Kilkenny Christmas Gift Guide

Kilkenny is one of Ireland’s top foodie destinations, and it’s easy to see why! Our wonderful local producers create exceptional award-winning products. Ballykeefe Distillery crafts smooth bottles of Spiced Irish Moonshine, a perfect flavour for the holiday season. Treat them to a box of delicious apple goodies with Highbank Orchards’ Hamper, featuring a selection of their multi-award-winning products. Give your Christmas appetisers a boost using the freshest smoked trout from Goatsbridge Trout Farm. Become a Master of Ale and learn to pour the perfect pint at the Smithwick’s Experience. Give the gift of luxurious fairtrade chocolate truffles from The Truffle Fairy. Learn to concoct mouthwatering treats with Cakeface’s cookery school. Whiskey lovers rejoice with a membership for the Kilkenny Whiskey Guild, who have regular tasting events. Choose from a range of wine varieties or build a hamper for that special someone at The Wine Centre. Stop in to The Chocolate Garden of Ireland café for sweet stocking stuffers or for a rich hot chocolate treat to end a day full of shopping! Head for a tour of all things food and drink around County Kilkenny with a Brewery Hops or explore the city with Kilkenny Food Tours and meet our talented food producers! Expand your horizons and add new recipes to your repertoire with culinary classes at Ryeland House Cookery School.

We’re not forgetting the wide selection of cafés, gastropubs and restaurants across County Kilkenny, a dining voucher is a fantastic gift option.

For those who want to bring a little sparkle to their home, there are many talented local craftspeople that create stunning pieces no matter your taste and budget. Kilkenny was named a World Crafts Council Craft City and Region – one of only four regions to achieve this recognition in Europe – so it is no wonder that we have such a wealth of wonderful crafts to offer. Choose from beautiful blankets and textiles from Cushendale Woollen Mills, handmade glassware pieces from and Jerpoint Glass, decorative pieces from Kilkenny Crystal and hand-painted tableware from Nicholas Mosse Pottery. Treat yourself to some quality alpaca yarn from Zwartbles to create the softest handmade gifts. The Kilkenny Design Centre is your one-stop-shop when it comes to buying Irish brands this Christmas – stocking everything from ceramics and cosmetics to Aran jumpers.

Support the master craftspeople in Kilkenny this Christmas and buy Irish. Visit the MADE in Kilkenny pop-up shop at The Old KBC Bank on The Parade (R95 Y672) from the 29th of November -24th of December and snap up your one-of-a-kind Kilkenny craft gifts.  

Gift the style icon in your life some fresh new threads. Frank Walls Mans Shop carries a range of mens clothing with everything from stylish everyday outfits to smart occasionwear. Goods of Kilkenny focuses on fashion, lingerie, cosmetics, footwear and accessories for stylish women of all ages. Connolly’s Red Mills Store stocks quality clothing, accessories, giftware, homeware and even pet care. If you know someone who loves to shop ‘til they drop, Market Cross and MacDonagh Junction shopping centres are an ideal spot for a day of retail therapy. Searching for their signature scent? Valley Of Roses has over 400 perfumes and aftershaves to choose from. For a more hands-on experience, book a fragrance workshop to create your own perfect mix! Padmore & Barnes have been manufacturing shoes in Kilkenny since 1934 and are the leading retailer for quality footwear, luggage and outdoor essentials for all of your needs!

Meet all farmyard friends fluffy and feathered at Nore Valley Park Open Farm with loads of activities to delight both little ones and parents. Become a zookeeper for the day with the National Reptile Zoo’s amazing zookeeper experience so that you can get up close and personal with the snakes, geckos, lizards and more with hands-on experience alongside their experts. For a unique experience with magnificent birds of prey, gift a Hawk Walk with Hawkeye School of Falconry. Step back in time with passes to Jurassic Newpark to wander through the park full of life-size animatronic dinosaurs!

Treat that special person in your life to a stay in one of Kilkenny’s top-class hotels with a hotel gift voucher and they can cross the thresholds of our castles, explore our medieval streets, browse in our boutiques and sample our legendary food offering on a future visit. Experience all that our hotels have to offer from afternoon tea and delicious meals to spa treatments and leisure club access. There are also plenty of fantastic guesthouses, B&Bs and glamping options to choose from if they prefer a getaway with a difference.