Mom Camp Day 4: This was one of those days when things just seem to go sideways on you. We spent the night at a rather odd hotel in New Ross (a town founded by the Marshal) and we overslept. We had a full day’s agenda that had to be majorly altered. We skipped the Dunbrody Famine Ship as well as Waterford and made our way to the Irish Tintern Abbey. 
We made a trip the parent Abbey in Wales last year, (for those interested in the original Abbey). For those of you who don’t know, the Irish Tintern Abbey was founded by the Marshal. He had a pretty rough sea crossing to Ireland. He pledged to found a new Abbey if he made it to shore. Thankfully he made it and he was as good as his word and founded the Abbey.
Personally, having been to both, I prefer the Irish Abbey. The grounds at the Irish Tintern are far more lush and evocative of the past. Unlike it’s parent abbey in Wales, the Irish Tintern is surrounded by lovely forests and walking paths. It also features a lovely bridge that crosses over a small river near the abbey. It is very picturesque! My only complaint was that we didn’t have more time to spend there!
inside the abbey
Next, it was off to Kilkenny another Anglo-Norman city. In Kilkenny we stayed in the castle’s old carriage house that has been converted to a hotel. Very nice. It had an English style garden between the carriage house and the castle across the way.
Kilkenny also prides itself on maintaining a lot of its medieval history. They have the medieval mile you can walk and imagine what the city might have looked it. In town there is also a pub that date backs to the 1300s. Back in the day it was run by a witch! Of course it’s a tourist trap. But with two kids, who could skip it? We were treated to an Irish drum circle lesson.
The Captain also discovered Kilkenny is where Smithwick’s Beer is brewed. So we stopped into the shop for a t-shirt.
The Booky Mom 