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St. Canice's Cathedral & Round Tower, Kilkenny

4.5

#2 of 22 in Historic Sites in Kilkenny

Religious Site Church

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Visit the ancient St. Canice's Cathedral & Round Tower, considered the second-longest cathedral in Ireland. Historians believe that this site has has hosted Christian worship since the 6th century, though the current structure dates back to the 13th century. Walk the grounds and admire the cathedral's English Gothic style. Climb to the top of the 9th-century Celtic Christian round tower that stands 30 m (100 ft) tall. Study the architecture and interiors, which have been carefully preserved in the original style. Add St. Canice's Cathedral & Round Tower and other attractions to your Kilkenny trip itinerary using our Kilkenny trip planner .

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St. Canice's Cathedral & Round Tower Reviews

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TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

1,552 reviews

Google

4.5

facebook

4.7

2,359 likes

• By 119elizabetho

  My family just got back from a trip to Ireland. While in Kilkenny we had a lovely sunny day and climbed to the top of this round tower. The views are amazing and well worth the tricky ladder/stairs to...  more »

• By Jenny S

  We went to the cathedral today and it is well worth a visit. Beautiful place and full of interesting facts and historical artefacts. The staff were friendly and helpful too.  more »

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Google

• By Marie Corcoran

  There is a very interesting information centre and the staff are very enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge of the area. Great 360 view of Kilkenny city from the top of the tower. It is pretty narrow so if you suffer from heights or are claustrophobic it may not be the best idea. My legs were shaking doing up the wooden stairs 😳

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• By Jordan Farrell

  Beautiful grounds, lovely graveyard and stunning inside the church. The real highlight is climbing the very narrow set of multiple staircases to the top of the tower. A speaker blares some words of encouragement as you approach the halfway point of the climb. Be mindful of your steps, it's incredibly narrow. The view is worth the price of admission. Be mindful when you're leaving the Cathedral grounds. The exit through the Cathedral walls steps immediately onto an active thoroughfare, proceed with caution. You can't hear vehicles coming and we were nearly struck down when we were leaving. Our own fault mind you, but don't make our same mistake!

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