Kyteler's Inn, Kilkenny, Guide du visiteur et quoi faire à proximité

Kyteler's Inn is a historic pub and restaurant on St Kieran's Street in Kilkenny, linked to Dame Alice Kyteler, a wealthy medieval woman accused of witchcraft in 1324. It sits on Kilkenny's Medieval Mile, and the story behind it is one of the best known witchcraft cases in Irish history.

The story behind it

Alice Kyteler lived in Kilkenny in the early 14th century. She was a rich woman who had been married more than once and who had a reputation as a moneylender. After the deaths of her husbands, relatives accused her of using sorcery and poison to get at their wealth. Richard de Ledrede, the Bishop of Ossory, took up the charges and put heresy and witchcraft at the centre of the case against her in 1324.

Alice had powerful friends and left Ireland for England before she could be punished. Her servant Petronilla de Meath was not so lucky and was burned at the stake, an execution often cited as the first for heresy by burning in Ireland. The inn is traditionally tied to Alice's home. The building has been altered over the centuries, so treat the link as local tradition rather than proven fact.

What to look for

• Check the street frontage and the signage, which name Dame Alice and keep her story at the front of the building's identity.
• Notice how the inn sits on St Kieran's Street, a short walk from both the castle and the cathedral, which shows how compact medieval Kilkenny was.
• Look at the old stonework and the narrow, historic feel of the surrounding streets, which still follow the medieval pattern of the town.
• Step inside, if you wish, to see how a very old building has been adapted into a working pub and restaurant.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 20 to 30 minutes to see the outside and hear the story, or longer if you stop for food or a drink.
• It is a working pub and restaurant, so you can go in as a customer. Check current opening hours before you plan a meal.
• Evenings suit it best, when the pub is lively. For photographs of the street, daytime light is easier.
• St Canice's Cathedral and Kilkenny Castle are both an easy walk away, so it fits naturally into a wider stroll along the Medieval Mile.

Explore it on a quest

Kyteler's Inn is one stop among many in the old centre, and a self-guided walk is a good way to connect them. Questo's quests lead you on foot from place to place, tell you about each one as you arrive and set a puzzle based on what is in front of you, with no guide and no group to join. Discover the area with quests in Kilkenny.