Kilkenny Ireland, worth a stop?
 

I'd appreciate any input. Looks nice in pictures, but would be a 2 hour drive for us. Thanks?

keep reading there are lots of things in the area<BR>but if it does not work with your itinerary forget it there are interesting places everywhere in Ireland<BR>i am going in december and plan to drive this is my 3rd trip there<BR>cheers<BR>georgette

Kilkenny is a great place. Nice castle with lovely grounds and walk by the river, good pubs, Kilkenny Design Center has wide selection of high quality Irish crafts. And, the countryside around Kilkenny is very interesting. It depends what you're interested in and where you're coming from that would make a two hour drive worthwhile. I've been to Ireland 15+ times over the last 25 years. Kilkenny is one of my favorite towns.

I was in Kilkenny last fall. I must say that I didn't think the castle was that big of a deal, but I'm not a real castle guy. Just seemed a little dark and dreary. What isn't dark and dreary though is the city of kilkenny. The brightly colored shops and crooked roads gave me that "I'm not in the US" feeling that I look for when I'm in Europe. It's one of those postcard towns. Felt more like a local family town than a tourist spot, though I went in November. I will tell you that driving in Kilkenny Center is insane. Even though I was driving 10 miles per hour, I'm still not sure how I didn't get in an accident. The oncoming traffic was two inches to my right and the pedestrians were two inches to my left. Actually I was a little freaked out driving throughout Ireland, but now those may be my favorite memories.<BR>I decided to get off the main street in Kilkenny and use alleys and sidestreets. Big mistake. The roads were 6 inches wider than my car and two-way. I got lost in an especially curvey and thin alley. I asked a local older gentleman how to get out. He must have sensed I was nervous, because when he was finished giving me the info he reached into my car, put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Good luck and God Bless."

Kilkenney is worth while. The Castle is interesting, the tour is good and it is one of the few remaining Norman Castles in Ireland. Don't drive the town, walk it. There is plenty of parking just outside the center and walking is more informative and fun. There is a 14th Century Merchants House which is really magnificent. The Tourist Office is in a 1582 Alms House. <BR><BR> Jerpoint Abbey ruins (thanks to Henry), a Cistercian Abbey (French) from 1180, is a short distance from Kilkenny. The cloisters are beautiful. If you are following a route, say from Dublin South, it is easy to include Kilkenny and I would.

Kilkenny is a delight. The quality of the design studio is great. Wonderful little town, nice castle, I'd love to return soon.

Kilkenny is often described as Ireland's nicest inland town. That's a pretty accurate description.<BR><BR>As Dan says, driving in there is a nightmare. Dump your car outside the city centre or at your B&B as quickly as possible. It's not a huge town, so you can easily cover what you'll want to on foot. Lots of good pubs, restaurants and shops.

Well, I agree, Kilkenny is one of the best inland towns in Ireland. I have been all over the entire country but Kilkenny is one of my favorites. I even bought my wedding veil there!