Across the eastern half of Ireland, known as Ireland’s Ancient East, the 15 counties have dozens of medieval settlements, some in disrepair, and some kept in wonderful condition. On my trip to Ireland, I wanted to take a tour of the ancient sites, as the medieval era catches my eye more than most times through history, and to go inside a genuine castle would be my dream. So why not four? Allow me to show what each day would be like, along with some information about each castle. 

My travel journal entries will be only about the castles, and it should be known that I am spending two days in each castle, leaving out the days dedicated to travel in between, and will be staying nearby the castle, unless specified otherwise. This is very much meant to be an informative piece.

Throughout history the castle has been restored many times, as it is the pride and joy of the down of Kilkenny. Most often the wealth The Butler Family still possesses comes into play, as a generation in the early 20th century had stated that they would not allow the castle to fall into dilapidation, as “There are too many ruins in Ireland. Inside, while much the same as the original, it has been turned into a sort of museum, containing victorian era furniture and paintings, capturing what it would be like to enter this castle during the times it was built. In the basement lies a rotating art exhibit from The Butler Family, which contains a surprisingly large selection of paintings and sculptures.

If I were to go there for the allotted 2 days per castle, I would most likely spend both days exploring and photographing the castle, dedicating most likely the second day to the art exhibit downstairs, of course.

Currently, the site still stands, for the most part, and is open to explore. At night, colored lights light up the property, though there are none implanted into the stone itself, on order to preserve such an ancient castle. Though you can explore it, it is only accessible through a guided tour, as well as an entry fee. 

My days there would most likely be exploring the town of trim around the castle, while going to the castle itself only once, taking into account its age and the restrictions in place to preserve it. We would likely go to the castle at around midday, sometime after lunch on the first day, then explore the town on the second.

 Powerscourt Estate has 3 gardens, a hotel, a distillery, a pet cemetary and frequent tours. A multitude of events can be hosted there, such as weddings, birthdays and anniversaries. Inside the castle, there are a few fun activities to take part in, such as a climate action experience, which teaches many things about climate change and how to stop it. Among the gardens, there is the Italian garden, which took 100 men and 12 years to build, The Walled garden, which is also referred to as the Kitchen Garden due to the fruits and other plants that grow there which keep the kitchen stocked and The Japanese Garden, which was a popular retreat for Lord Londonderry, who has a stone seat high above the garden, open for your seating as it was once his.

During my visit, I would most definitely need both days to explore this estate to the fullest. We would stay in the hotel located on the property, and spend the first day doing activities, such as the climate action experience, touring the castle itself and lounging in the room. The second day would be dedicated to the gardens, most likely starting with the Italian, then the japanese, and finally circling around to the Walled Garden.

The castle has often been used as a typical castle for multiple films and series, mainly going on the implication that it is believed to be the most haunted place in all of Europe. This has lead to the Ghost Hunters International having an episode there, as well as Living TV’s Most Haunted and Fox’s Scariest Places on Earth.

Today, the castle is available to visit and tour, however I would most likely spend one day visiting the property, then another on the hotel having a relaxing day. However, the eve of the relaxing day would likely be staying overnight, in an attempt to see what all of the ghost-related drama is about. The owners of the property hold ‘fright nights’ which allow people to explore the castle after dark.