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Kilkenny Holidays 2025/2026
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TOP 10 REASONS
TOP 10 REASONS
TOP 10 REASONS
Why travel to Kilkenny: Find out the top 10 reasons to visit
Click to navigate through sections.
01
A SNEAK PEAK
A SNEAK PEAK
A SNEAK PEAK
A Sneak Peek into Kilkenny
- Kilkenny is a beautiful city that is permeated with history.
- This tranquil village sits serenely on the banks of the River Nore in southeast Ireland, roughly an hour and a half from hectic Dublin.
- Every year's season is an excellent time to visit Kilkenny's abundance of tourist attractions, but summer is particularly appealing.
- Kilkenny's winding, narrow lanes give off an old-world charm, and lovely terraces flank its elegant Georgian homes.
- Kilkenny is a vibrant, up-to-date community filled with interesting stores and top-notch dining options despite its vintage charm.
- Additionally, it serves as the regional market for a productive agricultural region.
- Capital: Kilkenny
- International Airport: Kilkenny Airport (KKY)
- Population: 21,589
- Currency: Euro
- Time: UTC+01
- Driving side: Left
- Main Electricity: 230 V
- Official Language: Irish English
- Religion: Catholic
02
HIGHLIGHTS
HIGHLIGHTS
HIGHLIGHTS
Top Tourist Attractions in Kilkenny
- One of the historic town gates, Black Freren Gate, leads to Abbey Street, where you'll find the mediaeval Black Abbey.
- This magnificent natural wonder, Dunmore Cave, comprises several limestone chambers developed over millions of years.
- Kilkenny Castle stands tall over Kilkenny City's "High Town," dominating a bridge of the River Nore while perched dramatically at a critical location.
- The finest examples of modern Irish craft, including textiles, knitwear, pottery, and jewellery, are displayed by Kilkenny Design.
03
SEASONS TO TRAVEL
SEASONS TO TRAVEL
SEASONS TO TRAVEL
Best Months to Visit Kilkenny
- People who enjoy nice weather and have a good time should travel from June through August.
- Kilkenny hosts some of Ireland's best festivals between May and August.
- The hottest temperature ever recorded in Kilkenny was 33.3 degrees Celsius in 1887, so you'll never feel the heat.
- Enjoy your holiday there and be ready for a bit of rain but a surprising lot of sunlight.
04
WORTH A VISIT
WORTH A VISIT
WORTH A VISIT
The Best Places to Visit in Kilkenny
Craft Gallery and Kilkenny Design Centre
- Kilkenny Design exhibits the best of contemporary Irish crafts, including, among other things, textiles, knitwear, pottery, and jewellery, opposite Kilkenny Castle in the ancient castle stables.
- Another, an exceptional restaurant open every day and in the evenings from Thursday to Saturday, offers an impressive assortment of authentic Irish handcrafted goods of the finest quality.
- The National Design & Craft Gallery is nearby. It was founded in 2000 and is now Ireland's premier hub for modern craft and design.
- The Gallery showcases an ever-evolving and diverse selection of exhibitions featuring Irish and cutting-edge international designers, artists, and artisans across various fields.
Saint Mary's Cathedral
- The impressive Neo-gothic St. Mary's Cathedral is a comfortable 10-minute stroll from Castle Yard.
- Three minutes from Kilkenny Castle and a short detour away is the Kilkenny Tourist Office (Rose Inn Street).
- An excellent location to pick up a map, chat with the helpful staff, and learn more about the city is the Shee Alms House.
- The cathedral was created in 1843 by William Deane Butler. Its 56-meter-tall, imposing iconic tower may be seen throughout the city. One of the cathedral's most stunning features is the altar.
- Saints Cosmas, Damian, Clement, and Victoria's relics can be located inside this structure, composed of Italian marble.
- After exploring the grounds, visit the on-site tearoom, a lovely setting that serves coffee, tea, cakes, and snacks, to sate your appetite.
Medieval Mile Museum
- The city's most significant historic museums are passed by the Medieval Mile discovery trail, which makes it simple for tourists to navigate themselves from one stunning Kilkenny tourism destination to the next.
- The Medieval Mile Museum is a relatively new addition to St. Mary's Cathedral; it debuted in 2017.
- The museum, which is open and airy and dedicated to disclosing the town's darkest secrets, also acts as a place for spectacular events and revolving exhibits. These are intended to enhance the cultural component of the city.
- Replicas of mediaeval Ossory High Crosses are among the exhibit's treasures. A giant interactive table, massive television displays, and projected visuals contribute to the magically resurrected past.
