Drive through Ireland’s lush midlands, a region that has nurtured poets, playwrights and storytellers for centuries, before arriving in Kilkenny. Enjoy free time to explore, walk in the footsteps of medieval merchants along the cobbled lanes of the Medieval Mile, home to the 800-year-old St. Canice’s Cathedral and the atmospheric Rothe House, once the dwelling of a prosperous Tudor silk merchant. Today, the city is Ireland’s unofficial capital of craft, renowned for its thriving community of potters, glassblowers and textile artists. Return to Dublin, where the evening is yours to explore further if you wish. From Viking settlement to capital of literature, Dublin brims with stories. Seek out the stately Long Room of Trinity College’s Old Library, marvel at the colourful doors of Georgian Dublin or settle into a local pub where literary greats once raised a glass.