Wondering what fun activities to do in Kilkenny, Ireland at night? Enjoy a delightful nightlife with some of our best picks right here.
What Nightlife Activities to Enjoy in Kilkenny
Here are some things to do in Kilkenny at night:
- Drink at The Hole In The Wall
- Stay Cosy at Cleere’s Bar & Theatre
- Explore Bridie’s Bar and General Store
- Sing at Malzards Pub
- Whisky Tasting at Dylan Whisky Bar
- Enjoy Classics at Tynan’s Bridge House Bar
- See Plays at Watergate Theatre
- Be Festive at Ryan’s Bar
Be prepared to hop from one nightlife wonder to another when you see some of our top things to do in Kilkenny at night.
Drink at The Hole In The Wall
Website: https://www.holeinthewall.ie/
Address: Hole in the Wall, 17 High St, Gardens, Kilkenny, R95 TY30, Ireland
Contact Details: +353 87 807 5650, [email protected]
Opening Hours: Thursday & Sunday: 6:00 PM – 11:00 PM, Friday – Saturday: 6:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Do you love listening to fun tunes when going to the pub or bar-hopping with friends? In the centre of Kilkenny City lies a brand-new music venue we recommend called The Hole In The Wall.
We feel this is an ideal place for an intimate setting due to its small space – it has a downstairs area that could fit about 12 people. This size, in our opinion, will help everyone meet and talk to each other more.
Yet impressively, this tiny location has plenty of guitars, bongos, and other musical instruments. Don’t be surprised to see various musicians come here to play their pieces from time to time!
This also seems like a fun spot with a lot of history. We think guests will feel like they’ve been transported to a different time because of the stories behind it.
You might enjoy the great conversation and laughs with the owner and bartenders as they share some tales. We heard from past visitors about the friendly staff that attracts the regulars to keep coming back.
Travel tip: Try out their espresso martini since this drink may only be available for a limited time.
Feel Cosy at Cleere’s Bar & Theatre
Website: http://cleeres.com/
Address: 28 Parliament St, Gardens, Kilkenny, R95 YR61, Ireland
Contact Details: +353 56 776 2573, [email protected]
Opening Hours: Sunday – Thursday: 12:00 PM – 11:30 PM, Friday – Saturday: 12:00 PM – 12:30 AM
Another small but cosy option for an Irish pub is Cleere’s Bar & Theatre.
Plenty of locals come here for its relaxing ambience, roaring fire, and friendly staff. It could even be an advantage for you to know that this is a non-touristy option.
Keep in mind that more people seem to come here for lunch, so we think there’s a higher chance you’ll get a good seat at night. We hear that there aren’t that many people on winter Sundays, either.
In our opinion, some guests may appreciate having lots of audience involvement in the bar. This involves getting up and singing a song or reciting poetry – we believe you won’t easily get bored!
They’re known for their delicious pints of Smithwicks as well. We recommend trying their hot soups and beef sandwiches to complement their beer, too.
Just note that there aren’t many non-alcoholic drinks (except perhaps water) here for non-drinkers.
Explore Bridie’s Bar and General Store
Website: https://www.langtons.ie/bridies-bar-and-general-store.html
Address: 72 John Street Lower, Collegepark, Kilkenny, R95 X890, Ireland
Contact Details: +353 56 776 5133, [email protected]
Opening Hours: Monday – Thursday: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM, Friday: 8:30 AM – 12:00 AM, Saturday – Sunday: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Are you interested in buying some goodies before your nightlife experience in Kilkenny? If so, we suggest coming to Bridie’s Bar and General Store!
Firstly, we think this is one of the nicest gift shops in the city that sells a wide range of Irish-made goods. This includes their extensive VOYA range of beauty products, Chunky Knits by Lisa homewares, Pog Mo Home candles, and much more.
Friendly tip: Try their homemade bounty and snickers bars – there are vegan and gluten-free options for the health conscious.
What’s more, the upper level of Bridies has a private bar, some seats, and a balcony that leads down to their walled gardens. This is a great place to unwind for introverts, in our opinion, and is worth checking out.
High-quality speciality coffee brewed by trained baristas is available here, too! This is along with a wide variety of daily-made pastries, sauces, oils, and snacks.
Just keep in mind that TV is only allowed in the bar during big match days. This means most of the time, you’ll be entertained mainly through conversations.
Sing Along at Malzards Pub
Website: https://www.malzards.com/
Address: 19 Main St, Ballycoam, Stoneyford, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland
Contact Details: +353 87 971 5304
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday: 3:00 PM – 11:30 PM, Saturday: 12:30 PM – 11:45 PM, Sunday: 12:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Malzards Pub is another traditional Irish pub we recommend if you’re interested in seeing a number of historical places. In a way, we feel this is best for those who’d like an educational way to tour Ireland.
This includes Kells Priory, Jerpoint Abbey, Jerpoint Glass, Kilree Church & Round Tower, and Mount Juliet Estate.
As a cosy bar, they offer great pints and hurling game experiences, too. People there usually discuss why these are some characteristics of Irish culture and tradition.
