County Kilkenny

Introducing County Kilkenny

For many, County Kilkenny is all that they hope for in Ireland. It’s a place of rolling green hills where you’ll soon run out of adjectives for green. Tiny roads wander the valleys beside swirling rivers and moss-covered stone walls. Relics of centuries of Irish religious history dot the landscape as if part of one great beautiful design.

Wanderers and ramblers are rewarded by characterful pubs and exquisite restaurants scattered across the countryside, seemingly placed to reward those willing to take the road less travelled. Shamrock-cute Inistioge may be star of many a movie, but it’s the real deal, and you’ll soon find your own rhythm among the tidy shop fronts, mannered square and surging River Nore.

Perhaps Kilkenny’s beauty and its inherent reward of discovery is why so many artists and craftspeople make their home in the county. In towns like Bennettsbridge and Thomastown, you’ll find wonderfully skilled people busy creating in their studios. Or maybe they’re just inspired by Kilkenny’s pride itself, its namesake city.

An enduring gift of the Normans, Kilkenny city lures visitors by the score who find it hard to escape its pleasures. Medieval alleys wind among its castle, cathedral and ruined abbeys. But it’s no static postcard – an alluring mix of superb restaurants, beguiling pubs and artisan vendors keeps things dynamic.

From bucolic delights to citified fun, Kilkenny is a dream.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009