Kilkenny Castle is an absolute must see on any one’s tourist itinerary. Standing dramatically over the River Nore and dominating the “High Town” of Kilkenny City it is an imposing sight. Over the centuries the various owners have added fortifications, luxurious apartments and chapels to create a unique and complex structure.
Some of its highlights include the Chinese Bedroom with reproduction of a hand-painted Chinese wallpaper and filled with Chinoiserie style furniture, the Marshal Castle is the oldest surviving part of the site dating back to at least 1307 and the circular Banqueting House.
If you can avail of a guided tour I would definitely recommend it: the guides have extensive knowledge and share some fascinating stories of the lives of the characters who lived in the castle. The free leaflets provide good information about the exhibits and architecture or the official guidebook is beautifully illustrated and makes for an excellent souvenir.
As one of Ireland’s most popular tourist attractions so can get busy during summer months. Peak times for groups tend to be mid-morning till early afternoon. If you prefer to enjoy the peace and splendour of castle and be able to spend time investigating all its nooks and crannies try to visit outside these hours if you can. Typically our guests spend at least an hour visiting the castle but it is easy to get immersed in the history and spend an entire morning there.
Parking is available nearby but the narrow Medieval streets can become congested so we would recommend leaving the car in the hotel car-park at strolling into town, or hop in a taxi for the short 2km journey.
There isn’t a tearoom at the castle and after exploring it all you will be probably be looking for some refreshments and spot of lunch, luckily there are a wide range of options for eating out in Kilkenny.
After touring the castle and a delicious meal at one of the many great restaurants, a trip to the Watergate Theatre is a wonderful way to round off the day in Kilkenny.
The Watergate Theatre Kilkenny is the leading arts centre in the south east. A relatively small venue, its intimate atmosphere draws you to the stage so you really feel part of the performance. We love the variety of performances which take place here, from amateur dramatics, professional plays, dance, opera to the huge host of musical styles and acts it brings some wonderful events to Kilkenny City.
So you don’t miss out on a thing, we wanted to share some of the up-coming highlights this summer.
“Of All The Bars” is a fantastic comedy set around a bar just opened by Humphrey Bogart featuring dead icons to entertain the crowds with Rat Pack songs, Groucho Marx humour and the love interest of Marilyn Monroe! We saw this show a couple of years ago in Galway and had a fantastic time, it’s only playing one night (Saturday 12th June) so I’d recommend booking quickly.
I’m really looking forward to seeing “To Fable or Not to Fable” – it’s not a production I’ve seen yet but I’ve read some excellent reviews. It’s a bit of a kids story with dashing heroes (300 Jester students!), singing animals and dancing fish but has plenty to keep adults entertained on a ’fable’ous journey (sorry, couldn’t resist using that). There are performances on Thursday 17th and a matinee on Sunday 20th June.
At the end of June you can catch an adaptation of Molière’s comedy L’Avare/The Miser. It is performed by the Lyric Theatre company who are regulars to the Watergate so we’re looking forward to seeing their interpretation of this satire (much of which is as relevant today as it was when written in the 17th Century).
The Watergate Theatre is on Parliament Street near St Canices Cathedral about 3km from the hotel. Many of restaurants in Kilkenny offer early bird menus which are perfectly timed to catch a performance and afterwards relax with a drink in Rueben’s Bar.
We look forward to bringing you more details of what’s happening in the Watergate and other Kilkenny attractions so be sure to check back regularly for all the latest news and insider recommendations.
After a busy morning sight-seeing at Kilkenny Castle, Cathedral or many other attractions you will be looking for a great place for lunch so we’ve compiled some of our favourite recommendations to help you.
Opposite Kilkenny Castle is Ristorante Rinuccini. Both the lunch and dinner menus have a great range of choices including a Catch of the Day fresh from the boats arriving in at Kilmore Quay but my personal favourite is the duck in orange juice and aurum sauce. It can get busy and I’d recommend reservations in the evening but the friendly team are really efficient and you shouldn’t have to wait at lunchtime. If you’re in the mood for a mid-afternoon treat pop in for a dessert – the ice-cream is homemade or try the chocolate mousse!
If you’re looking for something more informal we’d suggest Café Sol on William Street, only 50 metres from the City Hall and round the corner from the castle. They do a great range of salads, sandwiches and a daily special pasta which is always delicious. The portions are a good size and excellent value for money. We know Ireland restaurants aren’t always the best for vegetarians but at Café Sol you’ll be well taken care of with a great range of options. For a healthy dessert try the yoghurt fru fru with fresh fruits, nuts, honey and natural yoghurt.
Located in the Kilkenny Design Centre on Castle Yard is their restaurant of the same name. All their food is prepared fresh each day using quality Irish ingredients. The house specialities include Chicken & Brocolli Crumble with Lavistown cheese or the Aubergine, Mushroom and Coriander Tart – both of which are light enough to enjoy on a warm summers day. With the smell of freshly baked bread wafting through from their own bakery it’s impossible to resist the Kilkenny Brown Bread (made to their own special recipe) or traditional Irish Soda Bread. If you’re visiting in the autumn I’d recommend the warming Potato & Leek soup.
On sunny days there is nothing nicer than taking lunch outside and Food Works on Gas House Lane (just off Castlecomer Road) is one of the best. It has plenty of pavement cafe seating, friendly staff and a menu stuffed with delicious, freshly prepared dishes and all at great prices.
We hope you’ll enjoy trying our recommendations and would love to hear your feedback and and try out your suggestions so please leave us a comment below or find our Kilkenny Hotel Facebook page.
It’s that time of year when we start to get excited about the Smithwicks Kilkenny Rhythm and Roots Festival again. Already in its twelfth year, the festival is firmly established both on the international circuit and within Ireland.
