| the chic bar offering refined dining has bespoke french chandeliers and leather chairs, plus a terrace. 2 km from kilkenny castle's 1195 fortress and 1. event space hosts 750 people. traditional rooms with plush accents feature flat-screen tvs, tea and coffeemaking facilities, and free wifi. a salon and a spa have fees. check-in time: 4:00 pmcheck-out time: 12:00 pm. freebies include an indoor pool, a sauna and a hot tub, plus an exercise room. 5 km from st canice's cathedral's 13th-century edifice. some rooms have sofas and balconies. this modern hotel with an upscale ambience is 1. upgraded rooms adding italian-marble bathrooms and free bottled water are reserved for guests 18 and over
Dublin Airport 1 hr 27
Dunmore Cave (17 min)
Striking calcite formations adorn this cave system that was the site of a Viking massacre in 928AD. Jerpoint Abbey (20 min)
Notable for its stone carvings, this Cistercian abbey was built in 1180 & offers a visitor centre. Kells Priory (15 min)
Extensive ruins of an Augustinian priory built in the 12th century & surrounded by military walls. Smithwick's Experience (10 min)
Interactive guided tour at an 18th-century brewery including tastings & a gift shop. Cathedral Church of St Canice & Round Tower (4 min)
13th-century Catholic cathedral, plus a 121-step, 9th-century round tower with panoramic city views. Castlecomer Discovery Park (25 min)
80-acre activity park with walking trails, kids' play areas, fishing lakes and a canopy walkway. National Design & Craft Gallery (9 min)
Established in 2000, this gallery displays contemporary crafts by Irish & international artists. Kilkenny Castle (11 min)
Riverside castle with an artfully restored interior (tours only), large garden, gallery and tearoom. The Tholsel, Kilkenny (13 min)
Former toll house with a columned arcade, built in 1761 & today serving as the town's city hall. The National Reptile Zoo (8 min)
Zoo housing reptiles from snakes to crocodiles, with supervised handling sessions and soft play. Rothe House & Garden (10 min)
Restored 1594 house, garden and museum with a notable timber ceiling, home to a genealogy centre. Dominican Black Abbey (10 min)
14th-century Dominican church and priory featuring a huge, original stained-glass east window. Butler Gallery (8 min)
Sophisticated gallery offering fine art by Irish & international artists, plus educational programs. St. Mary’s Medieval Mile Museum (13 min)
Museum in a 13th-century church & graveyard featuring medieval sculpture & Renaissance-era tombs. Saint Mary's Roman Catholic Cathedral (16 min)
Completed in 1857, this grand cathedral on the town's most elevated point offers Catholic services. | 