- On Wednesday through Sunday, interactive audio tours run every ten minutes from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and audio guides are available to supplement your tour.
05
DISCOVER MORE
DISCOVER MORE
DISCOVER MORE
Kilkenny Off the Beaten Track
Rothe House and Gardens
- St. Mary's is roughly a five-minute walk from Tudor Rothe House (1594). Once a merchant's home, this historic structure was built around two courtyards.
- Since being restored in 1966, it has become a popular tourist destination.
- With its library and museum, the mansion now serves as the Kilkenny Archaeological Society's administrative centre.
- Visitors can find museum exhibits inside, such as a well-used Viking sword, a collection of historical clothing, and a genealogical research area.
- Right outside the house is a popular attraction for guests. Visitors are offered a charming retreat in the form of a walled garden here.
- This serene area, which has been available since 2008, is a recreation of an urban garden from the early 17th century. The Courthouse is on the other side of the street (1794).
St. Canice's Cathedral and Round Tower
- St. Canice's Cathedral is a captivating example of Gothic architecture at the northern end of the city.
- This is one of Ireland's most visited heritage sites and is only a five-minute stroll from Rothe House.
- This renowned church was built slowly, namely between 1251 and 1820. Interestingly, it was constructed over the site of an earlier church.
- The massive squat tower from the fourteenth century and the walls of the aisles, transepts, and clerestory are all crested with crenellations.
- Despite extensive repair, the interior has kept its airy feel. The oldest standing building in Kilkenny City is The Round Tower, one of only two with public access in all of Ireland. Visitors can climb up for breathtaking city views.
06
CULTURE & TRADITIONS
CULTURE & TRADITIONS
CULTURE & TRADITIONS
Kilkenny Culture and Traditions
- Since everyone is welcome, County Kilkenny stands out culturally from other regions of Ireland.
- Kilkenny is a centre for crafts, design, culture, and innovation. It also boasts a proud and wealthy tradition.
- They acknowledge the positive impact culture can have on people's lives, helping to promote sustainable development as well as inclusive social and economic growth.
- All of us aim to maintain and enhance the City's and County's cultural life by putting the resources in place to ensure that our communities benefit the most from cultural activity and development and that their high expectations are fulfilled.
- The Kilkenny Arts Festival, The Cat Laughs Comedy Festival, Savour Food Festival, Kilkenomics Festival, Subtitle International Film Festival, Kilkenny Animated Festival, and TradFest are just a few of the cultural institutions and organisations that call Kilkenny home.
- The Heritage Council, the Butler Gallery, the National Design and Craft Gallery, the Cartoon Saloon animation company, and the Medieval Mile Museum are all located here.
- Kilkenny is a centre for arts, design, crafts, culture, and innovation. It also boasts a proud and rich artistic and cultural legacy.
- It is a county that is aware of and supportive of the life-changing potential of creativity, the arts, heritage, and culture.
- The Cultural and Innovation Strategy for Kilkenny is based on the Creative Ireland program's conviction that participating in cultural activities fosters individual and group creativity.
- Since 2017, various projects and activities have been launched under Kilkenny's Creative Ireland programme to showcase the influence of culture and social engagement on a community's general well-being.
- Projects carried out so far under the Creative Ireland initiative have helped to promote the intrinsic worth of culture by increasing awareness of and enhancing the visibility of culture and creativity in County Kilkenny.
07
FOOD FUN FASHION
FOOD FUN FASHION
FOOD FUN FASHION
Kilkenny: Food, Fun & Fashion Guide
Zuni
#Food
- Zuni on Patrick Street, a restaurant, bar, and boutique hotel all in one, is a chic place to begin your culinary exploration of Kilkenny.
- Michael Thomas, the restaurant's award-winning head chef and a native of Kilkenny, prepares traditional Irish dishes utilising the finest regional ingredients (check out the Slow Cooked Kilkenny Lamb).
- Like Eton Mess Buttermilk Pancake, you may also treat yourself to delicious breakfast selections while staying here.
- Most likely, that wasn't an option in mediaeval Kilkenny.
Ristorante Rinuccini
#Food
- Family is the foundation of Italian cuisine, and over the past 30 years, the Cavaliere family has made Ristorante Rinuccini on The Parade a Kilkenny tradition.
- It's interesting to note that Giovanni Battista Rinuccini, a Florentine noble who resided in Kilkenny for four years in the middle of the sixteenth century, is the restaurant's name.
- Locally grown produce is used by executive chef Antonio Cavaliere, who also imports some of the best Italian foods and beverages.
- The menu's house specialities offer a variety of seductive Irish/Italian fusions for you to choose from.
