Train
Kilkenny Railway Station MacDonagh Station, phone 056-7722024 is on the top of St. John's Street, within easy walking distance of anywhere in the city centre. It was named MacDonagh Station after Thomas MacDonagh, one of the executed leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising.
The station is on the Dublin - Waterford line, which also serves Athy, Carlow, Bagenalstown and Thomastown. There are 7 trains a day Monday to Saturday and 4 on Sunday in each direction.
It is wheelchair friendly and has a left luggage facility. There is a taxi rank at the station and free taxis always appear when a train pulls in.Tickets and timetable information can be got at the station, online (http://www.irishrail.ie) or by phone 01 7034070 between 09.00-17.00 Monday-Friday.
By plane
The only way to fly to Kilkenny is if you fly yourself and land on Kilkenny airfield (http://www.kilkennyflying...). For everyone else, the international airports near Kilkenny are:
Dublin Airport
(http://www.dublinairport.com) - Ireland's biggest and busiest airport is a mere 117km from Kilkenny. JJ Kavanagh's (http://www.jjkavanagh.ie/) run a direct bus to Kilkenny city, or else catch a bus into Dublin city centre, then catch a bus or train from there.Waterford Airport
(http://www.waterfordairport.ie) - This is the nearest international airport to Kilkenny, from where Aer Arann (http://www.aerarann.com) flies to the UK and Spain. There is at present no public transport from the airport. It's a 15/20min taxi ride to Waterford city bus/train station, and from there about 40mins to Kilkenny. Or if you rent a car, it's a 45 minute drive to Kilkenny.Other airports within a few hours of Kilkenny include: Cork International Airport (http://www.corkairport.com/), and Shannon International Airport (http://www.shannonairport.com). These are both served by public bus.
By car
Carlow - about 30 mins. Take N9 primary road to Paulstown, then the N10 to Kilkenny.
Cork - about 2 hours. Take the N8 towards Fermoy. After Mitchelstown, turn right N24 towards Cahir/Clonmel. About 8km after Clonmel, turn left N76 and follow signposts for Kilkenny.
Dublin - about 2 hours. From the M50 motorway, take the Red Cow Roundabout exit south N8, N9. This road becomes a motorway. A junction 9, the road splits. Take the turn for M9 Waterford, Kilkenny. Continue on this road through Carlow. At Paulstown, take the N10 to Kilkenny.
Limerick - Take the N24 to Tipperary town. Just after the centre, take a right towards Cashel/Kilkenny N74. Drive through Cashel, then take the N8 to Urlingford. After Urlingford, follow the signposts to the right to Freshford/Kilkenny R693. In Freshford, at the T junction turn right, cross the bridge and turn left. The road goes straight to Kilkenny.
Waterford - about 40 mins. Take N9 primary road towards Dublin. North of Waterford, take the N10 to Kilkenny.
Wexford - about 1 hour. Take N25 towards New Ross. Take the bypass around New Ross, until you hit a T junction. Turn right towards Enniscorthy for a few hundred metres, then turn left towards KilkennyR700.
A new motorway, the M9, has now opened from Dublin and takes a mere hour to arrive in Kilkenny from the M50.
By bus
Kilkenny Bus Station is located by the train station. This is one of two stops for the national bus company Bus Eireann. The train station is a ten minute walk from the Parade which is the heart of the city. Bus Eireann also stops on Ormonde Road a five minute walk to the Parade. JJ Kavanagh also stops on Ormonde Road.
Bus Eireann (http://www.buseireann.ie/), the national bus company, JJ Kavanagh (http://www.jjkavanagh.ie) and Wild Rover Tours (http://www.wildrovertours.com) serve Kilkenny.JJ Kavanagh had a driect bus from Kilkenny to Dublin Airport.