On our first trip to Ireland, we took a wrong turn & wound up missing Kilkenny. This May we're going to give it another try! We'd like to stay in or close enough to the Medieval Town to walk everywhere. Any B&B suggestions? Any pubs or restaurants that we "shouldn't miss?" Thank you!
Posted by
Seattle, Washington
124 posts
Cathy,
I stayed in a centrally located hostel that was just amazing, great staff you felt more like you were in a B&B. They work only in cash and you can look them up on Hostelworld.com it's called Kilkenny Tourist Hostel and it's located on Parliament Street.
There is a festival that I've personally always wanted to go to, it's called Kilkenny Roots Festival (great live music and local art) and it runs May 2-5, 2014. If you are traveling around this time, you should book your place ASAP. The rooms available in the town book very fast for this festival.
Also look for tickets to concerts in the churches.
My favorite place is a pub called Hole in the Wall (one of Ireland's smallest pubs) well worth looking for.
My friend also told be about Bridie's Bar, I didn't make it there.
Things to make sure you see while in Kilkenny;
-Kilkenny Castle
-St. Canice's Cathedral
-Black Abbey
-Dunmore Cave
-Rock of Cashel
-Brownshill Dolmen near Carlow (the largest dolmen in Ireland)
Posted by
OP
Orlando, FL, USA
29 posts
Thanks, Sarah! Both the Hole in the Wall and Bridie's look like fantastic places. Can't wait to visit them. The hostel looks really nice and it is in an old building (love history & old buildings), but I doubt my husband will go for it. He's more of a hotel guy & I'm B&B, so I try to find places sorta in the middle (not like staying with Grandma, but not like a Holiday Inn either). Anyway, thanks for the suggestions -- much appreciated.
Posted by
Indianapolis, IN, USA
154 posts
We enjoyed Kilkenny on our last visit and were so glad we chose to spend 2 nights there. We liked the city, restaurants, and people. We stayed at a B&B that was more like a motel, but the owners lived on site and were gracious and helpful. It is called Butler's Court or Butler Court. They have a beautiful garden area with a few tables where you can sit and relax. They serve a continental breakfast in the room. We weren't sure about that but found we liked it. There was plenty to eat and a good variety. When I did not eat the bread (American) she left the first morning, the next day she gave me another type (Irish brown bread) which I did enjoy. We also liked the close proximity to many other sites that we wanted to visit, Jerpoint Abbey being one of many. Anyway, there is the Langston Hotel that you might consider if you prefer hotels. We had tea and scones in their lovely bar. We missed tea time in their tea room, so they offered to serve us in the bar rather than the tea room. They also have a restaurant and small coffee/ice cream shop. We plan to visit Kilkenny on our next trip to Ireland, that is how much we like it.
Barbara
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