Earliest Views of Kells

Three early images of Kells are known to exist. These are by Vallancey (1784) Beranger (?) and Turner (1794). It is thought that the original image was painted by Vallancey in 1784 and that this image was copied in later years by Beranger and Turner. The original Vallancey is in a private collection and the Beranger and Turner are held by the Royal Irish Academy and the National Library of Ireland. Interestingly there are subtle differences between all three, most notably Beranger turned Vallanceys circular painting into a rectangle by adding detail into the corners that was omitted in the original. Beranger also changed the location of the rider on the bridge and added what looks like a person walking after the horse. All three have the original nine arches of the bridge correct (some have now been filled on on the south side and are obscured from view) The detail of the bridge looks very different now as the bridge was widened in subsequent years. There is another copy also by Beranger, but in circular format, in a private collection in Dublin.

Living with the legacy of War - the life and times of Kilkenny man Herbert Foxton

On July 17, 1918, on the Western Front, a shell exploded close to Kells native Herbert Foxton and sent jagged pieces of metal tearing through his face. The young man was blinded and left unable to speak, with just a gaping hole where the left side of his face had been..........

Herbert Crowther Foxton was born in Kells, Co. Kilkenny in the year 1890. His parents were both from Wexford, his father Henry worked as a gardener and later as a land steward in the employment of the Church of Ireland rector in Kells. Herbert's mother Hannah was a schoolteacher in a local primary school which was founded to serve the needs of local families in 1868 and is still in use as a beautiful family home today. Herbert was the third child in a family of seven and was born at the gate lodge of the Church of Ireland priory in Kells. The priory itself was a magnificent building, reputed by many to have been designed by renowned Callan architect James Hoban who went on to design the White House in Washington. The priory was a large building and spread over three floors and would have employed a number of staff as well as others who worked the farm to provide provisions for the household. Situated just on the edge of Kells village Herbert's home overlooks the magnificent Augustine Kells Priory which would have been the playground for the young Foxton family as they grew-up. To this day the squeals of excited children still echo from its ancient walls during the long summer evenings. The nave of the Priory was used as a handball alley and the local handball club would have staged handball tournaments which young Herbert would probably have attended.