Photos: A.-K. D., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Berthold Werner, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 瑞丽江的河水, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo credits
Photos: A.-K. D., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Berthold Werner, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 瑞丽江的河水, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
A brewer's walk through Smithwick's Kilkenny
Your local guide
Pádraig Dunphy
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Highlights
- Ireland's oldest ale, explained on site
- A medieval tower inside a brewery
- Family stories from two generations
- Where industry met a ruined friary
- Kilkenny's working brewing history
About this tour
This session shows the working heart of Kilkenny's brewing history, told by someone whose family has worked around these buildings for two generations. You see the old brewery yard and the medieval abbey tower it grew up around, an unusual pairing of industry and ruin. The focus stays on what the buildings and the stonework can tell you, not on any drink itself.
After a short sound check we move between the two stops, and I share family stories alongside the documented history at each one. I take questions live rather than saving them, and afterwards I send a short note on the brewery's history for anyone who wants to read further.
It suits anyone curious about how an industry and a medieval ruin ended up sharing one small site, and about Kilkenny's working history beyond its castle.
Included
- Live video session with a local guide
- A close look at the dishes and where locals buy them
- A short list of places and dishes to try later
Not included
- Food and drinks shown on camera
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Kilkenny before heading out.
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Smithwick's Experience 21 min
The camera takes in the old brewery buildings from the yard, and I explain how Ireland's oldest ale traces its history to this site, using stories passed down in my own family.
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St Francis Abbey Tower 21 min
You see the medieval tower rising directly out of the brewery grounds, and I point out how the friary's ruins were absorbed into the site rather than cleared away.
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Your questions 9 min
Time to ask anything about Kilkenny: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 4 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Boxty and High Town, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Dublin time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 8 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Kilkenny, showing you Smithwick's Experience and St Francis Abbey Tower live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to buy or cook anything?
No. This is a conversation: the guide describes the dishes and where to find them, so you can try them yourself whenever suits you.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk Kilkenny live with my phone.
Times shown in Dublin time (GMT)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Only travellers who booked and paid through Locals Guide and whose tour took place can leave a review, within 60 days of the tour. Every review is marked "Verified booking". We check reviews before they appear and publish positive and negative ones alike; we remove only reviews that break our rules (insults, personal data, unrelated content). Guides cannot pay for, edit or hide reviews, and ratings are the plain average of all published reviews.
Next: Wed 28 Oct · 8 seats left From 24,00 €
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