Magnetism is only to be expected of an 800-year-old castle, proud of its past and effusive of its present. But Kilkenny Castle can prove quite formidable if ignored, and its stony "fist" might toss any offender into the moat, if its newly found splendour - the completed renovation - is taken too lightly.
Any castle would be proud too, to have enjoyed a £6 million boost over the past 31 years. Funded primarily by the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, and the EU, and administered by Duchas and the Office of Public Works (OPW), the castle renovation project finished in May with the completion of the Parade Tower.
The Castle, before being acquired by the State in 1969, was the family seat of the Butlers of Ormond and was renovated first in 1766, tardily following the wrath of Cromwell, and again in 1830, as a Victorian home. With the departure of the Butlers, the contents were sold at auction in 1935 and, although briefly occupied during the Emergency, the castle became derelict. It was finally sold for £50 by the last Earl to the Castle Restoration Committee - and thankfully so, because after Cill Chais, the misery could be too much for our wandering poets.
Thus began the first phase of the current renovations, concentrating on the restoration of the Picture Gallery, designed in 1850 to house the Butler collection. By 1976, the wing was open to the public, having seven years of work to rectify the effects of water damage and dry rot. Along the gallery now hang 46 Butler tapestries and paintings, among which is that of Margaret Fitzgerald, wife of Piers Butler Rua. The second phase, in 1990, involved the restoration of the Victorian house. Under the guidance of OPW project architect, Patrick Gannon, salvageable features were marked and stored, but due to the deterioration of floors, wall and roof, it was necessary to gut the entire central block. Tours of this area, which was completed in 1994, begin in the front hall where a Kilkenny marble table is stroked with wonder, and then abandoned at the mention of its use during a wake. The oak staircase groans as 600 stone of tourist lands upon it and proceeds to the dining room. The staff have many anecdotes, but it is those of Victorian life that linger in the mind to swell and become bubbles of romance - the maids who whistled while carrying food to prove they were not gobbling it up.
Wallpaper and carpets become captivating, with the bright yellow drawing room wallpaper costing £15,000 to weave and hang, copied from fragments uncovered behind the skirting board. Original loom cards were discovered to complete the carpet, while the Tower Bedroom is exotically decorated with 26 rolls of hand-painted wallpaper from China. Ruthless budget restrictions forged the decision to lay the oak parquet floor only around the drawing room and library carpets. Parsimonious? Well no doubt one would be violently ill if £30,000 had been hidden under a rug. On the third floor, the secrecy of the many locked doors and spiralling staircases proves tantalising - but the temptation to be "accidentally" locked up in the castle overnight to have a good look around evaporates with the suggestion of a ghost in the kitchen. A psychological burglar alarm.
The final stage of the renovation, which began in 1998, was the Parade Tower - a significant contribution to the castle from the 20th century. The objective was to restore only areas of particular historical and architectural interest, while the remainder, which had comprised bedrooms, was rebuilt as a three-storey multi-purpose venue. The main auditorium, featuring an 1820s pine-trussed ceiling and Irish oak flooring, can be converted for various functions - even to create a theatre or cinema. Those craving authenticity can find solace in the medieval room beneath - a cosy reception room of medieval masonry, vaulted ceiling and arrow loop windows. This autumn sees some work on the exterior: excavations of the old west wall, the once drawbridged entrance, and the resurfacing of the castle courtyard.
The internal restoration project complete, Kilkenny Castle has become a monument to both past and present, and a tribute to the people who have stood firm in its protection and likewise now of their city status. All that is needed is the traditional aroma of cabbage and ham to drown the polish.
Entrance rates to the castle: Adults £3.50 Senior citizens and group rate £2.50 Children/Students £1.50. Mon-Sun 10.006.00pm