Location: Kilkenny
Top Things to do in Kilkenny
Things to do in Kilkenny, Province of Leinster: The Best Sights & Landmarks
Kilkenny is over 400 years old, but it sure doesn’t show its age. Yes, it's an awe-inspiring throng of medieval cathedrals, castles, abbeys and other massive stone buildings, but Kilkenny loves to party. An endless stream of arts festivals celebrating theater, comedy, bluegrass and dance is constantly pumping the city with new life, toe-tapping energy and international flavor.
Restaurants in Kilkenny
1. Capuchin Friary
2. Edmund Rice Heritage Centre
3. Jerpoint Park
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 286 reviews
Welcome to Jerpoint Park, where we strive to immerse you in a unique experience of heritage and culture in a very special destination Thomastown in Kilkenny , south east of Ireland. Unearth the history of Jerpoint Park with a guided tour of the footprints of a deserted 12th century medieval town. When it was founded near a crossing point on the River Nore near the Cistercian Jerpoint Abbey. The site also contains the Tomb Effigy of St. Nicholas (Bishop of Myra) plus the Church of St. Nicholas. "One of Irelands's best examples of a deserted 12th century medieval town" a quote from The Heritage Council of Ireland. Angling on the River Nore for wild salmon & wild brown trout from March - September ( rods & bait available for hire). Sheep dog demonstrations is a wonderful event to see. Tour times daily at 10.30am & 2.30pm from 1st April - 28th Ocbotber 2018.
Reviewed By S1355SKmarieg
A most intriguing and memorable historical tour in the company of Joe, the owner of Belmore, who was a welcoming and entertaining guide to the ancient church, graveyard and lost medieval town on his lands. He explained that the thriving town once boasted houses, inns, water mill, brewery, woollen mill, tannery, holy well, courthouse and even a tolled bridge across the river, but that its real claim to fame was its renown as a site of pilgrimage to the man we know as Santa Claus. The crusading knights who brought the relics of St. Nicholas of Myra to Jerpoint Park some 800 years ago can still be seen in the tomb effigies in the old graveyard which show the saint with his hands raised in prayer, flanked by two crusader heads. Walking the land, it is possible to see where the old streets ran towards the marketplace, with the ruined remains of houses giving a sense of the scale of this once prosperous town. Over time, religious upheavals, plague and war all took their toll, and Jerpoint Park fell into decline. Laying still and silent for hundreds of years, it is now being rediscovered, and recognised for the richness of its history and its yet-to-be-unfolded secrets. I will be following developments as historians and archaeologists study the site, and in the meantime, I promised Santa to be a good girl and spread the word about it!
4. Kilkenny Famine Experience
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 11 reviews
Reviewed By gmrgill
Would definitely recommend this to anyone visiting Kilkenny! It starts inside the shopping centre, it's free but you need to either bring your own earbuds or pay €2 per person for a disposable pair. You're given a mini tablet and told to follow numbered signs around the area, then select the corresponding number on the touchscreen to listen to the audio/watch the video describing the history of that place. It tells the story of two young boys who arrived at the workhouse which once stood where the shopping centre is now located. The tour takes about 45 minutes and ends in the lovely famine memorial garden outside the centre. Only available in English but very accessible.
5. St Patrick's Church
6. Cainneach
7. Kilkenny Castle
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6,363 reviews
Founded soon after the Norman conquest of Ireland, the Castle has been rebuilt, extended and adapted to suit changing circumstances and uses over a period of 800 years. Today, Kilkenny Castle is open to visitors all year round and is largely a Victorian remodelling of the thirteenth century defensive Castle
Reviewed By M4474IDtomk
A must see in Kilkenny ....really great experience. Very friendly welcoming staff....who managed visiting during Covid really well. The castle itself is magnificent ...we were on a self guided tour and I would strongly recommend engaging with the staff in the rooms ...very knowledgeable and made our visit a truly memorable one.
8. St Josephs Church, Foulkstown
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3 reviews
9. Jerpoint Abbey
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 605 reviews
Reviewed By PringleNI
this was an amazing place to see built probably 1000 yers ago, well worth a visit and to stop in the little village.
10. St. Canice's Cathedral & Round Tower
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,582 reviews
St Canice’s Cathedral and Round Tower are an essential part of the structural heritage in the vibrant medieval city of Kilkenny. This ecclesiastical site was founded in the 6th century and named after St Canice. Cill Channigh is the Gaelic for the Church of Canice, the church that originally stood on the site in the 6th century.The Round Tower is the oldest standing structure in Kilkenny City. Tourists can enjoy climbing the Round Tower capturing great views of the city (weather permitting). St Canice’s Round Tower is one of only two Round Towers that people can climb in Ireland. Opening times from 29/11/2011 to 23/11/2011. Monday to Saturday 10am to 1pm & 2pm to 4pm. Sunday 2pm to 4pm. Round Tower Climb Time at 12 noon and 3pm Monday to Saturday and Sunday 3pm. Weather and staff permitting. Admission fee applies for visit into Cathedral and Round Tower. From 24/12/2011 to 02/01/2012 the Cathedral and Round Tower is closed for visiting. PLease check our website for services during the Christmas period.
Reviewed By longandshortofit - Overland Park, United States
Eager to climb a round tower during our time in Ireland, we were happy to find we could do just that in Kilkenny. A bit scary for anyone afraid of heights, the views at the top were expansive and worth the climb. (Their are good railings the whole climb.) There isn't much room at the top so we were glad to go when it wasn't crowded. It also helped to not have too many people trying to climb either up or down at the same time in the narrow space of the tower. The cathedral was lovely and had a very informative self-guided tour with lots of points of interest. We actually preferred it to St Patrick's and Christ Church in Dublin.
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