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Kells Priory
Attractions in Kells

Kells Priory Mill Museum is Kells’ place to visit

Mapped inside Kells’ urban area is one place to visit, and within 5 km of its edge another 3. On the list: a museum, an abbey or priory and a historic house, among others. One of the places on the list is maintained by the Office of Public Works. The centre alone has 2 within 1 km. A day out reaches Kilkenny Castle, 12 km away.

Photo: Kells Priory, Dave Henderson (CC BY-SA 2.0)
In Kells
1
inside the urban area
Within 5 km
3
of the town’s edge
Museums & galleries
1
in or near town
Castles & historic places
3
in or near town
Cared for
1
the OPW, the NPWS and Coillte
Best known

Must-know places in Kells

Then come an abbey or priory, a historic house and a historic site, behind Kells Priory Mill Museum.

MuseumMuseumKells Priory Mill Museumin townAbbey or priory · Office of Public WorksKells Priory200 m outside town, to the eastHistoric houseHistoric houseKilree High Cross2 km outside town, to the southHistoric siteHistoric siteKilree Round Tower2 km outside town, to the south

Each has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.

The map

The lie of the land

On the map, most of the 3 sit to the south.

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The dashed line is Kells’ urban area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · CSO 2022 outline

By kind

What there is to see

The biggest group is castles or historic places, with 3 of the 4.

Museums & galleries 1 museum1 in town
Castles & historic places 1 abbey or priory · 1 historic house · 1 historic site0 in town · 3 nearby

Green: inside Kells. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.

1 place is cared for by the Office of Public Works (Kells Priory).

Every place

All 4 on the list

First the one in town, then the 3 within 5 km of its edge.

The one inside Kells comes first, then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches, protected structures and monuments belong to the History page, not here.

Monuments and historic buildings in Kells → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Kells →

Big names nearby

Day trips from Kells

Start with Kilkenny Castle, 12 km off, the best known of 12.

CastleKilkenny Castle12 km northAbbey or priory · Office of Public WorksJerpoint Abbey8.5 km eastCathedralSaint Marys Cathedral13 km northCathedralSt Canice's Cathedral and Round Tower13 km northCastle · Office of Public WorksOrmond Castle23 km southAbbey or prioryBlack Abbey13 km northMuseumDunmore Cave22 km northCastleBallymoon Castle31 km northeastMuseumRothe House & Garden13 km northCathedralCathedral of the Most Holy Trinity, Waterford33 km southCastleClara Castle17 km northeastMuseumReginald's Tower33 km south

Places well known beyond Kells (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a Office of Public Works or National Parks and Wildlife Service property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.

Your questions on Kells

What are the main attractions in Kells?

The place to visit inside Kells’ urban area is Kells Priory Mill Museum. In all, 1 place to visit is mapped inside the town, and 3 more within 5 km.

Does Kells have a museum?

1 museum or gallery is in or within 5 km of Kells: Kells Priory Mill Museum.

Is there a Heritage Ireland (OPW) or national park property near Kells?

Yes. In or within 5 km of Kells, 1 place is cared for by the Office of Public Works (Kells Priory).

What are the best-known days out near Kells?

Within 40 km: Kilkenny Castle (12 km), Jerpoint Abbey (8.5 km), Saint Marys Cathedral (13 km), St Canice's Cathedral and Round Tower (13 km).

How is this list made?

From Fáilte Ireland’s open data on attractions (museums, castles, historic houses, abbeys, gardens, national parks, landscapes, islands, zoos and visitor farms: restaurants, pubs, shops and tour operators are left out), OpenStreetMap (places open to visitors; a ruined castle on farmland needs a sign it can be visited) and Wikidata (what each place is, who looks after it, its Wikipedia articles), merged into one list and placed in the town’s CSO 2022 outline or within 5 km of its edge.

Places to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in each town’s CSO 2022 outline. Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (13)

Contains Central Statistics Office (CSO) data, Census 2022, and Tailte Éireann boundaries (CSO Urban Areas, Small Areas, local electoral areas, constituencies), under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).