Kilkenny Castle & The Butler Art Gallery

Kilkenny Castle

The Parade, Kilkenny

Butler Gallery

The Castle, Kilkenny

Free admission

Back in my school days, more than a few years ago, I choose to do transition year. Basically it's a year of no exams or serious study, where you try out different things, to attempt to work out, at just 15/16, who you want to be when you grow up. I took every opportunity transition year threw at me trying to find out what I wanted from college. I did science, debating and public speaking competitions. I did volunteering work, tidy towns and green schools. I did work experience in art, English and science fields to try and pin point which of my favorite subjects was meant to be my college degree. No small feet for a 15 year old. Anyway one of the work placements I did that year was in the Butler Art Gallery in Kilkenny Castle. It's a small but beautifully curated contemporary art gallery, at the time the Irish artist Tony O' Malley was having an exhibition there. I loved my brief time there and while science ultimately became my subject of choice in college, I still have a great fondness for this gallery. Their current exhibition is a collaboration with Oscar nominated Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon, to celebrate the release of their new film, Song of the Sea.  It's an amazing exhibition, really interactive, you get to learn about the process of how the film was created from start to finish, it was honestly one of the most interesting exhibitions I've been to. The sun was beating down outside though, so it was not the kind of day you spend cooped up inside. After grabbing myself a huge cupcake in the Design Center across the road, I threw off my sandals and lay down in the grass. Of course everyone in Kilkenny had the same idea and the castle grounds was heaving with families and couples making the most of the weather and the gorgeous surroundings. The next day it's sunny, if that happens again this year, grab you friends and have a picnic with Kilkenny Castle as your backdrop. If the sun doesn't come, which is probably more likely, shelter inside and explore the castle itself. 

Any Gallery recommendations? I'm always looking for new places to visit!

xox