Kildare 22 May 2015

Then a long walk into the village.  Kildare is a market town on the main Dublin / Cork / Limerick Road approximately 50km from Dublin. The road runs through the Curragh Plains - 5000 acres of rolling grasslands which house the Curragh Racecourse and where much of the training of the horses happens. Apparently the limestone rich grass strengthens horses bones, improves breeds and produces some of the finest horses in the world. The largest army base in the country is also situated here. That all said, I didn't actually get a photo of the Plains, way too much chatting as we drove through there a couple of times a day!

The Cathedral - St Brigid's - has been around in various shapes and sizes since 1223.

On the side of the church are the restored foundations of an ancient fire temple. According to a custodian I chatted to, only women are allowed into the pit. I didn't see any notices to that effect so maybe he was just yanking my chain. Tease the tourist!

And now, to the great excitement of the day - the Round Tower. The original tower was built in the 6th century, fell into ruin and was rebuilt in the 12th century - an unimaginable time scale for us from the New World. It is 108 feet high (the 2nd highest in Ireland and the highest that can be climbed), constructed from sandstone and granite and doesn't have any foundations - the same guy who told be about the fire pit also told me about the foundations, but only after I had climbed the tower, which is fortunate, because I probably wouldn't have if I'd known. I was the only visitor and was a little dubious once I saw the ladders, but I thought of the ladders on Skeleton Gorge and kept climbing! At least there were walls, though they closed in around me the higher I climbed.

And what a view .. 

That, and the climb up had made my knees weak. Probably the hardest part was to get back on to the ladders to go down. There must be people who froze on those steps - how on earth would they get them down? I made it, though I did need to lie down for a while afterwards.