed an important element of the defences of the town. There were four large circular corner towers and a massive ditch, part of which can still be seen today on the Parade. This was a square-shaped castle with towers at each corner; three of these original four towers survive to this day.

''Kilkenny Walls'' protected the medieval town of Kilkenny.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/fileadmin/user_upload/Publications/Irish_Walled_Towns/Med_KK_Walls.pdf|title=Medieval walls of Kilkenny City|website=Heritagecouncil.ie|access-date=23 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120804142318/http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/fileadmin/user_upload/Publications/Irish_Walled_Towns/Med_KK_Walls.pdf|archive-date=2012-08-04|url-status=dead}}</ref> The town was surrounded by walls with regular towers and gates. Remnants of the Town Walls survive such as Talbot Tower (1207), which is also known as Talbot's Bastion or Castle. It is the larger of the two surviving towers of the defences of the medieval High town of Kilkenny. There are walls on Abbey Street, and the adjoining Black Freren Gate is the only surviving gate/access remaining on the High town Circuit into the old city.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kilkennycity.ie/eng/Services/Heritage/City_Walls_Project/|title=City Walls Project|website=Kilkennycity.ie|access-date=23 September 2017|archive-date=24 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170924093425/http://www.kilkennycity.ie/eng/Services/Heritage/City_Walls_Project/|url-status=live}}</ref> A wall also runs through the brewery's grounds beside [[St. Francis Abbey]].

The Kilkenny City Walls Conservation Plan is a plan by the inhabitants of Kilkenny, Kilkenny Borough Council, the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, An Taisce, The Kilkenny Archaeological Society and The Heritage Council to ensure the long-term survival of the city's walls.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kilkennycity.ie/resources/eng/Services/Heritage/Kilkenny%20City%20Walls%20Conservation%20Plan.pdf|title=Kilkenny City Walls Conservation Plan|website=Kilkennycity.ie|access-date=23 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171125024152/http://www.kilkennycity.ie/resources/eng/Services/Heritage/Kilkenny%20City%20Walls%20Conservation%20Plan.pdf|archive-date=25 November 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>