The Ormonde Coat of Arms
Quarterly, first, Or, a chief indented azure; second Gules, three covered cups or; third, Argent, a lion rampant gules, on a chief of the last swan close of the first between two annulets or: fourth Ermine, a saltire gules. Above is the full heraldic description of...
The Loss of the Southside of the Castle
Over the centuries Kilkenny Castle has gone through major redevelopments and periods of dereliction and rebuilding. What we have today is a modern rebuild of the Castle taking it back to the late 19th early 20th century when it was a comfortable family home. Despite...
A Forgotten Valentine’s Tradition
Like many events in our recent history this Valentines will be very different, there will be no romantic weekends away or candlelit dinners in restaurants. One aspect of the Valentines tradition that is perfectly suited to social distancing however is the sending of...
Christmas Cards and the Ormonde Family
This popular form of seasonal greeting is comparatively recent in origin. W.C.T Dobson, RA, is usually regarded as having sent the first Christmas Cards in 1844. Sir Henry Cole and J.C. Horsley produced the very first commercial Christmas Card in 1846, although it was...
Lady Margaret FitzGerald and Butler Folklore
The Butler dynasty by the early part of the 14th Century were to emerge as the pre-eminent family in Ireland, even surpassing the FitzGerald and Burke families later in the century. Part of this success can be attributed to their loyalty to the English crown. This...
Folklore and Fairies and the Question of National Identity
Folklore and Fairies and the Question of National Identity. Due to its complexity folklore does not have a single definition. One definition, includes Folklore, as a historical and cultural process producing and transmitting beliefs, stories, customs, and practices. ...
