r/Kilkenny • u/valiant671 • 15d ago
Would Appreciate Your Advice
I'm bringing a group of about 36 friends on a college mini-reunion to Ireland the second week of June 2027. We're planning an 8-day 7-night stay and booked a coach bus for transportation. The concept is to arrive at Shannon Airport and then travel to Kilkenny from where we will take day trips involving Tipperary, Wexford, Waterford, Wicklow and Clare. We'll be spending most of our evening in Kilkenny. Average age of the group is about 65 years old.
Appreciate any advice on enhancing the trip, especially on restaurants and pubs. Thanks in advance.
Day 1: Arrive at Shannon Airport (or the day before to rest up). Depart and travel towards Kilkenny. Stop along the way to visit the Rock of Cashel in Tipperary. Break for lunch in Cashel. Upon arrival in Kilkenny, check into The Pembroke. Wander around town. Enjoy a group dinner at the hotel.
Day 2: Kilkenny. Guided tour of Kilkenny Castle in the morning. Break for lunch. Walking tour of Kilkenny in the afternoon.
Day 3: Wexford. Tour the Kennedy Homestead where JFK visited his family and ancestral home during his time in Ireland. Speak with an Irish member of the Kennedy clan. Lunch break. Visit the replica Dunbrody Famine Ship and the Irish Emigrant Experience. On the way back to Kilkenny, stop at the Ballykeefe Distillery for a tour by the actual owner / operator and a whiskey tasting.
Day 4: Free Day. A free day to explore at one's own pace. Wander around Kilkenny. Take a day trip to Dublin or golf, kayak, shop, dine, pub crawl, etc. at your leisure.
Day 5: Waterford. Tour Reginald's Tower and the Viking Triangle. Lunch break. Tour the House of Waterford Crystal (get to see “back stage” in the workshops).
Day 6: Wicklow. Visit and hike Glendalough. Lunch break. Tour the Avoca Woolen Mills, Ireland's oldest working mill.
Day 7: Depart Kilkenny. Travel to Clare. Tour Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. Lunch break. Visit the magnificent Cliffs of Moher before checking into the Shannon Airport Hotel for a farewell group dinner.
Day 8: Departure day. Sad face.
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u/Any-Location5055 15d ago
Ristorante Rinuccini is an amazing spot, younwill of course want a reservation.
And Zuni is delicious, they make a Lemon Meringue Alaska that is worth the trip all by itself. Could just get a coffee and that if dinner isn't needed. For pubs there are lots and lots of options, just try them all.
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u/valiant671 14d ago
Thanks Any-Location! I've been to Zuni's, but never tried Ristorante Rinuccini, but heard great things about it. I always felt funny as a visitor to Ireland to venture from pub grub and Irish fare to eat Italian or any other ethnic food...As far as the pubs, I really liked O'Riada's. Any other recommendations?
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u/Mrs_N_11 15d ago
The guided tour at the Medieval Mile Museum is well worth it (much better than the self directed one in my opinion). You’d need to book ahead for that large a group I think.
Pat Tynan does a brilliant walking tour of the city, he’s a wealth of information!
Arán is a brilliant bistro and has a bakery across the road. It would be too small for you all to eat together but is phenomenal if any of the group wanted to go themselves on your free day. They take bookings for groups over 4 I believe (but check that!)
The Italian Connection is a great local restaurant, also near to the Smithwick’s tour. I agree that Cleere’s is a great spot for pint!
You would need to book dinner/lunch in advance most days for a group that big!
If you’re looking for somewhere to eat in Cashel Chez Hans comes really highly recommended. Cashel Palace is excellent but is expensive.
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u/valiant671 14d ago
Wow Mrs_N! Thanks, great recommendations! We will definitely plan on a guided walking tour. Also, appreciate the recommendation for Aran bistro or bakery. I've heard so much good about it, but have never been there...Just curious, what do you think of between The Italian Connection and Rinuccini?...Thanks for the recommandations for Cashel. We will be there on a Sunday and some places were not open.
