A first-timer's day in Kilkenny

Kilkenny is one of the easiest Irish cities to see in a day, because the centre is small and almost everything worth seeing sits along a single mile of street. You can get a real feel for the place between a morning train and an evening one, and the compactness is the whole appeal: no transport to work out once you arrive, just a walk from the castle to the cathedral and back. Here is how to spend a first day, and where to spend your money against the free sights.

Getting there by train

The simplest arrival is by rail. Kilkenny MacDonagh station sits on the Dublin Heuston to Waterford line, roughly 90 minutes from Heuston with trains around every two hours. The station is a short walk from the centre, so you can be standing at the castle within fifteen minutes of stepping off. If you are driving instead, the Market Yard and Market Cross car parks are central and the obvious places to leave a car for the day.

The shape of the city

Before you start, understand the geography, because it makes the day plan itself. The old core runs from Kilkenny Castle at one end to St Canice's Cathedral at the other, about a mile apart, and this stretch is the Medieval Mile. Almost everything you will want to see is on it or just off it. You will walk the same spine up and back, so there is no need to plan a clever loop.

Morning: the castle

Start at the castle when it opens. The self-guided tour of the State Rooms runs to around €8, and the Long Gallery alone is worth it. If you would rather not pay, the 50 acres of parkland behind the castle are free, and many locals would tell you the grounds are the better half anyway. Either way, give the castle and its grounds the first part of your morning.

Midday: the Medieval Mile Museum and lunch

Walk up through Castle Yard and High Street to the Medieval Mile Museum in the former St Mary's Church. Entry is around €8, and the 3 Lives exhibition, built around remains excavated on site in 2016, is the part that sticks with people. Take lunch afterwards on Parliament Street or High Street, where the cafés and restaurants are thick on the ground.

Afternoon: the brewery and the round tower

The afternoon has two strong options. The Smithwick's Experience on Parliament Street runs about an hour, costs roughly €20, and ends with a pint poured for you, a good way to rest the legs. After that, finish at the top of the mile with the climb up the round tower at St Canice's, one of only two climbable round towers in Ireland, 121 steps to a view over the city. The tower-inclusive ticket is around €7. There is a minimum height to climb and access depends on the weather, so check on the day.

The free anchors

If you would rather not pay for everything, Kilkenny gives you plenty for nothing. The Black Abbey, a Dominican priory founded in 1225, is free to step into. The National Craft Gallery and the Butler Gallery are both free, and both are worth half an hour. And the Canal Walk along the Nore, the locals' favourite short stroll, costs nothing at all and is a fine way to end a fine day. Build a couple of these in around the paid sights and the day balances itself.

Booking and timing

In summer, book the castle and Smithwick's online ahead of time, as both fill and a walk-up can mean a wait or a miss. Out of season you can usually turn up. Whatever the time of year, treat the prices and hours here as a guide, since they drift, and confirm the headline sights before you build your day around them. With an early start you will see the lot and still make an evening train home.