Information
Landmark: Kyteler's InnCity: Kilkenny
Country: Ireland
Continent: Europe
Kyteler's Inn, Kilkenny, Ireland, Europe
Overview
In the heart of Kilkenny, Ireland, Kyteler’s Inn stands as one of the city’s best-known historic landmarks, its stone walls steeped in centuries of stories.Founded in the 13th century, it’s still known as one of Ireland’s oldest inns, where oak beams darkened by centuries of smoke line the ceiling.The building is famous not just for its age and storied past, but also for its link to Alice Kyteler, the infamous Kilkenny figure once accused of witchcraft.Alice Kyteler, a wealthy widow who ran the local inn, made history as one of the first in Ireland accused of witchcraft-her name whispered in taverns over the clink of mugs.In the early 1300s, Kyteler was accused of using witchcraft to amass her wealth, a charge that brought her to trial in 1324.The trial took place during a wave of witch-hunts sweeping across Europe, and Alice slipped free of conviction-probably thanks to well-placed friends who knew her name.Petronilla de Meath, her maid, wasn’t so lucky-she was burned at the stake for the crime, smoke curling into the gray sky.The inn takes her name, and locals whisper it may have been the hub for some of her supposed deeds, deepening its eerie past.Kyteler’s Inn now shows a mix of medieval stonework and later additions.It still holds its old-world charm-exposed stone walls cool to the touch, low ceilings you almost have to duck under, and a warm glow that fits right in with modern pub life.More than a historic landmark, the inn’s a favorite gathering place for a good meal and a pint.People know it for hearty traditional Irish dishes and the buzz of laughter and music that fills the room.The pub often comes alive with music and cultural nights, drawing both locals and travelers through its old wooden doors.Today, Kyteler’s Inn stands as a proud emblem of Kilkenny’s past, blending medieval charm with warm Irish hospitality and lively, modern entertainment.If you love history and local culture, the inn gives you something rare-a stay wrapped in old legends and the scent of polished wood.If you want to dig deeper into Kyteler’s Inn’s history, check Kilkenny’s local tourism guides or browse the pages devoted to Alice Kyteler’s story, where her name still stirs whispers of old scandals.
