Sight Seeing Kilkenny City and County.

Kilkenny Castle.

One of the most instantly recognised buildings in Ireland, Kilkenny Castle has been an important site since Strongbow constructed the first castle, probably a wooden structure, in the 12th century.

William the Earl Marshall built the first stone castle on the site, which was completed in 1213.

This was a square-shaped castle with towers at each corner; three of these original four towers survive to this day.

The Butler family bought the Castle in 1391 and lived there until 1935. They were Earls, Marquesses and Dukes of Ormonde and lived in the castle for over five hundred years.

St. Canice's Cathedral.

St. Canice's was erected in the thirteenth century, and is accessible from Irishtown via St. Canice's Steps.

The cathedral features a magnificent tower that offers impressive views of the city.

The cathedral evolved over the centuries and was unfortunately damaged by Oliver Cromwell's troops in the seventeenth century.

This Kilkenny landmark features a fascinating collection of monuments and tombs dating from the Tudor era.

Black Abbey.

Founded by William Marshall the Younger, for the Dominican Friars in 1225, the Black Abbey was also known as theConvent of the One and Undivided Trinity. It was suppressed in 1543, converted into a courthouse and served as such until the end of the 17th century. Partially restored in 1778, the Abbey did not become a place of public worship until the mid-19th century when it was converted into a parish church. The exterior bears the marks of the church being much larger with long disappeared aisles. This can be seen on the walls of the tower in the photograph above. The current church is "L" shaped, so it can be surmised that the Abbey lost a transept at some stage.

Jerpoint Abbey. Thomastown.

An outstanding Cistercian abbey founded in the second half of the 12th century. The church with its Romanesque details dates from this period. In the transept chapels the visitor can see 13th and 16th century tomb sculpture.

According to local Irish legend, Saint Nicholas is buried in County Kilkenny, Ireland (Eire).

The grave is said to be in the ruined Church of St Nicholas—the church is all that remains of the medieval village, Newtown Jerpoint, that fell to ruin by the 17th century.

Rothe House.

Rothe House Parliament Street, Kilkenny Rothe House was built in 1594 by John Rothe for his wife Rose Archer.

Consisting of three cut stone buildings divided by cobbled courtyards, it is the headquarters of Kilkenny Archaeological Society.

The complex is the only one of its type remaining in Ireland. Rothe House is home to an interesting museum collection, oak furniture and costume gallery among many items of interest in addition to the house itself. Tours lasting 30/40 mins are provided when booked in advance. Phone +353 56 22893

Duiske Abbey. Graiguenamanagh.

A fully restored early Cistercian Church, Original medieval floor tiles still available to view. Much of the abbey was constructed with yellow limestone brought across the Irish Sea from quarries at Dundry, outside Bristol.

The monastery was planned on a vast scale and the gothic church was the largest Cistercian building in Ireland.

In 1228 the religious community was fixed at thirty-six monks and fifty lay-brothers; it was almost as large as Mellifont which had 50 monks and 60 lay-brothers. The abbot of Duiske sat as a peer in parliament at that time. In 1228 the abbeys of Duiske and Jerpoint entered into a long running dispute over the ownership of the dissolved monastery of Kilkenny.

Dunmore Cave. Ballyfoyle.

History and geology blend at Dunmore Cave to give an interesting and unique situation. Consisting of a series of chambers formed over millions of years, the cave contains some of the finest calcite formations found in any Irish cave.

The cave has been known to man for many centuries and is first mentioned in the 9th century Irish Triads.

The most interesting reference however, comes from the Annals which tells of a Viking massacre at the cave in the year 928 A.D. Exhibitions and displays in the Visitor Centre. The cave is inaccessible for wheelchair users.

The Lory Meagher Heritage Centre. Tullaroan.

The museum houses a vast collection of Kilkennys GAA history. Situated just three miles from the famous hurling village of Tullaroan , lies Kilkenny's GAA museum and Heritage Centre.

The site and area are steeped in all the best of Kilkenny GAA tradition and indeed is housed on the very lands that one of Tullaroans and Kilkennys most famous sons, Lory Meagher was born and reared.

The museum houses a vast collection of Kilkennys GAA history , including a section for clubs , report and clippings from Kilkennys vast All-Ireland collection, as well as a famous vault room containing past players medals, boots and even jersies. To be seen also, is a collection of trophies which are not in use today, but are housed for visitors to admire for eternity.

Woodstock House. Inistioge.

Woodstock Gardens and Arboretum are located in the village of Inistioge on the banks of the River Nore in County Kilkenny. Woodstock gardens were once considered one of the great gardens of Ireland and attracted many visitors.

The gardens are now undergoing restoration and features include the Flower Terraces, the Winter Gardens, the Monkey Puzzle Walk, the Noble Fir Walk and the Arboretum.


Also at Woodstock are the ruins of Woodstock House, built in 1745. Unfortunately it was destroyed by fire in 1922 and has since become unstable. Works are now underway to stabilize the building and prevent further deterioration of the structure.