Best time to visit Kilkenny
Re-score for me — drag the dial — every chart on the page recolours live for your heat limit 27°C
Default 27 °C is the upper edge of the Holiday Climate Index "ideal comfort" band (Scott, Rutty, Amelung & Tang, 2016). Above this, most warm-tourism travellers report measurable discomfort.
How is this scored? HCI / Steadman / CCI gate — full methodology and citations below.
Compare with another destination
Add as many as you like — stacked below the main strips above. Each row is just the recent-window score strip and (for beach destinations) sea-temperature strip.
Tours in Kilkenny
16 top-rated tours via Viator. Booking links earn this site a commission at no cost to you.
- 1
Kilkenny Smithwick's Experience Guided Master of Ale Tasting Tour - 2
Smithwick's Experience Kilkenny Entrance Ticket - 3
Shenanigans Walks - Guided Walking Tour in Kilkenny - 4
Kilkenny Walking Tour with a Kilkenny-Born Local Guide - 5
Private Kilkenny Tour: Medieval History & Local Insights - 6
Walk the Medieval Mile with Pat - 7
Hurling Tours Ireland - Hurling Experience in Kilkenny - 8
The Medieval Mile Museum Guided Tour - 9
Kilkenny Haunted Dark Tours - 10
Knight For Hire Tour - 11
Medieval Mile Museum Self Guided Audio Tour - 12
Medieval Mile Street Tour - 13
Kayak Tour Kilkenny - 14
Kilkenny with a local guide – Walking tour in French - 15
Kilkenny Walking Tour with Local Guide – History & Stories - 16
Walking Tours of Kilkenny with John Comerford
Last refreshed 2026-10-18.
Similar climatesCork96% · Waterford95% · Belfast92%
Other destinations with the most-alike year-round climate to Kilkenny (apparent temperature, rain hours, sunshine — matched within the same trip-profile). The ±N chip compares each match's typical score for the current month against Kilkenny's. Based on the 2020-2024 climatology, not this year's actual weather.
Month-by-month
| Month | Temp °C | Feels °C | Rain days | Rain h | Rain h/day | Humidity | Wind km/h | Sun h | UV | Interest | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2–8 | 4 | 12 | 135 | 11.3 | 86% | 20 | 88 | — | Quiet | 4 |
| Feb | 4–9 | 5 | 15 | 200 | 13.3 | 80% | 25 | 94 | 1 | Quiet | 4 |
| Mar | 4–10 | 7 | 16 | 202 | 12.6 | 75% | 22 | 142 | 2 | Quiet | 4 |
| Apr | 5–12 | 9 | 12 | 157 | 13.1 | 68% | 20 | 186 | 3 | Quiet | 5 |
| May | 8–15 | 13 | 13 | 162 | 12.5 | 67% | 19 | 229 | 4 | Quiet | 6 |
| Jun | 11–18 | 16 | 13 | 166 | 12.8 | 67% | 19 | 218 | 4 | Moderate | 6 |
| Jul | 12–19 | 18 | 15 | 205 | 13.7 | 70% | 18 | 201 | 4 | Peak | 6 |
| Aug | 12–19 | 18 | 14 | 196 | 14.0 | 70% | 19 | 207 | 3 | Busy | 6 |
| Sep | 11–17 | 16 | 11 | 144 | 13.1 | 74% | 19 | 157 | 3 | Quiet | 7 |
| Oct | 8–14 | 11 | 18 | 222 | 12.3 | 80% | 21 | 128 | 1 | Quiet | 4 |
| Nov | 6–10 | 8 | 14 | 160 | 11.4 | 86% | 21 | 87 | 1 | Quiet | 4 |
| Dec | 4–8 | 5 | 14 | 163 | 11.6 | 87% | 23 | 79 | — | Quiet | 4 |
UV Index in Kilkenny by Month
UV index in Kilkenny peaks at 4 (moderate) in June, dropping to 0 (low) in January.
Best months in detail
September
7/1011–17°C (feels 16°C) · 11 rain days (144h) · 157 sun hours · 74% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 3 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 4 (moderate)
June
6/1011–18°C (feels 16°C) · 13 rain days (166h) · 218 sun hours · 67% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 4 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (high)
August
6/1012–19°C (feels 18°C) · 14 rain days (196h) · 207 sun hours · 70% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 3 (moderate)
Every month
Show the other 9 months in detail
January
4/102–8°C (feels 4°C) · 12 rain days (135h) · 88 sun hours · 86% humidity · Quiet crowd
February
4/104–9°C (feels 5°C) · 15 rain days (200h) · 94 sun hours · 80% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)
March
4/104–10°C (feels 7°C) · 16 rain days (202h) · 142 sun hours · 75% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 2 (low)
April
5/105–12°C (feels 9°C) · 12 rain days (157h) · 186 sun hours · 68% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 3 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 4 (moderate)
May
6/108–15°C (feels 13°C) · 13 rain days (162h) · 229 sun hours · 67% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 4 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (moderate)
July
6/1012–19°C (feels 18°C) · 15 rain days (205h) · 201 sun hours · 70% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 4 (moderate)
October
4/108–14°C (feels 11°C) · 18 rain days (222h) · 128 sun hours · 80% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)
November
4/106–10°C (feels 8°C) · 14 rain days (160h) · 87 sun hours · 86% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)
December
4/104–8°C (feels 5°C) · 14 rain days (163h) · 79 sun hours · 87% humidity · Quiet crowd
Frequently asked questions about visiting Kilkenny
When is the best time to visit Kilkenny?
September is the highest-scoring month (7/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 11–17°C (11 rainy days). The top three months by score are September, June, August.
What is the worst time to visit Kilkenny?
December is the lowest-scoring month (4/10). Typical conditions: 4–8°C (14 rainy days).
When are crowds lowest in Kilkenny?
Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in December and peaks in July. Interest tracks both in-trip visitors and lead-time planners, so treat it as a "destination is on people's minds" signal rather than literal arrivals.
Which months in Kilkenny have good weather but fewer tourists?
September (climate 7/10, crowd index 30) and May (climate 6/10, crowd index 39) — shoulder months with above-average climate and below-median search-interest. Often the best value-for-weather trade.
What is the UV index in Kilkenny by month?
UV peaks at 4 (moderate) in June and is lowest in January at 0 (low). Monthly peak values: Jan —, Feb 1, Mar 2, Apr 3, May 4, Jun 4, Jul 4, Aug 3, Sep 3, Oct 1, Nov 1, Dec —.
What is the UV index in Kilkenny in June?
June is the peak UV month in Kilkenny, with a daily-peak UV index of 4 (moderate). Standard sun protection — sunglasses and light SPF — is recommended.
How high can UV get in Kilkenny on the sunniest days?
Most days look like the monthly average, but on the sunniest ~1 in 10 days UV climbs higher than the mean suggests. June is the worst case: typical days average UV 4 (moderate), but the top 10% of days reach UV 6 (high) — and even higher. Months where the sunniest days routinely exceed the typical reading: April, May, June, September. Plan sun protection for the worst case, not the average.