The Kilkenny Design Centre is located in the coach houses and stables of historic Kilkenny Castle.
The Castle Yard is also home to the National Design and Craft Gallery, one of Ireland’s most exciting artistic venues. Nearby is Butler House and Gardens, a unique guesthouse that was once the Butlers’ Dowager House.
The historically significant Kilkenny Design Workshops were also established in the Castle Yard in the 1960s. Staffed by bright, young international designers, craftspeople, design graduates and apprentices, the workshops’ remit was to improve design and manufacturing standards in Ireland, which they achieved through their creative output right up until closure in 1988.
The government-funded design research and development centre of excellence revolutionised Irish Design with lasting impact.