01Culture · DAY 1 IDEA
Abbey St R95 TCK6
Black Abbey
Founded in 1225, this impressive Dominican Abbey became a courthouse after the Dissolution then was wrecked by Cromwell. It was rebuilt from 1866 and remains an active Roman Catholic church, with beautiful stained glass windows. It was built just outside the city walls so it could serve both the Anglo-Norman and the Irish districts. Some 200 m east along Abbey St / Sráid Na Mainistreach is Black Freren Gate, the last surviving gate of those walls.
Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate
02Culture · DAY 1 IDEA
44 Parliament St R95 VK54
Smithwick's Experience
Guided tour of the former brewery. It may have been Ireland's first, as Franciscan monks brewed here from 1221 to 1537 when the monastery was dissolved (no, not in the beer). John Smithwick founded his brewery here in 1705, but his ownership had to be kept quiet until 1782 when Catholics were again allowed to own property. It remained a family firm until 1964 then was taken over by Guinness, now part of Diageo, and other beers in their range were for a time brewed here. Smithwick's Ales are nowadays brewed in Dublin.
Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate
03Outdoors · DAY 1 IDEA
Kilkenny
Jenkinstown Park
The forested park is a nice place for a walk or a picnic; it's muddy after wet weather and the deer expect to be fed. In April the forest is carpeted by bluebells. It was laid out in the 1870s as the grounds of the Bryan-Bellew Estate, and some original trees survive. Most of the castle has been demolished, but a few scraps remain, with some remnants incorporated into a modern mansion.
Allow about 60 minutes · planning estimate
04Culture · DAY 2 IDEA
Coach Rd, Irishtown R95 V63H
St Canice's Cathedral & Round Tower
This was built as a catholic cathedral, caved in and was rebuilt in the 13th century, but the 9th-century Round Tower indicates its much longer history. It's Ireland's second-largest church, surpassed only by Dublin's St Patrick's, of similar date and style. Cromwell trashed it through force of habit and used it as stables for his horses, but it was rebuilt from the 19th century, retaining many medieval features, and is nowadays Anglican. The tower, outside in the graveyard, can be ascended by adults up steep ladders.
Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate
05Culture · DAY 2 IDEA
John St R95 AW74
St John's Priory
The abbey or priory was founded in 1220 by the Augustinians, with the Lady Chapel added in 1290. They must have been a colourful bunch, experiencing jail, excommunication and structural collapse long before the Dissolution. The priory fell derelict in the 18th century, and much of it was demolished in 1780, with the stone re-cycled into a barracks. The Church of Ireland (Protestant) took over the site in 1817, re-roofed the Lady Chapel and created a parish church, which remains active.
Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate
Reference material retrieved 2026-10-19. Suggested days and time allowances are editorial starting points. Check the linked visitor information for opening hours, access, and reservations.
