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
I'm comfortable up to 27°C feels-like
22° heat-averse 30° heat-loving

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.

Saved to this browser. Changes update the strips below.
Recent · 2020-2024
Interest Google Trends 2021-2025 searches, not arrivals (?)
Day · avg daily high (?)
Night · avg overnight low (?)
UV index · On a typical day around midday, UV is about this (?)
1234443311
On the sunniest 1 in 10 days, UV reaches this — and even higher
4664
PM2.5 air quality · on a typical day (?)
567776456566
On the worst 1 in 10 days, PM2.5 reaches this — and even higher
8111413121058108911
September 7/10 feels 16°C (+1°C vs 1991-2020) · HCI 65/100
Day 17° · Night 11° 74% humidity 19 km/h wind 11 rain days (144h) 157h sun
Thermal 6
Sky 7
Rain 6
Wind 10

Higher = better, including rain & wind (green = "doesn't hurt the score", not "lots of it").

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

6 top-rated tours via Viator. Booking links earn this site a commission at no cost to you.

  1. 1Smithwick's Experience Kilkenny Entrance Ticket4.87★ (721)1hfrom $26
  2. 2Shenanigans Walks - Guided Walking Tour in Kilkenny4.97★ (504)1h 30mfrom $35
  3. 3Scenic Kayaking Adventure on the Nore River3hfrom $153🔥 Selling fast
  4. 4Kilkenny Castle, Witches and Hidden Laneways Walking Tour1h 30mfrom $46🔥 Selling fast
  5. 5Private Airport Transfer from Kilkenny City to Dublin Airport5.00★ (2)from $400
  6. 6Cliffs of Moher including Cliffs of Moher Boat Experience Luxury Car Tour5.00★ (21)12hfrom $1884

Last refreshed 2026-06-10.

Similar climatesCork96% · Waterford95% · Galway91%

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 — Moderate 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 Moderate 6
Jun 11–18 16 13 166 12.8 67% 19 218 4 Quiet 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 Peak 6
Sep 11–17 16 11 144 13.1 74% 19 157 3 Moderate 7
Oct 8–14 11 18 222 12.3 80% 21 128 1 Moderate 4
Nov 6–10 8 14 160 11.4 86% 21 87 1 Moderate 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

7/10

11–17°C (feels 16°C) · 11 rain days (144h) · 157 sun hours · 74% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 3 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 4 (moderate)

June

6/10

11–18°C (feels 16°C) · 13 rain days (166h) · 218 sun hours · 67% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 4 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (high)

August

6/10

12–19°C (feels 18°C) · 14 rain days (196h) · 207 sun hours · 70% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 3 (moderate)

Every month

Show the other 9 months in detail

January

4/10

2–8°C (feels 4°C) · 12 rain days (135h) · 88 sun hours · 86% humidity · Moderate crowd

February

4/10

4–9°C (feels 5°C) · 15 rain days (200h) · 94 sun hours · 80% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)

March

4/10

4–10°C (feels 7°C) · 16 rain days (202h) · 142 sun hours · 75% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 2 (low)

April

5/10

5–12°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

6/10

8–15°C (feels 13°C) · 13 rain days (162h) · 229 sun hours · 67% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 4 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (moderate)

July

6/10

12–19°C (feels 18°C) · 15 rain days (205h) · 201 sun hours · 70% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 4 (moderate)

October

4/10

8–14°C (feels 11°C) · 18 rain days (222h) · 128 sun hours · 80% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 1 (low)

November

4/10

6–10°C (feels 8°C) · 14 rain days (160h) · 87 sun hours · 86% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 1 (low)

December

4/10

4–8°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 June and peaks in August. 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?

May (climate 6/10, crowd index 47) and June (climate 6/10, crowd index 0) — 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.