Rothe House & Garden

Rothe House & Garden

Rothe House is a unique Irish merchant's townhouse, built between 1594 and 1610. The property comprises three houses, three enclosed courtyards and a large garden. John Rothe, who was a wealthy merchant and landowner in Kilkenny, built the first house in 1594 and as his family grew (to 12 children) he built the second and third houses. The property is now owned by the Kilkenny Archaeological Society, and is home to their large collection of artefacts relating to Kilkenny city and county. The garden to the rear of the house has been reconstructed to reflect a typical 17th century garden of the period. It measures ½ an acre approximately, and is made up of two enclosed spaces, with a large Orchard to the west beside the City Wall, and a pleasure garden and vegetable beds to the east beside the House. There is a genealogical service at Rothe House, using the extensive database of Kilkenny city and county records compiled by the Society.

Review

Ireland's rich history runs deep, deeper than any country on this earth, and it's a heritage that the Irish are very proud of, and so they should be! Take Rothe House & Garden for instance, the house itself dates back the 16th century and is probably one of the oldest in the city, well still standing anyway. I really enjoyed my tour around the house and gardens, and with it being ran and looked after by the Kilkenny Archaeological Society, there is always more exciting features being uncovered all the time. It was very clear to me that the team care about the house, and are always on hand to answer any questions that come their way. Rothe House is no ordinary Irish house. This medieval hidden gem was actually the home of the city's mayor, and with twelve children, and despite being one of the cities larger houses, this house was probably still not big enough for this family.