Kilkenny

Kilkenny is the rare Irish city you can read like a map on foot. The Medieval Mile runs in a near-straight line along the River Nore: Kilkenny Castle and its parklands at the southern end, St Mary’s church (now the Medieval Mile Museum) in the middle, and the 13th-century St Canice’s Cathedral with its climbable round tower at the top. Between them sit Rothe House, a genuine 1594 merchant’s townhouse, and the Black Abbey, a Dominican church that has been in use since the 1220s. The whole walk is under 20 minutes, which is exactly why Kilkenny works as a day trip and why it punches above bigger Irish towns.

The honest call is day-trip versus overnight. The direct train from Dublin Heuston takes about an hour and a half and lands you a flat five-minute walk from the centre, so a day is doable: castle State Rooms, the cathedral tower, one museum and lunch. But the city changes after the afternoon coaches leave. The castle parklands empty out in the long summer evenings, the light on the riverfront is better, and the pubs on Parliament Street and John Street turn over to locals and trad music. If you can spare one night, take it.

Spend money where it counts and not where it doesn’t. The castle State Rooms, St Canice’s and the round tower, and the Smithwick’s Experience (Ireland’s oldest ale brand, with the pint included) are the paid stops worth your time. The 50 acres of parkland and rose garden behind the castle, the Black Abbey and the simple act of walking the Mile are all free, and they are some of the best hours of the trip. The structured planning below — where to stay, what to book, how to get down from Dublin, and a realistic budget in pounds — picks up from here.