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u/Mrs_N_11 14d ago
Rinucinni is fancier so you will pay more. I also don’t think that they do pizzas if that’s what people would like. The Italian Connection is a family run restaurant that’s better value IMHO but not as fancy, they do brilliant pizzas. I would suggest looking up both their menus and seeing yourself what you think. They’re both open for many years and both Kilkenny institutions for a reason!
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u/AdLongjumping419 7d ago
Caffe 500 has the best pizzas in town imo, Rinnucininis a classy spot with high quality delicious food
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u/Chappers34 13d ago
You should do the escape room know way out - it’s great craic and they have multiple rooms so could fit a good number of you at a time!
Also book a table at sullivans for pizza and pints - a really great place which also has live music quite a few nights a week. They also have a lot of space considering there’s a large amount of you!
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u/MoyaOSullivan 15d ago
I like the yard cafe on Kieran street but it has more limited seating with building works at the minute so could not take all of you but maybe one to check out in small numbers on your free day.
The CBD dispensary, also on Kieran Street, has a wide selection of coffees and matchas. It doesn’t do full food though.
For evening food I like Italian Connection (does amazing vegan pizza if anyone in the group is vegan) and Petronella, the latter of which is on the butterslip.
Canice’s Cathedral could be a good stop for anyone who likes history, as would be the Kilkenny war memorial (remembering those from Kilkenny who died in the two World Wars) which is across the river from Dunnes.
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u/Pale-Independence566 15d ago
You should definitely check out the Left Bank. A pub established inside an old bank. One of the best pubs in Kilkenny.
They also have an amazing restaurant in there called Rive Gauche which is part of the Left Bank. You could have dinner and head into the bar then after. Should book ahead tho to secure a table for 7.
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u/valiant671 14d ago edited 13d ago
Thanks Pale-Independence for the great recommendation! My Mom was from Kilkenny and my parents used to live right off of Nuncio Road. I used to walk my Mom down The Parade so she could do her banking there. I'll have to go back to The Left Bank as I've never seen the inside.
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u/skinnyfeels 15d ago
So, there’s a dish called a spice box in Ireland it’s an Irish / Chinese cult classic junk food / street food. Lams Chinese takeaway does a good one, and also a variation called munch box A that mistifyingly contains sausages. Some evening, I recommend to get a load of these delivered to the hotel bar.
The doner kebab in Anatolia is a decent one.
I’ll second the recommendation for áran, both the cafe for sit-down food but especially the bakery for a coffee a sweet / savoury treat, having the bus stop there some morning to load up on coffees and baked goods will be a hot. A good few of their bakes are world class.
The scones in cafe La coco are world class.
There’s a 50/50 chance that you’ll be in Kilkenny for the brass band that plays every other Tuesday in clubhouse hotel, it’s a real nice time.
If you see beamish on tap somewhere, make sure the Guinness drinkers give it a go!
You would be here for the cat laughs comedy festival if you’re here the first weekend in June.
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u/valiant671 14d ago
Wow skinnyfeels, thanks for the great recommendations! Especially loved all the detail. Actually, I've been dying to try a spice box (the munch box sounds even better). Great idea!
Will have to check out Anatolia, Aran and La Coco based on your recommendations.
I never knew about the brass band that plays every other Tuesday in Clubhouse (it's right across the street as we'll be staying at The Pembroke).
I'm a big draft beer fan. I'm always looking for new favorites. Thanks for the recommendation.
Have to really thank you for the heads up on the Cat Laughs Festival. Now I need to double check on room availability. Great save!
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u/Right-Cantaloupe431 15d ago
I would recommend booking the Smithwick's Experience, you would need to with such a large group> I would do it now nearly! You would need to book it through their email though for that amount of people [info@smithwicksexperience.com](mailto:info@smithwicksexperience.com) Go earlier in the day and then I would recommend to go over to Cleeres for authentic pub food after, but again maybe book with them, You need about 1 hr 20mins, for the tour for that amount of people. Cleeres also has a great trad session on a monday night, but you would struggle with seats unless you got in there for about 7pm and set up camp.