Best time to visit Kilkenny
The best time to visit Kilkenny is June–July, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Kilkenny, Leinster, Ireland
°C
mm
- Average daily high and low
- Precipitation
- Good month
- Best month
- Made good or best by an event
| Month | Average daily high | Average daily low | Precipitation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.6 °C / 46 °F | 2.6 °C / 37 °F | 69 mm / 2.7 in | neither best nor good |
| February | 8.3 °C / 47 °F | 2.9 °C / 37 °F | 64 mm / 2.5 in | neither best nor good |
| March | 9.7 °C / 49 °F | 3 °C / 37 °F | 65 mm / 2.5 in | neither best nor good |
| April | 12.3 °C / 54 °F | 4.7 °C / 40 °F | 56 mm / 2.2 in | good month |
| May | 15.1 °C / 59 °F | 7.4 °C / 45 °F | 64 mm / 2.5 in | good month |
| June | 17.6 °C / 64 °F | 10.1 °C / 50 °F | 70 mm / 2.8 in | best month |
| July | 18.9 °C / 66 °F | 12 °C / 54 °F | 71 mm / 2.8 in | best month |
| August | 18.2 °C / 65 °F | 11.6 °C / 53 °F | 74 mm / 2.9 in | good month |
| September | 16.5 °C / 62 °F | 9.8 °C / 50 °F | 66 mm / 2.6 in | good month |
| October | 13.6 °C / 56 °F | 7.7 °C / 46 °F | 84 mm / 3.3 in | neither best nor good |
| November | 9.9 °C / 50 °F | 4.8 °C / 41 °F | 78 mm / 3.1 in | neither best nor good |
| December | 8.2 °C / 47 °F | 3.3 °C / 38 °F | 82 mm / 3.2 in | neither best nor good |
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen
Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:
- Daytime highs
- Night-time lows
- How warm it feels
- Humidity
- How much of the day is sunny
- Hours of daylight
- Monthly rainfall
- How many days it rains
- Days of heavy rain
- Wind
- Snowfall and days with snow
- Major events, such as festivals
The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.
The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.
Best months by activity
Exploring outdoors
Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.
- JJanuary: neither
- FFebruary: neither
- MMarch: neither
- AApril: good
- MMay: good
- JJune: best
- JJuly: best
- AAugust: good
- SSeptember: good
- OOctober: neither
- NNovember: neither
- DDecember: neither
- Best
- June–July
- Good
- April–May, August–September
Kilkenny is a cool, wet Irish climate where June and July, the mildest, sunniest and least humid months, are best for exploring outdoors; April, May, August and September are good shoulder months, while the dark, cold, wet stretch from October to March is poor for walking and sightseeing.
Why these months
April · good
In its favour: precipitation 56 mm / 2.2 in, share of daylight that is sunny 66%, days with heavy rain 1.2 days, average daily low 4.7 °C / 40 °F.
Against: wet days 11.2 days, share of rain falling in the daytime 49%, feels like (high) 9.4 °C / 49 °F, average daily high 12.3 °C / 54 °F, relative humidity 79%.
Also on: Bluebells at Jenkinstown Park.
May · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 64%, precipitation 64 mm / 2.5 in, feels like (high) 12.9 °C / 55 °F, average daily high 15.1 °C / 59 °F, average daily low 7.4 °C / 45 °F.
Against: wet days 12.4 days, days with heavy rain 1.3 days, share of rain falling in the daytime 48%, relative humidity 79%.
Also on: Rhythm and Roots Festival.
June · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 16.2 °C / 61 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 61%, average daily high 17.6 °C / 64 °F, average daily low 10.1 °C / 50 °F.
Against: wet days 11.7 days, days with heavy rain 2 days, precipitation 70 mm / 2.8 in, share of rain falling in the daytime 44%, relative humidity 79%.
Also on: The Cat Laughs.
July · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 17.9 °C / 64 °F, average daily high 18.9 °C / 66 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 57%, average daily low 12 °C / 54 °F.
Against: wet days 12.9 days, relative humidity 81%, days with heavy rain 1.9 days, precipitation 71 mm / 2.8 in, share of rain falling in the daytime 45%.
August · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 16.9 °C / 62 °F, average daily high 18.2 °C / 65 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 58%, average daily low 11.6 °C / 53 °F.
Against: wet days 12.1 days, relative humidity 82%, days with heavy rain 2.4 days, precipitation 74 mm / 2.9 in, share of rain falling in the daytime 44%.
Also on: Kilkenny Arts Festival.
September · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 14.9 °C / 59 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 57%, precipitation 66 mm / 2.6 in, average daily high 16.5 °C / 62 °F, average daily low 9.8 °C / 50 °F, wet days 10.7 days.
Against: relative humidity 85%, days with heavy rain 1.9 days, sunshine per day 7.3 h, share of rain falling in the daytime 45%.
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Glencoe Mountain Resort, 466 km away.
Weather averages
Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like (high) | 4.2 °C | 4.7 °C | 6.2 °C | 9.4 °C | 12.9 °C | 16.2 °C | 17.9 °C | 16.9 °C | 14.9 °C | 11.4 °C | 7.1 °C | 4.9 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 1.4 days | 1.6 days | 1.2 days | 1.2 days | 1.3 days | 2 days | 1.9 days | 2.4 days | 1.9 days | 2.5 days | 2.2 days | 2.5 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 6 am | 12 pm | 4 pm | 5 pm | 4 pm | 5 pm | 4 pm | 2 pm | 2 pm | 3 pm | 11 am | 7 am |
| Sunshine per day | 4.1 h | 5.3 h | 7 h | 9.3 h | 10.2 h | 10.3 h | 9.2 h | 8.6 h | 7.3 h | 5.5 h | 4.3 h | 3.4 h |
| Relative humidity | 89% | 86% | 83% | 79% | 79% | 79% | 81% | 82% | 85% | 87% | 89% | 90% |
Air quality
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–2025 | 3.9 µg/m³ | 3.9 µg/m³ | 5.3 µg/m³ | 6.4 µg/m³ | 7.5 µg/m³ | 6.7 µg/m³ | 5.4 µg/m³ | 6.3 µg/m³ | 5.6 µg/m³ | 4.5 µg/m³ | 3.9 µg/m³ | 3.5 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 6.5 µg/m³ | 6.4 µg/m³ | 8.8 µg/m³ | 10.6 µg/m³ | 11.9 µg/m³ | 10.9 µg/m³ | 9.1 µg/m³ | 10 µg/m³ | 8.6 µg/m³ | 6.9 µg/m³ | 6.6 µg/m³ | 5.7 µg/m³ |
- Good 15 µg/m³ or less
- Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
- Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
- Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
- Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
- Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³
Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.
Events and seasons
What the weather records cannot show. A major event can lift a month to good or best. The warnings are there to help you plan, and never count against a month.
Reasons to go
- Bluebells at Jenkinstown Park
April
- Rhythm and Roots Festival
May
- The Cat Laughs
1–7 June
- Kilkenny Arts Festival
August
- Subtitle film festival
November