From Shenanagins walking tours of the medieval city and guided art gallery tours in Butler Gallery to self guided tours discovering Kilkenny’s latest residents on the Kilkenny Catwalk Trail or an audio tour along the Medieval Mile there’s something cultural in Kilkenny to suit everyone.
Treat your taste buds to a wide selection of fabulous flavours during Kilkenny Tourism’s Restaurant Week this January, enrol in a master class at Cake Face Cookery School or sample Kilkenny’s only ‘3 Tiered Tower’ brunch in Bridies at Langtons. Experience the new renovations in the Pembroke Hotel Kilkenny’s Stratham’s Restaurant and Mint Spa or relax in style and soak in the stunning surroundings in the Orangerie at Butler House; Dine in a heated pod outdoors in rain, hail or shine at Muse coffee + food or reconnect with nature on a Butterfly Valley Glamping trip.
Explore the new showrooms at Cushendale Woollen Mills; try your hand at hurling followed by a pint in Malzards recently renovated Bar or experience the sport of kings at Hawkeye Falconry.
With all there is to Experience, See and Do in Kilkenny, it’s time to start planning your 2023 staycation now! #moretoexplore
Kilkenny Restaurant Week
Kilkenny is encouraging visitors to experience the diversity of its culinary culture in the county with Restaurant Week. Running from February 18th – 27th, the initiative will see hotels, restaurants and cafes across the county offering discounts and special offers to customers.
Devised by Kilkenny Tourism, Restaurant Week is set to encourage diners to experience the great selection of produce and flavours that Kilkenny has to offer, and increase trade for businesses at the beginning of the traditionally quieter season.
For more, Visit Kilkenny.
Kilkenny Cat Walk Trail
The Kilkenny Catwalk is a trail of 21 wonderful Kilkenny Cat sculptures which have been decorated by some of our country’s most talented artists, mainly local, for public display in and around Kilkenny City. Running till next April, The Cat Walk Art Trail is a discovery of colourful 5 ft sculptures and guaranteed family fun for all ages.
Visit Kilkenny Catwalk.
Cakeface Cookery School
If your new year resolution is to ‘up’ your cooking skills, then check out the Cakeface Cookery School. The renowned Kilkenny based Patisserie will teach you how to create gourmet cakes for your family and friends in their new school. Located in Irishtown on the Medieval Mile in Kilkenny’s centre, Cakeface cookery school is a state of the art contemporary space designed to inspire the ‘Wille Wonka’ in everyone.
Cakeface also has its very own Coffee Roastery, a first for Kilkenny! They import speciality coffee from around the world and roast it beside the cafe in Irishtown, the smells are incredible… this feast for the senses is well worth a visit!!
Enjoy Coffee in a Heated Pod at Muse Coffee
Kilkenny is always a much loved spot for a staycation and Muse coffee + food at Butler gallery, Kilkenny saw lots of travellers from all over Ireland this summer.
Muse has a unique all – weather offering in the heart of Medieval Kilkenny with 5 heated glass pods for groups of up to 6 guests to safely enjoy their delicious daily lunch menu, cakes, treats and speciality coffee.
Dine in a heated pod outdoors in rain, hail or shine. Enjoy the beautiful surrounds of the magnificently restored Evans Home, a building with a rich and varied history while you sip on a glass of wine or a Muse ultimate hot chocolate. Family friendly with kids’ menu and baby changing facilities, Muse also has indoor dining and the opportunity to soak up the culture and visit the many art exhibitions in Butler Gallery or take a stroll around the gardens.
Visit Muse for more details
Visit Malzards Pub
For a truly traditional Irish experience, the recently renovated Malzards bar in the village of Stoneyford in Kilkenny brings together a local community in a lively celebration of storytellers, musicians, hurling enthusiasts (young and old) and experienced pint pullers.
Dating back to 1789, the Malzard-O’Gradys Pub has been in the family of its current owner- Fred Malzard- for over five generations and 200 plus years. The family also run a ’Hurling Experience’ where would be sports aficionados can learn the skill of Ireland’s oldest game under guidance of some of the county’s best players!
Visit Malzards online for more information.
Cushendale Woollen Mills
The 800-year-old woollen mill recently expanded their retail showroom which is now surrounded by stunning glass windows to expose all the vistas of the breath-taking setting of the town of Graiguenamanagh. Visitors who want a truly authentic experience of a woollen mill can explore at ease and in comfort in this wonderful showroom, filled with all of Cushendales luxury woollen blankets, throws, scarfs and gifts
Cushendale is a sixth generation family business led by Miriam Cushendale and is one of only two remaining vertical woollen mills in Ireland still retaining all stages of the textile manufacturing process under one roof, from Irish wool fleece to the final custom blanket.
