COVID-19 Update
We are delighted to welcome you back to Kilkenny Castle and have taken the necessary measures to ensure that everyone’s visit is as safe and enjoyable as possible.
Admission charges to all open, fee paying OPW heritage sites are being waived from the 14th May until the end of 2021
It is essential to pre-book tickets online in advance of visit. There are no ‘walk-in tickets’ available. Please do not arrive without having booked your tickets in advance as you will not gain entry.
Pre-booking online is possible from 1 hour up to 7 days in advance of visit.
Welcome to Kilkenny Castle and Parklands
Few buildings in Ireland can boast a longer history of continuous occupation than Kilkenny Castle. 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. Each year, hundreds of thousands of visitors come to see this grand country house and walk through its fifty acres of rolling parkland with mature trees and an abundance of wildlife. Other features include a formal terraced rose garden, woodlands and a man-made lake, which were added in the nineteenth century. There is also a tearoom, playground and several orienteering trails for visitors to enjoy.
What’s On
Check out the full calendar of events here.
The Castle Blog
Read the latest posts below, and click through to the full Castle Blog for all news updates.
The Loss of the Southside of the Castle
Over the centuries Kilkenny Castle has gone through major redevelopments and periods of dereliction and rebuilding. What we have today is a modern rebuild of the Castle taking it back to the late 19th early 20th century when it was a comfortable family home. Despite...
A Forgotten Valentine’s Tradition
Like many events in our recent history this Valentines will be very different, there will be no romantic weekends away or candlelit dinners in restaurants. One aspect of the Valentines tradition that is perfectly suited to social distancing however is the sending of...
Christmas Cards and the Ormonde Family
This popular form of seasonal greeting is comparatively recent in origin. W.C.T Dobson, RA, is usually regarded as having sent the first Christmas Cards in 1844. Sir Henry Cole and J.C. Horsley produced the very first commercial Christmas Card in 1846, although it was...