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.
Please note that Free admission on the first Wednesday of each month is no longer applicable at Kilkenny Castle. Click here to access the full list of participating sites.
Please Note CCTV system is in operation at Kilkenny Castle and Park. Images are recorded for the purposes of security and personal safety.
Click here to read the OPW Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Systems Privacy Statement
Click here to read the OPW Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Systems Data Protection Policy
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The Castle Blog
Drunkenness, debauchery, and devil worship – Ireland’s Hellfire clubs
Drunkenness, debauchery, and devil worship – Ireland’s Hellfire clubs Despite its infamy, the organisation known as the Hellfire Club was relatively short-lived in Ireland. The group was founded in Ireland in 1737 and effectively disbanded by the early 1740s. However,...
Bullets on the Battlements, the 1922 attack on Kilkenny Castle
Bullets on the Battlements, the 1922 attack on Kilkenny Castle Kilkenny Castle has a rich and varied history and one of the most dramatic events occurred relatively recently when possession of the castle was contested by Irish troops who were split by their support or...
The Early Courtship of James Butler and Elizabeth Preston.
The Early Courtship of James Butler and Elizabeth Preston. “Anonymous Account of the Early Fife and Marriage of James Butler First Duke of Ormond” “The Journal of the Kilkenny and South East of Ireland Archaeological Society, New Series, Vol. 4 No.2 (1863) and from...