23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
June bank holiday in Kilkenny: Five essential experiences for your long weekend
The June bank holiday is only just around the corner and time is running out to make plans.
With that in mind, here are our top five things to do in Kilkenny for you and your family to enjoy this June bank holiday weekend.
Kilkenny Cat Laughs Comedy Festival 2025
When: May 31 – June 1
Kilkenny Cat Laughs is described by organisers as 'Ireland's annual craic pilgrimage'.
The festival has been heralding the start of the summer season since 1995 and this year it is celebrating its 30th anniversary.
This year the festival is welcoming 34 comedians to Kilkenny over one weekend.
A variety of comedy shows will be held across the June bank holiday weekend from Saturday May 31 until Sunday June 1.
Make sure to get your tickets now before they all sell out on the Kilkenny Cat Laughs 2025 website.
Shenanigans Walks
Want to try something a little bit different this June bank holiday weekend? Why not check out Shenanigans Walks, a walking tour of Kilkenny City.
Shenanigan Walks describes itself as a 'modern twist on traditional tours', as local expert guides lead you on an entertaining, fun and informative adventure along Ireland's Medieval Mile through the heart of Kilkenny City.
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The walking tour combines history with compelling stories and fun facts with a clever sprinkle of magic which makes the walking tour stand out from any other tour on the market.
Places on the tours over the June bank holiday weekend are booking out fast so make sure to visit the Shenanigans Walks website to secure your place.
Visit Kilkenny Castle and Parklands
An activity that is both fun and educational for the whole family is a trip to Kilkenny Castle in Kilkenny City.
There are still tickets available across the entire June bank holiday weekend for both a self-guided tour around the 800-year-old castle, or a guided tour.
If the weather allows it, you can also take a stroll around the castle's 50 acres of rolling parkland with mature trees and an abundance of wildlife.
Other features at the castle include a formal terraced rose garden, woodlands and a man-made lake.
There is also a tearoom, playground and several orienteering trails for visitors to enjoy.
Dunmore Caves
Located not far from Kilkenny City, Dunmore Caves is a place where history and geology merge.
The caves are a series of limestone chambers formed over millions of years and contain some of the most impressive calcite formations in Ireland.
It's said that in AD 928, Viking leader Guthfrith of Ivar massacred a thousand people in Dunmore Cave. While that story has not be confirmed for definite, archaeological finds, such as human remains, point to the presence of Vikings all of those years ago.
Tickets to Dunmore Cave start at €5.
Castlecomer Discovery Park
If you are looking for something for the whole family to do together this June Bank Holiday weekend, why not check out Castlecomer Discovery Park in Co Kilkenny.
The park is located among 80 acres of woodland and has a variety of recreational and educational activities on offer for the whole family.
Some of the activities on offer include Ireland's longest zipline, stand up paddle boarding, a skywalk at dusk, archery, a junior play area, a climbing wall and much more.
Tickets are still available online across the entire June bank holiday weekend for a variety of activities.
