Town
Things to do in Kilkenny city
County Kilkenny
7 of the 20 places on our County Kilkenny list are in Kilkenny city: Kilkenny Castle, St Canice's Cathedral and Round Tower, Rothe House and Garden, Medieval Mile Museum, Smithwick's Experience, Clara Castle and Ballykeefe Distillery. Between them a castle, a cathedral, a house and garden and a museum. Further down the page: 6 more places in the town off Fáilte Ireland's public list and 2 events listed here in the window we cover.
On our Kilkenny list
7 places in and around Kilkenny city.
Kilkenny CastleCastle · Kilkenny cityThe Norman castle stands over the Nore in the middle of the city, with the long gallery inside it and fifty acres of parkland behind.
St Canice's Cathedral and Round TowerCathedral · Kilkenny cityThe 13th century cathedral is at the top of the city, and the thirty metre round tower beside it is open to climb.
Rothe House and GardenHouse and gardens · Kilkenny cityThree buildings around two courtyards on Parliament Street, put up by a merchant in 1594, with an orchard garden restored behind them.- Medieval Mile MuseumMuseum · Kilkenny citySt Mary's Church on High Street is no longer a church. It holds the carved merchant tombs of the city instead.
Smithwick's ExperienceDistillery or brewery · Kilkenny cityThe brewery visitor centre on Parliament Street stands on the St Francis Abbey site, where brewing ran from 1710.
Clara CastleCastle · Kilkenny cityFive storeys of tower house east of the city, still holding its original oak floors and a wicker vault ceiling.- Ballykeefe DistilleryDistillery or brewery · Kilkenny cityThe farm distillery at Cuffesgrange grows its own barley and distils it on the same land, southwest of the city.
More to see in Kilkenny city
From Fáilte Ireland’s own listings.
- Black AbbeyAbbey or church · Kilkenny CityThe Black Abbey was established as a Dominican friary in 1225.
- Butler GalleryMuseum · Kilkenny CityButler Gallery is one of Ireland's leading contemporary art galleries and museums with a permanent collection.
- Geraldine Walsh ArtGallery · Kilkenny CityGeraldine Walsh Art provides original Irish landscape paintings, fine art prints, and inspiring painting workshops in the heart of Kilkenny City.
- Kilkenny Design CentreCastle or historic house · Kilkenny CityKilkenny Design Centre offers an unrivalled selection of Irish handcrafted gifts.
- Newpark Fen and Eco-ParkNature and wildlife · Kilkenny CityThe Newpark Marsh Eco-Park is an award-winning game and bird sanctuary, and one of Kilkenny City's most important natural habitats.
- St Johns PrioryAbbey or church · Kilkenny CityThe Augustinians established St John’s Priory in Kilkenny City in the 1200s.
What’s on in Kilkenny city
Sunday 27th September
The top of the Kilkenny list
- Kilkenny CastleCastle · Kilkenny cityThe Norman castle stands over the Nore in the middle of the city, with the long gallery inside it and fifty acres of parkland behind.
- St Canice's Cathedral and Round TowerCathedral · Kilkenny cityThe 13th century cathedral is at the top of the city, and the thirty metre round tower beside it is open to climb.
Jerpoint AbbeyAbbey · ThomastownA Cistercian abbey of the 12th century near Thomastown. The carved figures along the cloister arcade are the reason to go.
Kells PrioryMonastic site · StoneyfordAbout three acres are walled in behind seven towers, beside the King's River at Kells.
Dunmore CaveCave · CastlecomerStairs from the visitor centre take you down into a limestone cave north of the city, and a tall calcite column is what everyone comes out talking about.
Woodstock Gardens and ArboretumGarden · InistiogeThe Victorian estate garden sits on the hill above Inistioge, with a monkey puzzle avenue, a noble fir walk and a walled garden.