Most Impressive Building in Kilkenny City

BambooBob

I think the Marble City is a treasure trove for architecture. My favourite building is St Kieran's College. Their is something stately and epic about its setting and size. I refer to the College Road frontage leaving aside later add ons. It is sad however that it is 1910 since the last innovative building was put up, namely the Carnegie Library on John's quay. If I could wave a magic wand I would remove the Northern Bank,Kiosk and Telecom buildings from the Parade and restore it to its former glory. What is their at present is impressive by comparison to other urban centres in Ireland but it was better. What is your favourite building in KK city and why.

Threadhead

It's an obvious one but I love the Castle. It really ties the Parade together.

Other than that, I never fail to be impressed by the Hibernian Hotel. It's a really beautiful building with great stone work and always exudes an air of classiness.

Deliverance XXV

I'd say it has to be one of the under-appreciated and taken-for-granted abbeys, cathedrals & churches which overlook our city. The castle is another obvious choice.

fabbydabby

My favourite building In Kilkenny City is Mary's Cathedral. I love the castle too and I actually don't like Mary's for its architectural or artistic merit per se, (though you have to admit it's well built - it took fourteen years, many of them famine years) but I do think there's a little bit more to the building than its gloomy gothic austerity and cavernous interior expanse.

The image of of Mary's towering above the Marble City skyline on golden foggy evenings and frosty mornings can't be beaten. It is one we're all familiar with and you can see it from miles around. When you see it at the end of a journey, you know you're home...

I think it's somehow ingrained into our brains.

catbear

I love Canices Cathedral, it's got so much history.

Plug

Mary's Cathedral for me too.

Asphyxia

There's so much in the town but the castle is my favorite, I took a walk inside for free during heritage week and it's well worth it. Kilkenny is a really beautiful city and the history of it is so fascinating

ft9

Its got to be the castle for me.

Firetrap

St. Canice's Cathedral. It's a wonderful old medieval cathedral with an interesting history and lots of interesting things to look at inside. Pity you have to pay to get in but I suppose it has to be paid for somehow. Right beside it is one of the few round towers that you can actually climb up to the top of.

Einhard

keithj75 wrote: »

I think the Marble City is a treasure trove for architecture. My favourite building is St Kieran's College. Their is something stately and epic about its setting and size. I refer to the College Road frontage leaving aside later add ons. It is sad however that it is 1910 since the last innovative building was put up, namely the Carnegie Library on John's quay. If I could wave a magic wand I would remove the Northern Bank,Kiosk and Telecom buildings from the Parade and restore it to its former glory. What is their at present is impressive by comparison to other urban centres in Ireland but it was better. What is your favourite building in KK city and why.

I wouldn't exactly call the Carneigie library innovative to be honest. Pretty much bog standard for its time. I really like the castle, but then I worked there so I'm biased! I also like Market Cross SC. It's excellently laid out, and feels like an extension of the streets rather than a self contained shopping centre.

up for anything

The Black Abbey is my favourite. I went inside for the first time earlier this year and it was like stepping back in time.

BambooBob

Einhard you say that the Carnegie was standard issue for it's time. Well standard issue was good issue relative to what's been put up since. I mean the Eircom building or National Irish Bank may have been standard buildings at the time of construction but they don't blend in or add to the visual landscape.

fabbydabby

Have a look at the carnegie library next time you're down there.

Some bright spark of an electrician screwed some revolting electrical conduit onto the facia of the lovely old building.

Someone else then put totally unsuitable ultra minging ultra modern stainless steel railings and glass outside, attached to it.

Someone in KCC must have a brother selling this garbage, or a sister who is an architect that specilises in artististically defecating on the buildings of the town.

Next up, replace the stain glass window in the black abbey with mirror finish stainless steel and colour changing LED lighting... and a SMOKE MACHINE!

catbear

I think the additions to the library have more to do with allocated budget spending. Next up, a spiral staircase on the outside of Canices Tower?

Back to the appreciation, I really like the restoration of the "hole in the wall". Pretty simple.

Einhard

keithj75 wrote: »

Einhard you say that the Carnegie was standard issue for it's time. Well standard issue was good issue relative to what's been put up since. I mean the Eircom building or National Irish Bank may have been standard buildings at the time of construction but they don't blend in or add to the visual landscape.

Oh yeah, not disagreeing with you that it's a nice building, just that it wasn't not exactly innovative. I think too that we get a somewhat skewed picture of the quality of the building stock from earlier periods, because it's only the finer buildings that survive. You're comparing two hideous modern buildings with one of the finer ones from the earlier 20th century, which isn't a really valid comparison. I'm sure there were horrible looking structures thrown up at that time too, but for the most part they haven't survived. Anyway, there are a few well built, nice buildings from more recent times. Market Cross for one; th one that replaced the garage on patrick ST is also quite nice I think; the extension to the court house; the surgery on the Grange's Rd too. Just not a lot can get built within the city limits due to planning restrictions. McDonagh Junction isn't bad, mind. Hopefully the proposed extension to Evans' Home for the relocated Butler Gallery will be notable too.