Kilkenny: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
Kilkenny packs eight hundred years into a single street that runs from the castle to the cathedral. Under the Normans it was one of the most important towns in Ireland, and for a few years in the 1640s it was the seat of a Catholic government that ran much of the country. This walk follows the old High Street and Parliament Street from one end to the other. It is under two kilometres and flat until the last steps up to St Canice's; allow a half day with the castle and the tower.
A short history of Kilkenny
Kilkenny grew up around a church and monastery dedicated to Saint Canice, from whose name the city's name comes. After the Norman invasion, William Marshal built a castle on the River Nore at the beginning of the 13th century. In 1366 the Statutes of Kilkenny were enacted in the city, forbidding the English settlers to speak Irish or to marry Irish people. From 1642 to 1649 Kilkenny was the seat of the Irish Catholic Confederation, which was in effect an independent government. The Butler family, Earls of Ormonde, held the castle for more than 500 years, until in 1967 they sold it to the city for 50 pounds.
The ten best sights in Kilkenny
1Kilkenny CastleThe long Picture Gallery is the reason to buy a ticket; the park around it is free
2St Canice's CathedralClimb the round tower beside it: steep ladders, small groups, the whole city below
3Rothe HouseA merchant's house from the 1590s with its walled garden restored behind it
4Black AbbeyA Dominican church from the 13th century, still in use; go in quietly
5Medieval Mile MuseumInside the old St Mary's church; the tombs of the merchant families are the highlight
6Smithwick's ExperienceBrewery tour among the ruins of a medieval abbey; ends with a pint, so someone else drives
7Butler GalleryContemporary art in an old almshouse by the river
8Kyteler's InnThe pub of a woman tried for witchcraft in 1324; there is a stone cellar downstairs
9Jerpoint AbbeyA 20-minute drive; look for the carved knights and saints on the cloister pillars
10Kells PrioryWalls and towers standing in a field, open and free — it looks more like a castle than a priory
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Kilkenny →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Kilkenny:
Free walking tours in Kilkenny
The Medieval Mile
Kilkenny packs eight hundred years into a single street that runs from the castle to the cathedral. Under the Normans it was one of the most important towns in Ireland, and for a few years in the 1640s it was the seat of a Catholic government that ran much of the country. This walk follows the old High Street and Parliament Street from one end to the other. It is under two kilometres and flat until the last steps up to St Canice's; allow a half day with the castle and the tower.
- Kilkenny Castle · William Marshal began the stone castle around 1195. The Butler family, later Earls and Dukes of Ormonde, bought it in 1391 and lived in it for almost six centuries, until 1967, when they handed it to the people of Kilkenny for a token 50 pounds.
- Tholsel · The Tholsel was built in 1761 as the town's toll house, and the open arcade at street level was where traders sheltered on market days. The building still serves as the city hall, with the clock tower over the High Street.
- Medieval Mile Museum · The museum fills St Mary's, a church founded in the 13th century that stood empty for years before reopening as a museum in 2017. Its walls and floor hold the carved tombs of Kilkenny's merchant dynasties, among them the Rothes whose house you reach next.
- Rothe House · The merchant John Rothe built the house from 1594, three buildings one behind the other around cobbled courtyards, with a garden and orchard at the back. It is the only surviving example in Ireland of a merchant's townhouse of that period laid out this way.
- Black Abbey · The Dominican friary was founded in 1225 by William Marshal the Younger, son of the castle's builder. Its name is usually explained by the black cloaks the Dominicans wore over their white habits.
- St Canice's Cathedral · The city takes its name from this church: Cill Chainnigh, the church of Canice, a 6th-century monk. The round tower beside it is the oldest standing building in Kilkenny, and one of only two medieval round towers in Ireland that visitors can still climb.
Down the Nore valley
South of the city the River Nore winds through a valley of stone bridges, mills and ruined abbeys that the Normans filled with monasteries in the 12th and 13th centuries. A short loop by car joins a pottery, two medieval towns and two of the finest gardens in the county. The roads are narrow country lanes, so drive slowly; the whole loop is about 60 kilometres. Give it a day and end at Inistioge for the light on the river.
- Nicholas Mosse · The pottery works in an old mill on the bank of the Nore at Bennettsbridge. Its pieces are decorated by dabbing colour through cut sponges, a country technique known as spongeware.
- Thomastown · The town is named after Thomas FitzAnthony, the Anglo-Norman seneschal of Leinster, who walled it in the 13th century. In Irish it is still called Baile Mhic Andáin, the town of FitzAnthony's son.
- Jerpoint Abbey · Cistercian monks took over the abbey around 1180. The cloister arcade, rebuilt in the 15th century, is carved with knights, bishops, ladies in long gowns and strange beasts, the best collection of such figures in any Irish abbey.
- Kilfane Glen & Waterfall · The glen was laid out in the 1790s in the Romantic style, when gardens were meant to look wild rather than formal. A thatched cottage orné sits beside the waterfall, built as a picturesque retreat rather than a home.
- Inistioge · The village sits on the Nore beside a long stone bridge of ten arches from the 18th century. Its square and riverbank were the main location for the 1995 film Circle of Friends.
