Kilkenny Heritage & History

Welcome to Lingaun Valley where history has meaning and its legend continues.

Legendary valley beneath the shadow of Sliabh na mBan. A wealth of ancient and historic sites are scattered along this path. The region is extremely rural in nature and has a strong tradition of farming.

There are many varied interesting sites in the Lingaun Valley, some of Christian and pre-Christian occupancy in the valley, High Crosses and probable monastic settlements, the industrial heritage of the Slate Quarries and the architecture of Ahenny village with houses built for the workers who were originally mainly from Wales. Ogham Stones from the 9th century at Lamogue – with the oldest form of written old Irish language inscribed, Knockroe Passage Tomb constructed more than 5000 years ago with its unique alignment to the sunrise and the sunset on the day of the Winter Solstice each year.

This is part of a collection of interconnected Megalithic sites in the area, some of which are on private land.

Come and see for yourself how the Lingaun River flows though time, the enchantment and mysteries of Ireland’s historic and pre-historic past coupled with the beauty and tranquility of the present day countryside.

Visit Smithwick’s and Experience Ireland’s most popular ale.

Here in the heart of historic Kilkenny, we’re less than 90 minutes from Dublin. We’re less than a 10 minute stroll from the iconic Kilkenny Castle, and are very proud to be part of Kilkenny’s famous Medieval Mile.

Immerse yourself in the story of Smithwick’s, told as only a local knows how. Where 300 years of history combine with extraordinary brewing innovations, to create the Smithwick’s tour – an experience like no other.

Our experience is the perfect way to enjoy a pint of your favourite Smithwick’s Ale, right in the heart of Kilkenny. Why not take the opportunity to upgrade your ticket and taste our red ale, pale ale and Kilkenny beer? (You might even have a new favourite by the end of your tour.)

Nothing beats getting stuck in and experiencing some hands on experiences. As part of your tour, you’ll have the chance to mill the malt, stir the mash and smell the hops, just as you would in the brewing process.

Get ready to experience a tour with more than a few surprises along the way. Our local guides are waiting to introduce you to some very memorable characters, as you’re transported back in time.

Premium Tour – Masters of Ales

Join our Masters of Ale tour and learn about the evolution of ale and how the Smithwick’s family played a prominent role. With sensory touchpoints along the way, the tour includes sensorial masterclass where you’ll isolate the senses and break down the raw ingredients across different ale styles. Finish with a guided tutorial on how to pour the perfect pint of Smithwick’s!

- Guided Sensorial Tour
- Welcome Refreshment
- Tasting Masterclass of 4 Ales
- Pint Pouring Tutorial
- Engraved Glass Gift Memento
- Over 18s Only

Sensory-friendly Visits

Smithwick’s Experience Kilkenny has partnered with Ireland’s National Autism Charity, AsIAm, to offer sensory friendly hours and ensure that autistic and sensory-sensitive individuals can visit the Kilkenny city centre site with confidence. Smithwick’s Experience Kilkenny will provide designated low-sensory tours. The first tour/early hours of selected sensory friendly days will include noise and light reduction. This will involve turning down music, dimming lighting and more. All three experiences will also offer one free carer ticket per customer, if required.

Sensory kits are available at reception, along with visual guides of the buildings and sensory maps year round. During the designated sensory friendly tours, additional signage will be placed around the buildings, marking high sensory areas. Staff have been trained by AsIAm.ie to better understand how to cater to customers with autism or neuro divergencies.

Enjoy a light-hearted evening of songs & stories from Irish folklore by the talented Ollie Grace in Bollards Bar in Kilkenny City centre.

Shows will run every Thursday evening in Bollards Bar until the end of September. 

Ollie is a native of County Kilkenny with a deep passion for music and folklore. He has extensive experience performing shows on his own and with others across the world. He is a registered Irish National Tour Guide with more than 20 years experience working in tourism and heritage. Ollie's previous show ran for over 14 years in the Brazen Head Pub in Dublin and he has been consistently rated on Trip Advisor as one of the top evening entertainments in Dublin.

Now, back in Kilkenny Ollie's show "The Hidden Folklore of Ireland" is one not to be missed.

Explore:

• Our earliest customs and beliefs from our Celtic past
• The world of the imagination, the spiritual, the mysterious, the unseen and including of course the world of The Irish Fairies
• How our people lived their daily lives, the houses they lived in and the crucial importance of the potato to their survival
• Our songs and story-telling which still have such joy, meaning and importance for us
• The lightness and laughter that shaped us as a people and helped us to survive and thrive down through many difficult centuries

The show will have particular emphasis on our rich heritage of songs and music. This will involve a degree of spirited audience participation!

Shankill Castle has been home to the Cope family since 1991. They have opened up their vibrant house and gardens for visitors to experience the history behind the castle.

