Skip to content
Kilkenny
See

Kells Priory

This Augustinian Priory founded in 1193 is one of the most intact in Ireland, not least because it was fortified with stout walls and towers after two or three destructions. Most of the remains are within the inner monastic precinct; beyond, Burgess Court is the walled field which today holds sheep, as it probably did back then. There's parking right by the priory but it's more attractive to approach along the riverside from Mullin's Mills. This isn't the place with the beautifully decorated Book of Kells — that's in County Meath and the Book is in TCD Library, Dublin. "Kells" or "Kil-" indicates the cell or abode of a monk, which would later become the site of a church and settlement, so it's a common placename.

Address
Kellsborough R95 V184
Hours
24 hours
Price
Free

Listing from Wikivoyage: Kilkenny, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.