A visit to Ireland cannot be complete without a budget getaway to the 'Marble County'. This historic city has a lot to offter for all types of students. Kilkenny county has medieval castles and small towns scattered across the land, but it is the City itself that is a must-do! Kilkenny city’s picturesque 'Medieval Mile' of narrow lanes and historic buildings strung between castle and cathedral along the bank of the River Nore is one of the southeast's biggest tourist draws and is included in this studen travel guide. With this budget getaway, we gaurantee with attractions ranging from the Smithwicks Brewery to Kilkenny Activity centre you will have a jam packed two days.
Kilkenny City is very accessible from Dublin with three different options - driving, by bus or train.
Firstly the ‘Dublin Coach’ runs every 2 hours each day leaving from Bachelor’s Walk in the City Centre and runs every day of the week, This bus runs from Dublin to Cork city but goes through Waterford and Kilkenny City. The price of this bus is €10 each way and can be booked here .
Irish Rail also provides a 1hr 30min train service for a €30 student return ticket. This route departs from Dublin Heuston Station to Kilkenny MacDonagh station. The train usually departs every 2 hours but are subject to daily variances. You should check before booking your trip, you can check here.
If you are lucky enough to own a car of your own, the drive from Dublin City centre will take 1hr 45mins via the M9 Motorway. We recommend trying to avoid rush hours times (7-8.30am & 5-6.30pm) as this will only give you less time to explore what Kilkenny has to offer!
To get the real Kilkenny experience we recommend staying in a Hostel. By choosing a hostel over an Airbnb, not only will you garuantee a cheap holiday, but you will also get a much greater experience. Tours and advice can be asked for at the reception of hostels, and they always have the insight knowledge of city and what is has to offer for the few nights you stay there.
We recommend staying in one of two Hostels in Kilkenny. You can choose the Kilkenny Tourist Hostel or the Kilkenny City Hostel. Both Hostels are in great locations and will allow you to save money on taxis as everything is in walking distance!
The Kilkenny Tourist Hostel lies in the heart of the city. In this 280-year-old house, you will gain a great insight into traditional Irish houses, where you can snuggle up to the unique turn burning open fire and relax or meet fellow travellers. The self-serving kitchen will allow you to cook your won meals if you wish to save money. A night here will cost you €15, cheap and cheerful for any student. on a budget holiday
The Kilkenny City Hostel also boasts a central location and more ‘modern’ facilities. With a small price hike, students can find themselves in a hostel offering continental breakfast and good living areas. At €17 a night it is bound to check all your boxes and give you a great location to head out and explore the city!
(Source: Booking.com)
Brunch: If you don’t use the or are still hungry after the continental breakfast in the hostel, Kilkenny is keeping up with the new demand for Brunch. There are three quaint places in which we recommend. Cafe La Coco , The Figtree And Mocha’s Vintage Tea Room. All these places serve delicious brunches with the freshest ingredients. We recommend especially try the traditional Irish Breakfast in any of these places because anywhere you go in Ireland it will be their speciality.
(Sources: Tripadvisor, Bizlocator.ie, Visitkilkenny.ie)
Lunch/Dinner: Kilkenny has a wide variety of restaurants and cafes to offer. Here at Emerald student travel we have hand picked the best meals on a student budget! We recommend including a variety of restaurants and bars for the best experience of the local and non-local cuisine. If you want traditional Irish lunches and dinners, we recommend Langton’s Pub as well as Matt Millers Bar & Grill. While if you want the tastes of Asian cuisine we recommend Aroi or for Mediterranean we recommend Algarve Grill.
(Sources: Tripadvisor.com/ Kilkenny.ie/ Pintrest.com)
Dessert: Even with the constant cold and ever-changing weather the Irish love their ice cream. If you have a sweet tooth Kilkenny will be satisfy whatever youre looking for. The two main Ice-cream parlours are Scrumdiddlys Ice cream shop which offers unique combinations and milkshakes. If you crave higher quality traditional Irish Ice cream we recommend visiting Murphy’s Ice cream. Cake Face Patisserie also offers a selection of lovely desserts for those not in an ice-cream mood!
(Sources: Taste.ie/ Tripadvisor.ie)
Kilkenny Castle – This is the main attraction in Kilkenny City centre and is a must visit for all tourists and locals alike. This 800 year old castle, built after the Norman Conquest of Ireland offers visitors a great insight to visitors about the medieval times in Ireland with great art and buildings still preserved. This tours costs €8 and lasts 45 minutes.
(Sources: Kilkennycastle.ie)
Smithwicks Brewery Tour – No visit to Kilkenny would be complete without taking a tour of the Smith wicks Brewery. This is Irelands most popular and oldest ale and was set up in the city itself. This tour rivals that of the Guiness Storehouse in Dublin, but is guaranteed to be much more hands on and interactive with a smaller crowd. The duration of this tour last 1-2 hours and student tickets are €12.
(Sources: getyourguide.ie)
Hurling at Nowlan Park– Ireland boasts two national sports in which no other country plays, these are the ancient sports of Hurling and Gaelic. Hurling is considered one of the oldest field sports dating back to 1272 BC and there is no better place to soak up the atmosphere than Nowlan park. Hurling – the fastest field sport in the world, is lived and breathed in Kilkenny. Kilkenny are All-Ireland Championship record holders by wining the coveted tournament 36 times. Tickets for students are usually €15.
Kilkenny Activity Centre – This centre is a guaranteed haven for those who are active and looking for a good time. The activity centre which is located just outside Kilkenny offers students Paintballing, Bubble (Zorb) Football and obstacle courses for great days out. For those who are looking to take it more easily they offer Escape rooms and Giant Darts which are bound to please. The price ranges vary for each activity but are all reasonably priced, with group discounts available. Activites range from €15-25
(Sources: Kilkennyactivtycentre.ie)
Traditional Irish Pubs: Kilkenny City is a lively city by day and by night. The city is scattered with pubs, bars and nightclubs. The traditional music along with a few pints cannot be missed in the Left Bank pub and Kytelers. Kytelers was established in 1324 and is a guaranteed great night out with live music and dancing. Try the local Smithwicks ale or even a pint of Guiness to fit in with the locals.
Cocktail Bars: Students can wander to a more modern bar – Paris Texas. This southern-state themed bar offers exotic cocktails, gins and liquors. It may be more pricy but will be worth every penny. All the cocktails they offer are under €10, which is great value! The drinks menu can be found here.
Nightclub: Finally, you should follow the locals and head to Langotns Nightclub and Bar where it is 21’s and over and the nightclub is open Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays. Don’t miss free-in before 11.30 and dance away to the early morning in this late-night bar. If you go on a night Kilkenny have won a hurling match it will bound to be very busy!
Kilkenny will guarantee and action packed cheap holiday! It gives students on a budget a cheap and great vacation to a traditional Irish city which is steeped in history. At Emerald student travel was strongly advise socilaising with the Kilkenny locals - the 'Cats' who are always very open and welcoming and will show you the true hidden gems of the land!
Written By, Andrew Keenan