- Woodstock Gardens and Arboretum · Woodstock House, the home of the Tighe family, was burned in 1922 during the Irish Civil War, and only its shell still stands. The gardens around it were left to grow wild for decades before the county council restored them, including an avenue of monkey-puzzle trees.
Witches, beer and the Cats
Kilkenny's stories are louder than its size: a witch trial that ended in a burning, a brewery that ran for three hundred years, and a hurling team that has won more titles than any other county. This walk crosses the river twice and links them in an easy afternoon. It suits the hours after the castle, and ends near the pubs. Most stops are free; the brewery needs a ticket.
- Kyteler's Inn · In 1324 Bishop Richard de Ledrede accused Dame Alice Kyteler, a rich moneylender who had outlived four husbands, of witchcraft. Alice escaped, probably to England, but her maid Petronella de Meath was burned at the stake in the city, the first person in Ireland known to have been burned for heresy.
- Smithwick's Experience · John Smithwick started brewing here in 1710, beside the ruins of the Franciscan St Francis Abbey. The brewery worked on the site for three centuries until 2013, when production moved to Dublin and the old buildings became the visitor experience.
- Butler Gallery · For decades the gallery hung its shows in the basement of the castle. In 2020 it moved across into Evans' Home, a 19th-century almshouse for the elderly poor, restored for it on the river.
- Kilkenny Design Centre · In 1963 the Irish state set up Kilkenny Design Workshops in the castle's stables to raise the standard of Irish product design. The workshops closed in the 1980s, but the stable yard kept the name and became a showcase for Irish craft.
- Rose Garden · The formal rose garden below the castle walls is laid out in the shape of a Celtic cross. It is the one corner of the park that keeps the formal 19th-century style of the Butlers' gardeners.
- Nowlan Park · This is the home ground of the Kilkenny hurlers, the Cats, who have won more All-Ireland senior hurling titles than any other county. The nickname comes from the old tale of two Kilkenny cats who fought until nothing was left but their tails.
Getting to Kilkenny and getting around
- MacDonagh Railway Station · Trains to Dublin Heuston take about an hour and a half; the station opens straight into a shopping mall
- Kilkenny (Ormonde Road) · Coach stop a few minutes from the castle; check which company stops here and which at the station
Cheap eats in Kilkenny
Kilkenny eats like a market town: big breakfasts, a sandwich at lunch, and a proper dinner in the pub. The local roll is the blaa from Waterford, soft and dusted with flour, and the chipper — the fish and chip shop — is an Irish institution. Ireland is not cheap; a quick lunch costs about what it would in Tel Aviv.
- Supermac's · Burger and chips about 9-11 €
- Blaa Blaa Blaa · Sandwiches in a soft blaa roll, about 7-9 €
- Abrakebabra · Irish kebab chain; a wrap about 9-11 €
- Von Sandwich · Toasted sandwiches to go on Parliament Street, about 7-9 €
- Larkin's Chipper · Fish and chips to take away, about 11-13 €
- Eddie Rocket's · Diner-style burgers and shakes by the station, about 13-16 €
Museums in Kilkenny
- Medieval Mile Museum · Tombs and the town's medieval story; about an hour
- Rothe House · Merchant house, costume room and walled garden
- Kilkenny Castle · Restored Victorian rooms and the Picture Gallery
- Smithwick's Experience · Guided brewery tour, about an hour, with a tasting
- Butler Gallery · Contemporary Irish art in a restored almshouse
Nature and day trips near Kilkenny
- Dunmore Cave · Limestone cave with a guided tour; 15 minutes north
- Woodstock Gardens and Arboretum · Woodland walks and old trees above the Nore
- Kilkenny Castle Park · Lawns, woods and a pond right in town; free
- Canal Walk · Riverside path along the Nore; flat and easy
- Kilfane Glen & Waterfall · Shady glen with a waterfall and cottage
Things to do in Kilkenny with kids
- Castlecomer Discovery Park · Treetop walk, zip lines and boats on the lake
- Nowlan Park · Catch a hurling match in summer — fast, loud and cheap
- Kilkenny Castle Park · Playground and space to run below the castle
- The Playstation · Indoor play centre for a rainy day
Where to eat in Kilkenny
- Kyteler's Inn · Pub food and music in a medieval building
- Rinuccini · Italian dinner across from the castle
- Petronella's · Irish cooking in the Butter Slip, named after the burned maid
- Matt The Millers · Big pub by John's Bridge, busy at weekends
- Marble City Bar · Bar and kitchen on High Street; the name is the city's nickname
- Foodworks · Modern Irish dinner from local produce
Frequently asked questions about Kilkenny
What is there to see in Kilkenny?
The top sights in Kilkenny are Kilkenny Castle, St Canice's Cathedral and Rothe House. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Kilkenny?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Kilkenny without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Kilkenny?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Kilkenny, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The Medieval Mile.
How do you get to Kilkenny and get around?
The main ways are MacDonagh Railway Station and Kilkenny (Ormonde Road). Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Kilkenny, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Kilkenny that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Kilkenny for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.