Kilkenny Castle

Kilkenny Castle

A castle at the heart of a medieval city

In the south-east of Ireland, the charming medieval city of Kilkenny is crowned by its great castle, standing proudly above the river Nore. With its round towers, grey walls and beautiful parkland, Kilkenny Castle is one of the most visited and best-loved castles in Ireland, and the centrepiece of a city famous for its narrow lanes, old churches and lively arts.

From Norman fortress to noble palace

A castle was first built here around 1195 by the Norman lord William Marshal, one of the most famous knights of his age. His stone fortress, with strong towers guarding the river crossing, replaced an earlier wooden one and anchored the Norman hold on this part of Ireland.

In 1391 the castle was bought by the Butler family, who would hold it for almost six hundred years — an extraordinary span. As Earls, and later Dukes, of Ormond, the Butlers were among the most powerful families in Ireland, and they gradually transformed the medieval fortress into a grand and comfortable home, while keeping its mighty towers.

A Victorian transformation

Over the centuries the Butlers remodelled Kilkenny Castle many times. The greatest changes came in the 1800s, when the family rebuilt much of it in a romantic style, giving it the look of a great Victorian country house wrapped around its medieval core. They filled it with fine furniture and paintings, including a magnificent long picture gallery hung with family portraits beneath a richly painted roof.

The result is a castle that tells many stories at once: Norman fortress, medieval stronghold and elegant aristocratic home.

A gift to the people

By the 20th century the Butlers could no longer keep up such an enormous house, and in 1967 the family sold Kilkenny Castle to the local people for a token sum of just a few pounds. Since then it has been restored and opened to the public, becoming a treasured national monument and a symbol of the city's pride.

The castle's beautiful parkland and gardens, once private, are now a much-loved public park where families stroll, picnic and play.

A city of arts and crafts

Kilkenny is famous as a centre of Irish arts, crafts and design, and the castle plays its part: its former stables across the road now house craft workshops and galleries. The city's medieval "Mile" of historic buildings, from the castle to St Canice's Cathedral, makes Kilkenny one of the most rewarding places to visit in Ireland.

Visiting today

Visitors can tour the castle's grand rooms, including the spectacular Long Gallery, explore the medieval towers, and wander the extensive parkland and gardens along the river. Displays tell the long story of the Butler family and the city they shaped. Grand, welcoming and rich in history, Kilkenny Castle is one of the great treasures of medieval Ireland.