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Please note that Free admission on the first Wednesday of each month is no longer applicable at Kilkenny Castle.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

 

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 Chinese Screen in the Kilkenny Castle Collection.

The Chinese Screen in the Kilkenny Castle Collection.

“I’ve loved Chinese screens since I was eighteen years old. I nearly fainted with joy when entering a Chinese shop, I saw a Coromandel for the first time. Screens were the first thing I bought”. Coco Chanel (1883-1971).Certainly one of the most elegant objects in...

Patrick Sarsfield and the Butler connection

Patrick Sarsfield and the Butler connection

Recently in Belgium, the grave of Patrick Sarsfield was located due to the intervention of Dr. Loïc Guyon, the honorary consul of France in Limerick. Patrick Sarsfield was fatally injured at the Battle of Landen (or Lindon) on July 29th 1693 while in the service of...

Barbara Villiers and the Butler Family Feud

Barbara Villiers and the Butler Family Feud

Barbara Villiers and the Butler Family Feud. Barbara Villiers (Palmer), 1st Duchess of Cleveland and Countess of Castlemaine was born in November 1640. She became over the course of her career at court one of the principal mistresses to King Charles II of England....