Visit Cushendale online for more information.
Meet a Chilean Blue Eagle at Hawkeye Falconry Experience
Learn the ancient art of falconry and meet the newest member of the Hawkeye School of Falconry, a Chilean blue eagle named Priscilla! The newly opened Hawkeye School of Falconry at Lyrath Estate is a first of its kind in the South East. Shortlisted in the Kilkenny Chamber business awards for the award of best Cultural and Heritage Tourism award, this is a great experience for all the family to enjoy and a chance to get up close and personal with these magnificent creatures.
Visit the Hawkeye School of Falconry
Take a Guided Walking Tour with Award Winning Shenanigans
In June, Kilkenny once again demonstrated it is no stranger to awards and accolades, when Shenanigans Walking Tours was named the best thing to do in Ireland in TripAdvisor’s 2021 Travellers’ Choice Awards. The Guided Walking Tour, which is filled with laughter and tales of ‘Shenanigans’ in Kilkenny, was ranked number one on the top 10 list for Ireland in the awards and is a ‘must experience’ for 2022.
Experience a Guided Tour at Butler Gallery
Make 2023 the year you learn more about art and culture and spend an afternoon admiring some of the best art work at Butler Gallery. The gallery has weekend guided-tours running throughout the year, which are an engaging walk-through of modern and contemporary Irish art in the 20th and 21st centuries. The Gallery also hosts regular workshops from print through to design.
Visit Butler Gallery for more information.
Sample Kilkenny’s Only ‘3 Tiered Tower’ Brunch
Bridies is an old-world bar and general store with a charming walled garden to the rear in the centre of Kilkenny city. The new ‘Bridie’s Brunch Bites’ has been added to the menu, consisting of a three-tiered tower of all the most delicious, brunch favourites. Try the Kenmare Smoked Salmon mini bagel, or their French toast, smothered in Maple syrup, a breakfast burrito, filled with the elements of an ‘Irish fry’, with a lashing of Ballymaloe Relish, and lots more…including indulgent mouth-watering Brunch cocktails
To find out more info visit Langtons or call 056 776 5133
Awards & Upgrades at Butler House
Exciting times for Butler House, their magnificent outdoor dining area ‘The Orangerie’ recently received a Georgina Campbell award. The Orangerie is extremely popular with locals and visitors for its stunning garden views set amid the 18th Century House.
The hotel is working with local Designer Orla Kelly on their ongoing expansion and refurbishment. Butler House added three new luxury bedrooms in 2020 are continuing throughout the rest of the house and the original bedrooms over the next two years.
Visit The Butler House
Explore the Medieval Mile on ‘Audio’
Take a ‘Medieval Kilkenny Tour’ with Kilkenny’s new audio guide. This innovative audio story recounts the beginnings of the city in the 6th Century, when a monastery was founded by St Canice, and follows the fascinating history of the city through the centuries. The guide is designed with the visitors in mind and can be streamed to mobiles, tablets and computers.
Visitors can download the guide at Medieval Kilkenny Tour
Renovations at Pembroke Hotel Kilkenny
There have been big changes in the four star Pembroke Hotel Kilkenny. Not only have they refurbished and extended the award winning Stratham’s Restaurant to include a new café and al fresco dining area, but have also extended the kitchen and given added new treatment areas to their medispa, Mint. Visitors can now take advantage of a walkway from the hotel bedrooms to Mint and ‘corporates will discover newly refurbished conference & events rooms.
For visitor’s safety, the hotel has also invested in ventilation and have installed heavy duty heat recovery ventilation units for the public areas of the hotel.
Visit Pembroke Hotel Kilkenny
Reconnect with local food and nature in Thomastown
Butterfly Valley Glamping, a luxury camping experience with a range of unique accommodations including bell tents, wooden pods and a ‘Father Ted style’ caravan is based in Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny. For the 2022 season, they are teaming up with local providers to create some unique additions.
Experience local produce with a welcome hamper, which will include locally baked sourdough bread, local apple juice, honey, jam and handmade artisan chocolates.
Choose from a range of ‘nature immersion experience’ packages being run in conjunction with the Kilkenny Forest school (Sli na Coille), who operate from the forest across the road from the site. The glamping site have worked with the school in the past to offer a ‘Wild Ways Forest weekend’ and they now plan to offer a further range of forest packages, including forest bathing, yoga in the forest and craft skills. The packages will cater for both adults and children.
For further details, contact info@butterflyvalleyglamping.ie or visit Here.
