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Please note that Free admission on the first Wednesday of each month is no longer applicable at Kilkenny Castle.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
Book your tickets
Plan your visit
Our exhibitions
The Castle Blog
Lady Margaret FitzGerald and Butler Folklore
The Butler dynasty by the early part of the 14th Century were to emerge as the pre-eminent family in Ireland, even surpassing the FitzGerald and Burke families later in the century. Part of this success can be attributed to their loyalty to the English crown. This...
Folklore and Fairies and the Question of National Identity
Folklore and Fairies and the Question of National Identity. Due to its complexity folklore does not have a single definition. One definition, includes Folklore, as a historical and cultural process producing and transmitting beliefs, stories, customs, and practices. ...