Take a stroll through the gardens which are deeply soaked in Victorian history. There are remnants of 18th-century lime alles and 19th-century laurel lawns which give you an idea how long the land dates back.

The Coach House Cafe in the gardens aim is to share seasonal, local and organic food prepared from scratch in their kitchen, using the bounty of the walled garden and organic farm. The simple, wholesome menu covers light lunch, weekend brunch, artisan tea, organic coffee and a spread of homemade cakes and treats. Keep an eye on their What’s On page for special pop-up food events as they are always worth experiencing. As well as using their own produce, Shankill works closely with local suppliers to bring you the best local produce that can be found on their simple, wholesome menu.

Shankill Castle is home to Elizabeth Cope, whose work fills and colours the walls of the house and café. Elizabeth’s energy and creativity infuses everything they do at Shankill. Studio visits can be arranged by appointment which we highly recommend looking into.

Shankill Gardens and Coach House café open Thursday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The former St Mary’s Church has been converted into a modern museum, and is a venue for select events and exhibitions. Designed to enrich the cultural life of the city and provide a new international standard attraction for visitors the museum has several functions: as the starting point for understanding Kilkenny’s medieval history, to display Kilkenny’s Civic Treasures and replicas of some of Ossory High Crosses and to provide a space for temporary exhibitions and cultural events.

The 13th century St Mary’s church and graveyard is the finest example of a medieval church in Ireland. As the starting point of the ‘Medieval Mile’ trail, it brings to life Kilkenny’s history as Ireland’s premier medieval city. Displays of Kilkenny’s civic treasures and replicas of some of the High Crosses of Ossory illustrate the local Gaelic monastic heritage and the ancient city’s historic role in Ireland.

Kilkenny’s 800-year story is told with a contemporary twist within the new museum. The customer experience contains a long colourful interactive table similar to a giant iPad, an elongated plasma TV screen and projected imagery onto a giant wall allowing visitors to get immersed in the rich history with the aid of modern technology.

Visitors to the museum will come face to face with the physical remains of people who walked the streets of Kilkenny centuries ago, and will discover how forensic analysis has revealed many of their secrets in the brand new cutting-edge exhibition 3 Lives, 3 Deaths, One Life Unlived.

The wonderful, welcoming Museum Guides and Assistants cannot wait to help you safely experience the Medieval Mile Museum, and tell you their wonderful stories…

For your health and safety the Team at the Museum have introduced set entry times and designed a new Interactive Audio Tour which can be downloaded directly to your device.

Visit Kilkenny Union Workhouse, adjacent to Kilkenny Train Station, now beautifully restored as MacDonagh Junction Shopping Centre to take this FREE audio visual self-led tour.

Hear the heartbreaking and poignant human stories recorded in local newspaper articles and minute books from the Board of Guardians, a true reflection of the Kilkenny Famine Experience from the perspective of the Workhouse inmates and staff.

Shenanigans - The Kilkenny City Walk is the fun way to experience historic Kilkenny City, the jewel in the crown of Ireland’s Ancient East. Blending comedy, magic, history, whimsical fun and plenty of Shenanigans our guides will take you on a jolly jaunt tracing Kilkenny City’s fascinating Medieval Mile, regaling you with unique anecdotes, fun facts and a good dollop of irreverent humour, craíc and mischief. Not just a guided tour ... a MIS-guided tour!

The fun, magical, historical & hysterical way to experience Kilkenny’s Medieval Mile.

A visit to Rothe House is high on the list of things to do in the Marble City. 

Rothe House is a unique Tudor merchant’s townhouse, built between 1594 and 1610. The property comprises three houses, three enclosed courtyards and a large garden to the rear. The property is a lot bigger than it looks from the street! To accommodate his growing family, on this long, narrow plot John Rothe Fitzpiers built three houses, one behind the other, with cobbled courtyards in between. To the rear is a half-acre garden that runs all the way back to the City Wall. 

The property is now owned by Kilkenny Archaeological Society and is home to their large collection of artefacts relating to Kilkenny city and county. The garden has been painstakingly reconstructed to reflect the Rothe Family garden and is planted with heritage varieties of vegetables, herbs, flowers and fruit; there are even resident ducks!

The house is open to the public and visitors will have the opportunity to make their way through the houses, courtyards and gardens on a self-guided tour. Full guided tours can also be arranged for groups by contacting reception@rothehouse.com.

OPENING HOURS

Tuesday to Sunday
11am to 6pm

*Last entry at 5.15pm

In the shadow of Saints, follow in the footsteps and hear stories of hermits and knights at St. Canice's Cathedral, Ireland’s best-preserved medieval Cathedral, appearing to the visitor today very much as it did to our Norman & Gaelic ancestors 800 years ago. Touch what they touched. Walk where they walked. Climb to the top of the Round Tower which is a thousand years old and, on your visit, don’t miss The Medieval Effigy tombs, The Great East Window and The Kytler Grave Slab.

