South Kilkenny Craft Villages

South Kilkenny's quiet villages preserve a slower pace of life. This route explores traditional communities where craft workers, food producers, and farmers maintain centuries-old traditions.

Why This Route?

South Kilkenny offers authentic rural Ireland:

• Craft traditions - Pottery, weaving, ironwork
• Food producers - Cheese, cider, trout
• Working farms - Agricultural heritage
• Uncommercialised - Few tourists, genuine welcome
• Beautiful countryside - Rolling hills and river valleys

Where to Stay

This gentle 68-kilometre circuit through south Kilkenny's craft villages and farmland is an easy day trip from one base. The loop starts and finishes in Kilkenny City, making the medieval capital the obvious place to sleep -- you will be back in time for dinner after a full day exploring Callan, Kells Priory, and the artisan producers dotted through the rolling countryside.

Kilkenny

Kilkenny's medieval lanes, castle, and buzzing restaurant scene need no introduction. Staying here puts Kells Priory just 15 minutes to the south, with Callan, Jerpoint Glass Studio, and the craft workshops of Stoneyford all within easy reach. The city has everything from boutique hotels on the Parade to riverside guesthouses and hostels, and if you finish the drive early there is no shortage of pubs for an evening session.

The Route

Starting from Kilkenny City

Head south through the fertile farmland.

Callan

Kilkenny's second town, with:

• Westgate (medieval town gate)
• Edmund Rice Centre (founder of Christian Brothers)
• Kilbree Craft Complex
• Traditional market town character

Kells (Kilkenny)

Not to be confused with Kells in Meath - this Kells is famous for:

Kells Priory

Ireland's largest medieval monastic site - 5 acres enclosed by walls with towers. Atmospheric and free to access.

Village

Working community with shops and pubs.

Mullinavat

A quiet crossroads village with genuine rural character. The surrounding countryside is beautiful.

Knocktopher

Heritage village with:

• Old schoolhouse
• Traditional shopfronts
• Knocktopher Abbey (ruined)

Ballyhale

Famous for hurling (All-Ireland champions) and agriculture.

Piltown

Gateway to the Suir Valley with views to Waterford.

Carrick-on-Suir

Just over the Tipperary border, but worth the short detour for:

• Ormond Castle (finest Elizabethan manor in Ireland)
• Heritage centre
• River walks

Windgap

A crossroads village in the hills with traditional pubs.

Return via Kilmoganny

Complete the circuit through rolling farmland.

Craft Producers

Jerpoint Glass Studio

Working glass studio near Stoneyford:

• Watch craftspeople at work
• Unique handblown pieces
• Shop and gardens

Cushendale Woollen Mills

Traditional weaving in Graiguenamanagh:

• Working mill tours
• Tweeds and throws
• Natural dyes

Truffle Fairy

Handmade chocolates in Callan:

• Small-batch production
• Local ingredients
• Tasting and shop

Food Producers

Highbank Orchards

Artisan cider and apple products:

• Cider tasting
• Apple syrup
• Orchard walks

Goatsbridge Trout

Fresh and smoked trout from the Nore:

• Farm gate sales
• Smokehouse products

Knockdrinna Farmhouse Cheese

Award-winning cheese from local milk:

• Farm shop
• Cheese tasting

Rural Heritage

The GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association)

South Kilkenny is hurling heartland. The sport has been played here for centuries, and local clubs are community hubs. If you're here on a Sunday, try to catch a match.

Farming Life

This is working agricultural country - dairy, beef, tillage. The landscape reflects centuries of careful husbandry.

Traditional Pubs

Village pubs are social centres where news is shared and traditions maintained. Drop in for a pint and conversation.

Walking

Kells Priory Loop

• Distance: 3km
• Time: 1 hour
• Difficulty: Easy
• Highlights: Priory ruins, riverside

South Leinster Way (Sections)

The long-distance path crosses this area - sections are walkable.

Practical Tips

1. Craft studios - Check opening times; some close Mondays
2. Farm shops - May have limited hours
3. Kells Priory - No facilities but always accessible
4. Pubs - May not serve food; ask about local restaurants
5. Sundays - Quieter; some businesses closed
6. Cash - Some small producers don't take cards

Before You Drive This Route

Plan on 1 day for the South Kilkenny Craft Villages: the 79km takes roughly 1.5 hours at the wheel, and the rest is why you came. If this is your first drive in Ireland, read driving on the left in Ireland before you collect the car — the first roundabout is not the moment to work it out. For what a trip like this costs in 2026, from fuel to beds, see the budget guide. If you have not booked a car yet, our guide to renting a car in Ireland covers what to choose and what the desk will ask for, and car hire excess insurance explains the excess you will be asked to cover. More drives in the same corner of the country are on the County Kilkenny page, and the Medieval Kilkenny pairs naturally with this one.