The Greatest Knight Who Ever Lived!
William Marshal died 797 years ago in 1219. At his funeral, Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury described him as the greatest Knight who ever lived.
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Kilkenny's Greatest Knight
William Marshal was largely responsible for the shape of Kilkenny as we know it today. From his arrival in 1207 he set about transforming Kilkenny into the seat of the Lordship of Leinster.
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Isabel de Clare and the Marshal
Isabel proves the old adage that behind every powerful man there is a great woman — one without whom the Marshal could never have become Kilkenny's Greatest Knight.
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Young William
The fourth son of a ruthless warrior, the five year old William was given as a hostage to King Stephen — and threatened with catapult and hanging.
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Kilkenny Walls
750 years ago King Henry III ratified the murage granted to the men of Kilkenny to fortify their city. Discover the medieval trade that made it possible.
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Borris House
One of the most important Irish houses, continuously occupied by the MacMurrough Kavanaghs, direct descendants of Dermot MacMurrough, King of Leinster.
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Field Trip
Exploring the early medieval ecclesiastical site at Killeen Cormac and the delightfully readable 10th century granite Moone High Cross.
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Borris House Tours
Borris House is open for tours! A prime example of the work of architects Richard and William Vitruvius Morrison, featuring the only existing Morrison chapel.
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William Marshal and The Templars
Why did William Marshal wait until the eleventh hour of his life before pledging himself to the Knights Templar?
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William Marshal and Meilyr FitzHenry
William Marshal's achievements in developing the Lordship of Leinster were not won without difficulty. The most gruelling was Meilyr FitzHenry.
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Christiana la Saddlehackere
A ‘mulier communis’ — a tantalising glimpse into ordinary medieval life on the hazardous road from Dublin to Kilkenny.
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