Foodworks
#Food
- You can tell that when Foodworks says they live by a "farm to fork" concept, they genuinely mean it because they raise their pigs on their family farm.
- At this welcoming and informal cafe on Parliament Street, you can look forward to some of the freshest cuts of pork available anywhere in Ireland, along with a wide variety of another fantastic fare.
- Foodworks' meals are expertly made but won't break the bank because they are served within a nicely refurbished former bank.
- Furthermore, it would be foolish of you to pass up the pork loin packed with black pudding.
Kilkenny Design Centre
#Fashion
- Close to the Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel and located in the heart of Kilkenny City.
- It offers a selection of high-quality household items, hand-made crafts, and clothing from Ireland and other nations and is open seven days a week.
- The Foodhall, coffee shop, and restaurant offer various daytime and nighttime dining options that specialise in mouthwatering home baking and meals that highlight local food.
- The Craft Yard studios and the National Craft Gallery's exhibits are highly recommended directly behind the Kilkenny Design Centre.
MacDonagh Junction Shopping Centre
#Fashion
- The Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel is only ten minutes' walk from the retail centre near the city's centre.
- Seven days a week, the centre is open until 6 p.m., and it stays open late on Thursday and Friday.
- A wide variety of stores are available, including H&M, Next, and TK Maxx. A wide variety of cafes and eateries are also available. Visit for additional details.
MADE in Kilkenny Craft Trail
#Fashion
- The MADE in Kilkenny Craft Trail was established in 2009 to foster Kilkenny's craft industry's expansion.
- Kilkenny has a solid artisan base that includes all the significant crafts, including glassblowing, jewellery, textiles, and pottery.
- Visitors to Kilkenny can stop by the craft stores to learn more about each craft or buy some distinctive, hand-made Irish goods. Nicholas Mosse is a local ceramicist who is arguably one of the best known.
CASTLECOMER DISCOVERY PARK
#Fun
- In addition to tree top hikes, climbing walls, boats, adventure playgrounds, orienteering, and most recently, Ireland's largest zip wire and high ropes challenge, Castlecomer Discovery Park offers an exciting choice of activities throughout the estate.
- The centre of the land has the Irish Mining Museum, a specifically built cafe, a craft village, and spaces for educational activities.
- Lakes and natural woodland occupy 80 acres of Castlecomer Discovery Park.
- After the local mines closed in 1969, it was made public in 2007 to honour the region's coal mining history.
- It aspires to advance rural tourism, creates local jobs, and revitalise the community.
08
NATURE & SAFARI
NATURE & SAFARI
NATURE & SAFARI
Kilkenny: Natural Beauty & Safari Adventures
- Kilkenny Castle stands tall over Kilkenny City's "High Town," dominating a bridge of the River Nore while perched dramatically at a critical location.
- After numerous renovations, Kilkenny Castle now displays a fusion of architectural forms.
- One of Kilkenny's top tourist destinations is it. The first Anglo-Norman stone castle was built for the 4th Earl of Pembroke in the early thirteenth century, and it served as the leading Irish home for the wealthy Butler family for about 600 years.
- Visitors can view the depth of the mediaeval walls up close in the Undercroft at the foot of the West Tower.
- In the Chinese Withdrawing Room, they will be given a glimpse of early 19th-century furnishings.
- Arthur Butler, the sixth Marquess of Ormonde, presented the castle to the people of Kilkenny in 1967.
- There are 20 hectares of lovely gardens to meander over and a long-standing rose garden.
09
EVENTS & FIESTAS
EVENTS & FIESTAS
EVENTS & FIESTAS
Kilkenny Must-Attend Festivals and Events
- The Kilkenny Catwalk is a route that features 21 magnificent sculptures of Kilkenny Cats that some of our most brilliant artists, primarily locals, have adorned for public display in and around Kilkenny City.
- Regardless of limitations, this art project is a collaboration between Kilkenny Civic Trust and Kilkenny County Council and can be participated in outside while keeping to physical distance rules.
- The Cat Walk art trail will be entertaining, vibrant, and engaging; it will make people happy and promote the Keep Well Campaign.
- The public is encouraged to venture outside, travel the route, and take it all in. Its goal is to unite local communities, companies, and the arts.
- Additionally, it will be supported by an extensive marketing campaign to generate favourable local, regional, and national media for all parties.
- Visit the Cats while they are still on display around the city! Don't forget to tag us in your images on social media!
FAQs to Plan Your Best Kilkenny Holiday
Places similar to Kilkenny to visit
Places similar to Kilkenny to visit
Places similar to Kilkenny to visit