Historic buildings and monuments in Co. Kilkenny
County Kilkenny has 5,555 recorded archaeological monuments in the national Sites and Monuments Record; the 58 buildings below are the county's entries in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) rated International or National, out of 1,917 recorded post-1700 structures county-wide.
Monuments to visit
Please note that many of these monuments may be on private land and may not be publicly accessible. When setting out to visit monuments please ensure that you wear appropriate footwear and clothing. Access to monuments without Visitor Services may be across uneven ground which may not be suitable for everyone and, in particular, wheelchair users.
- History and geology blend at Dunmore Cave to give an interesting and unique situation.
- An outstanding Cistercian abbey founded in the second half of the 12th century. The church with its Romanesque details dates from this period.
- Approaching Kells Priory today, with its walls and castellated towers, it looks more like a fortified settlement than a religious house.
- A 12th century castle remodelled in Victorian times and set in extensive parklands which was the principal seat of the Butler family, Marquesses and Dukes of Ormonde.
- This collegiate church, was built in the late 13th century on the site of an earlier monastery. It was served by a "college" - clerics who lived in a community but who did not submit to the rule of a monastery.
NIAH buildings rated International or National
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage entries for Co. Kilkenny, curated to buildings rated International or National.
| Name | Type | Period | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| (unnamed record) | bridge | 1565–1570 | National |
| (unnamed record) | steps | 1610–1615 | National |
| (unnamed record) | bridge | 1760–1765 | National |
| (unnamed record) | house | 1450–1550 | National |
| (unnamed record) | viaduct | 1845–1855 | National |
| Barrow Bridge | bridge | 1900–1910 | National |
| Belline House | gate lodge | 1765–1785 | National |
| Bishop's Palace | bishop's palace | 1730–1740 | National |
| Black Abbey Catholic Church | abbey | 1220–1230 | National |
| Blackfriars' Bridge | bridge | 1630–1635 | National |
| Blanchville House | folly | 1845–1850 | National |
| Bonnetstown Hall | country house | 1735–1740 | National |
| Bridge House | house | 1760–1770 | National |
| Bridge House | house | 1760–1770 | National |
| Castle Blunden | country house | 1740–1760 | National |
| Castletown Cox | country house | 1765–1775 | National |
| Catholic Church of Saint John the Evangelist | church/chapel | 1900–1910 | National |
| Catholic Church of the Assumption | church/chapel | 1835–1845 | National |
| Catholic Church of the Assumption | church/chapel | 1895–1900 | National |
| Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception | church/chapel | 1835–1845 | National |
| Duiske Abbey Catholic Church | church/chapel | 1200–1215 | National |
| Dunmore Cottage | house | 1765–1785 | National |
| Foulksrath Castle | castle/fortified house | 1545–1555 | National |
| Graiguenamanagh Bridge | bridge | 1760–1770 | National |
| Green's Bridge | bridge | 1760–1770 | National |
| Inistioge Bridge | bridge | 1760–1765 | National |
| Kildalton College | college | 1740–1760 | National |
| Kilfane House | country house | 1795–1800 | National |
| Kilkenny Castle | museum/gallery | 1825–1840 | National |
| Kilkenny County Hall | town/county hall | 1780–1785 | National |
| Kilkenny Courthouse | court house | 1790–1795 | National |
| Knocktopher Abbey | country house | 1865–1870 | National |
| Kyteler's Inn | public house | 1250–1300 | National |
| Mount Juliet | hotel | 1765–1775 | National |
| Ormonde Stables | shop/retail outlet | 1780–1800 | National |
| Piltown Tower | monument | 1805–1815 | National |
| Rossenarra House | country house | 1820–1825 | National |
| Rothe House | office | 1590–1615 | National |
| Saint Canice's Cathedral | cathedral | 1200–1290 | National |
| Saint Canice's Cathedral | office | 1690–1695 | National |
| Saint Canice's Cathedral | office | 1665–1675 | National |
| Saint Canice's Hospital | hospital/infirmary | 1845–1855 | National |
| Saint Columcille's Catholic Church | church/chapel | 1835–1840 | National |
| Saint John's Church | church/chapel | 1815–1820 | National |
| Saint Kieran's College | college | 1835–1840 | National |
| Saint Lachtain's Church (Freshford) | church/chapel | 1725–1735 | National |
| Saint Mary's Catholic Cathedral | cathedral | 1840–1860 | National |
| Saint Mary's Church (Callan) | church/chapel | 1455–1465 | National |
| Saint Mary's Church (Gowran) | museum/gallery | 1870–1875 | National |
| Saint Mary's Church (Inistioge) | church/chapel | 1820–1825 | National |
| Saint Mary's Church (Inistioge) | mausoleum | 1875–1880 | National |
| Saint Mary's Church (Saint Mary's) | church/chapel | 1735–1740 | National |
| Saint Patrick's Catholic Church | church/chapel | 1840–1845 | National |
| Saint Paul's Church (Fiddown) | church/chapel | 1855–1865 | National |
| Shankill Castle | house | 1815–1835 | National |
| Shee Almshouse | office | 1580–1585 | National |
| The Tholsel | town/county hall | 1690–1700 | National |
| Uppercourt House | house | 1795–1800 | National |
Plan a visit around Co. Kilkenny
NIAH Buildings Open Data, captured June 2026; NMS Monuments to Visit, captured June 2026. Both data.gov.ie, CC-BY 4.0 (Dept of Housing, Local Government and Heritage). See methodology for the curation rule.