Story of Alice Kyteler and Petronella de Meath still enthralls Kilkenny after nearly 700 years
It’s almost 700 years since Alice Kyteler was accused of witchcraft in medieval Kilkenny but her presence still lingers vividly.
Her unfortunate servant Petronella de Meath was condemned to death and executed in her place, being burned alive on November 3, 1324 in front of a large crowd on a main Kilkenny street.
Her confession, made after being tortured detailed making potions, consulting demons and acting as a medium between her mistress Alice, and a demon.
Today two businesses in Kilkenny are named after these women; Petronella’s restaurant in the Butterslip and Kyteler’s Inn, the site of Alice’s home but what do we know about the women before the accusations of witchcraft were levelled?
Petronella has the distinction of being the first person in Ireland to be condemned for witchcraft and the first case of convicted heresy resulting in the death sentence.
She was reportedly unrepentant for her crimes but the fact that she was tortured to obtain her confession, colours that observation.
Also, because Petronella was of a lower social class there is less documentation about her so we know less about her personally, except that she was Kyteler's close confidante.
Alice fled Kilkenny and disappeared into oblivion after the witch hunt: she was literally never seen or heard of again.