Ireland Guide
Kilkenny, Carlow and Wexford
Kilkenny Design Centre
Address: Across the Parade from the castle
Website: www.heritageireland.ie
Telephone: 056/776 1804
Website: www.ccoi.ie
Opening time: Jan– March Mon– Sat 10am–6pm; April– Dec Mon– Sat 10am–6pm, Sun 11am–6pm
Price: Free
Converted eighteenth-century stables house the Kilkenny Design Centre, which retails a broad range of premium Irish crafts, and its recommended upstairs caféKilkenny Design Centre. Behind the shop, you'll find the attractive, airy premises of the National Craft Gallery, which, under the auspices of the Crafts Council of Ireland, mounts a varied programme of exhibitions by Irish and international craftspeople, ranging from stained glass to quilts. In the courtyard beyond the gallery, you can visit several small craft workshops; if you're interested in further similar exploration, pick up a "Craft Trail" leaflet from the gallery or the tourist office, which details half a dozen other studios around the county.