Just make sure to keep in mind how much you’re drinking while playing. You don’t want to get sent to the emergency room with a bunch of doctors because you’ve been having too much fun.
Malzards is a lively Irish pub because it has traditional Irish instruments you can play or sing along with. We suggest you give them a whirl with the live local musicians in the bar and have the time of your life!
Friendly tip: If you want to stay the night in the area, the Lawcus Farm House is a nearby place we recommend.
Go to a Whisky Tasting at the Dylan Whisky Bar
Website: http://www.thedylanwhiskybar.com/
Address: 5 John Street Lower, Collegepark, Kilkenny, R95 K128, Ireland
Contact Details: +353 56 772 2689
Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday: 3:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Are you a whiskey connoisseur? The Dylan is an old Victorian-style bar that specialises in fine whiskies you might love.
Good for us, no reservations are required for their standard whisky tasting. You can taste three 15 ml pours of Irish whiskey for €20.
They also feature 1 single malt plus their malt of the month. We like that customers get to choose their final options from their whiskey selection.
In addition, their Whisky Library is always getting bigger – it now has about 200 of the best whiskies in the world and 40 of the best gins. We believe there might always be a new drink to try whenever you return.
Additionally, they provide many perks – cosy leather chairs, private snugs, an open turf fire, and walls decorated with antique advertising, whisky mirrors, and Bob Dylan memorabilia.
Overall, this pub seems like a nice, friendly place where you can talk to your friends while sipping your drink. Travel tip: Save more money when you visit on any day until 8 pm because they offer 20% off on all their single malts.
They also have a fantastic range of beers, wines, cocktails, and other spirits as well, so don’t worry if whisky isn’t your thing.
Listen to Classics at Tynan’s Bridge House Bar
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TynansBarKilkenny/
Address: 2 John’s Bridge, Gardens, Kilkenny, R95 WY88, Ireland
Contact Details: +353 56 772 1291
Opening Hours: Monday – Thursday: 10:30 AM – 11:30 PM, Friday – Saturday: 10:30 AM – 12:30 AM, Sunday: 11:30 AM – 11:00 PM
If you love receiving or sending flowers (or just looking at them in general), Tynan’s Bridge House Bar is filled with flora and fauna for your visual entertainment.
This place has dim lighting and romantic candles that contribute to its soothing atmosphere, too.
If you love old music, you might also appreciate their live performances with 60s and 70s themes. Plus, their bartender sings as well!
But note that at times, this brings in quite a crowd, so make sure to get in earlier to avoid them. The bar usually closes around 11 pm to 12:20 am depending on the day, so there’s a lot of time for you to spare.
This place is also famous for their Guinness beer, which is a classic choice among the locals and a treat for tourists.
Fun fact: In 2022, this bar won the ‘Highly Commended Best Signage’ recognition from the Keep Kilkenny Beautiful Awards. Because of this, we feel it will be hard to miss this wonderful venue among the other establishments around.
Watch Plays at the Watergate Theatre
Website: http://watergatetheatre.com/
Address: Parliament St, Gardens, Kilkenny, Ireland
Contact Details: +353 56 776 1674, [email protected]
If you want to take a break from drinking, we suggest you watch some of your favourite plays at the Watergate Theatre.
People of many ages enjoy their popular plays, such as Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Addams Family, and so on.
For us, this place’s intimate art deco style also looks welcoming. This theatre is spacious and warm, so we believe it’s a comfortable place to kill some time.
This theatre also dates back to the early 1990s. In our opinion, this makes it a fantastic venue with an old-world charm many would appreciate.
Not only that, but some customers we talked to say their toilets are usually clean, too.
Travel tip: It’s best to get here a bit earlier as parking is several minutes’ walk away – though, we think this isn’t that far to be so inconvenient.
Still, keep in mind that the street in front of the Watergate Theatre looks a tad narrow. For this reason, we advise you to be extra careful if you’re driving.
Be Festive at Ryan’s Bar
Website: http://ryanskilkenny.com/
Address: 3 Friary St, Gardens, Kilkenny, R95 X932, Ireland
Contact Details: +353 87 633 0923, [email protected]
Opening Hours: Sunday – Thursday: 2:00 PM – 11:00 PM, Friday – Saturday: 2:00 PM – 11:30 PM
For those feeling festive, Ryan’s Bar can be found at the heart of any festival weekend.
We love that this is a traditional Irish pub with a modern spin. The outdoor seating area at the back also allows guests to enjoy live music all year.
The bar participates in many of Ireland’s best festivals in Kilkenny City. Some of these are the Roots Festival in May, the Tradfest over St. Patrick’s Weekend, and the AKA Fringe that coincides with the Kilkenny Arts Festival in August.
They play a variety of music as well, so there’s something for everyone. They play a mix of rock, blues, funk, traditional music, and more!
Friendly tip: Wear your most comfortable dancing shoes because you’ll be needing it for a while when you’re here.
Aside from the excellent live music, many also love ordering a pint of Guinness from the pub to make the most of their night.
And there you go! We hope you find the best things to do in Kilkenny, Ireland at night for a most fulfilling experience.