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Please note that Free admission on the first Wednesday of each month is no longer applicable at Kilkenny Castle.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 for 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.

OPW Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Systems Privacy Statement

OPW Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Systems Data Protection Policy

 

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

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

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

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...