Built between 1202 and 1285, St Canice's has been preserved in its original style and form. Worship has taken place here for over 800 years. See the wonderful stained glass and the largest collection of ancient monuments. View Kilkenny and the surrounding area from the 9th century round tower (weather permitting) and see the seat of the bishop of Ossory dating back to 1120AD.

Facilities include:
Gift shop, toilets, wheelchair access. Information leaflets are available in 15 languages. Group and guided tours available by booking in advance.

St Mary’s Cathedral is a beautiful Gothic Cathedral which stands at the heart of our medieval city. It was consecrated in 1857 and built, in that post famine time, by the contributions of the people of Kilkenny at an estimated cost of £25,000. This magnificent Cathedral is made from hand-cut Kilkenny Limestone and is 186 feet high, visible from all approaches to the city, and has a cruciform design.

The model for this wonderful Cathedral was Gloucester Cathedral from the south west of England and its architect was William Dean Butler of Dublin, who coincidently also designed St Kieran’s College at its new, and current home, in 1836 (St Kieran’s College is the oldest Catholic Secondary School in Ireland).

St Mary’s Cathedral is actually the second church to bear this name in Kilkenny. The first was founded in 1218 and was located behind the Town Hall just off High Street, the main street of Kilkenny City. That location is now the home to the Medieval Mile Museum.

Why not visit this wonderful Cathedral and take our interactive tour, in the major languages, by scanning the QR codes throughout the Cathedral and along the tour corridor at the front of the Cathedral.

Facilities include:

• Information leaflets
• Interactive self-guided tour
• Gift shop
• Toilets
• Wheelchair access
• Cathedral cafe (coming soon)

St Mary’s is also an active, Roman Catholic, faith community; with Masses as follows

Visit the unique Heritage Site in Jerpoint Park and enjoy a guided tour of the footprints of a deserted 12th Century Medieval town dating back to 1200AD. Your local guide will delve into the history and importance of this once thriving town called Newtown Jerpoint. Take a step back in time and explore the standing remains of St. Nicholas's Church, the domestic tower and the stunning 14th Century Medieval Tomb. Jerpoint Park also offers Angling for wild Salmon and wild brown trout or why not try something completely unique and come watch our Sheep Dog demonstration, showcasing man and dog working together as one. www.jerpointpark.com

*Guided Heritage Tours

Unearth the footprints of a 12th Century Medieval Town called Newtown Jerpoint plus the Tomb Effigy of St. Nicholas with a Guided Heritage Tour.
Daily tours: 10.30am & 2.30pm from mid April to mid October.

*Sheep dog demonstrations

Sheep dog Demonstrations at Jerpoint Park shows Sheep Dog Demonstrations at Jerpoint Park show a strong bond of respect between man and dog.
Border collie dogs are the preferred dogs used here & is a wonderful event to see man and dog working together as one.

Daily sheep dog demo: 11.30am & 3.30pm from mid April to Mid October

*Fishing

Fishing for wild brown trout and wild salmon on the River Nore – rods and bait available for hire.
Fishing Daily: between mid April to end of September. 

If you have any queries about Jerpoint Park please ring Maeve on 086 6061449

Go back in time to a 12th Century castle, remodelled and restored and set in 1830's splendour and extensive parklands: includes art gallery and playground. Publications are also on sale.

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 not applicable at Kilkenny Castle.

Access for visitors with disabilities to ground floor and the gardens only.

Kilkenny City Tours' tourist train was established in 2011, as a convenient way for visitors to see all the wonderful sights of Kilkenny city. Since its inception it has since grown to become one of the most sought after things to do in Kilkenny city. Rated as the number 1 Tour it has also been awarded the "Certificate of Excellence" by Tripadvisor.com, which is awarded based on consistently earning great reviews from travellers!

The Kilkenny City Tour is a wonderful way to see all the historical sites and points of interest in Kilkenny city. Departing from Kilkenny Castle you will be taken on a historical and fascinating tour with a full commentary of detailed insights, facts, and folklore of the medieval city.

Book your tickets today https://kilkennycitytours.com/

Join us on a fun filled tour of Kilkenny's finest sights. Sit back, relax in comfort and let us bring you to many spectacular buildings and places that Kilkenny has to offer. Hear all about the sights on our fully narrated tour and sing along to many favourite traditional songs and music played onboard. With tight and demanding time schedules on your holiday this is the best way to get your bearings in a place that you haven't seen before.

Starting from Kilkenny Castle we will take you on a 30 minute tour through the streets of Kilkenny, along the way you'll see many historical sights including St. Canices Cathedral, St. Francis Abbey Brewery, The Old Court Houss and many, many more. Meander along the picturesque lanes and streets of Kilkenny and let us take you on a nostalgic journey reminiscent of the gone steam train. View route map here.