Each year it attracts some of the biggest and best names in Americana/Roots music from across the globe to Kilkenny for the four day festival each May bank holiday weekend.
Kilkenny Rhytm & Roots Festival
If you’ve not experienced the festival before there has never been a better line up than this year. Under the umbrella of Americana country, blues, bluegrass, Cajun, folk and many more styles are celebrated and you have an opportunity to sample the diverse range of music from morning till midnight.
One of the headline acts we’re most looking forward to is Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit. Playing at the Set Theatre, a short 1.5km walk from the hotel on the evening of Friday 30th.
Playing both Cleeres on Friday and then the Pumphouse on Saturday, you;ve no excuse for missing Pete Molinari. We got hooked after hearing his “Virtual Landslide” album a couple of years ago and went to see his brilliant performance at last years Rhythm & Roots.
For a more Southern style checkout Jason & The Scorchers. I only discovered the group at last years festival but have been going since the 80’s so even if you’ve seen them before their immense back catalogue ensures every performance is varied and fresh.
Hot Club of Cowtown have more of a swing vibe. Having evolved over the years and their recent album, “Wishful Thinking” has according to the London Times “you really need to see the group in the flesh” and you can catch them at Kytelers Inn on Sunday 2nd or Paris Texas on the bank holiday Monday.
Unfortunately I’m only able to give you some of my suggestions – there are so many bands playing I didn’t get a chance to see last year and new ones to catch this year I hope you’ll be able to come along and sample the atmosphere for yourself. Gigs take place at venues all around the city and many are FREE.
The festival is hugely popular so don’t miss out and book your hotel in Kilkenny city now.
Kilkenny Castle is an absolute must see on everyone’s itinerary but we are privileged to have some of the best heritage visitor attractions in the country. The new Kilkenny Culture Card enables you to explore many them for less with discounted entry to some of the top Kilkenny heritage attractions. The card is available from our reception and is complimentary to our guests.
Built between 1594 and 1610, Rothe House in Kilkenny is the townhouses, courtyards and gardens belonging to the Irish merchant John Rothe. The houses contain collections showing life in the city and county of Kilkenny and the beautiful gardens have been reconstructed in typical 17th century formal style.
The medieval monument at Kells Priory lies about 15km south of the city and just over 10 minutes drive from the hotel. Its one of the largest and most impressive in Ireland. The tower house stand guard along the curtain wall enclosing the priory giving it more of an appearance a fortress than place of worship.
Also nearby is Jerpoint Abbey, founded by the Cistercians in the later part of the 12th century. Famous for it’s amazing stone carvings, including the tomb of Felix O’Dulany, Bishop of the Dioscese of Ossory and the embattled church tower.
This month is a fantastic month for concerts in Kilkenny with the highlight being a visit by the world famous classical guitarist Xuefei Yang. She will be playing at Kilkenny Castle on Sunday 25th April as part of her Irish tour.
Staying with music the Smithwicks Kilkenny Rhythm and Roots Festival kicks off at the end of the month. From Friday 30th April, through till its climax on the Bank Holiday Monday there is a brilliant line up of musicians and bands playing at venues all around the city and many of the gigs are free!
The critically acclaimed new play by Robert Farquhar, “God’s Official” comes to the Watergate Theatre on Wednesday 28th April. It won the Spirit of the Fringe Award in Edinburgh in 2000 and if you’ve not had a chance to see it yet I’d highly recommend it.
Celebrating the talent and innovation of some of Irelands leading craft makers the National Craft Gallery is hosting the Irish Craft Portfolio. It opened last week, I went along over the weekend and can personally recommend it. This is the fourth showcase organised by the Craft Council, the fabulous works are on display until 22nd May and you might be lucky enough to meet some of the designers as well.
We hope you have a chance to experience these great events yourself and don’t forget to get your Kilkenny Culture Card from us.
The Days Hotel Kilkenny Blog has arrived! We’re very proud of our beautiful city and with so much to see and do we decided the best way to keep you up to date would be to launch our own Blog.
The medieval city has so much to offer and the Days hotel in Kilkenny is located close to many tourist attractions. St Canice’s Cathedral, the Black Abbey, Watergate Theatre, the stunning public gardens, the museums and so much more are all within easy walking distance making our great location, just a stones throw from Kilkenny Castle, the ideal base for exploring the city.
After a hard days sightseeing you might be in need of some refreshments so we’ve put together our recommendations for the best Kilkenny bars and pubs for food and drink here.
In the evenings Kilkenny nightlife is renowned as some of the best in Ireland (we certainly have a great time doing the research for you) and we’ll be keeping you updated right here with the very best places to go. Whether you’re looking for a quiet pint, place to watch the match or something livelier you’ll be spoilt for choice any night of the week.
Kilkenny is best explored on foot and you can print a copy of our map of Kilkenny to help you during your stay in our historic city. Wander through the winding streets and medieval slip ways to discover an eclectic mix of artisan craft shops and high street favourites. All the attractions are nearby and you’re never far from one of the great pubs, bars or restaurants.
At Days Hotels we always offer you the “Best Value Under the Sun” and we’re thrilled to bring you our fantastic hotel breaks in Kilkenny. With the Easter holidays coming up we’ve got some amazing offers. The hotel is very family friendly, we’ve got fantastic kids menus in Rueben’s Restaurant and as a special treat have arranged discounted entry to the Watershed Leisure centre across the road. Follow this link to view our Kilkenny hotels special offers.
We look forward to keeping you up to date with all the latest news from the hotel, the best of whats on in the city and look forward to welcoming you to Kilkenny soon.