Carlow

Carlow (Ceatharlach) is the county town of County Carlow, some 85 km south of Dublin. It's become a commuter town for the city and in 2022 had a population of about 27,000; it's fairly compact and has preserved its old centre.

This lowland, fertile area has been inhabited for thousands of years, with Brownshill Dolmen the chunkiest relic of prehistory. Carlow's main feature is the River Barrow flowing south towards Waterford. In Irish the town is Ceatharlach, "four-legged", referring to livestock that were brought to market here, and swum across the river until the bridge was built in the 16th century. The Normans fortified the crossing, and from 1361 to 1374 made Carlow their seat of government in Ireland. The town was damaged but not wrecked in the many upheavals of the following centuries, and was able to grow up as a quiet provincial place. It prospered from 1800 when the entire river was made navigable up to Athy, whence a canal connected to the Dublin-Shannon Grand Canal. The railway arrived in 1846, industries were established, and from 1891 Carlow was powered by hydro-electricity generated above Leighlinbridge. The river formed the county boundary, with the west bank community of Graiguecullen standing in County Laois until the boundary was adjusted in 1898.

The town languished in the 20th century, so its old centre was never re-developed. Its population boomed when the M9 put it within an hour's commuting distance of Dublin, and city centre prices drove individuals and businesses to settle further out. Perhaps as a sign of healthier times, Carlow's sugar beet industry closed but was replaced by the manufacture of electric toothbrushes. That too has closed but the pharmaceutical company MSD opened a large vaccine production facility here.

Carlow Tourism post visitor info online.

Trains run every hour or two from Dublin Heuston via Newbridge, Kildare and Athy, taking an hour to Carlow and continuing to Bagenalstown / Muine Bheag, Kilkenny, Thomastown and Waterford (another 1 hr 45 min). See Irish Rail for timetables, fares and on-line tickets.

52.8409-6.92261 Carlow railway station is 1 km northeast of town centre. It has a staffed ticket office and machines, toilets and a waiting area. There’s step-free access to both platforms.

From Dublin take N7 / M7 onto M9 and follow it to Exit 4 for R448 into town; an hour should do it. M9 continues to Waterford. From Rosslare ferry port, take M11 to Enniscorthy then N80 northwest.

JJ Kavanagh Bus 736 runs hourly from Dublin Airport and city, taking two hours to Carlow and continuing to Paulstown, Kilkenny and Waterford. They have two overnight runs.

Kavanagh Bus 874 runs twice M-F from Hacketstown via Tullow to Carlow.

Bus Éireann 73 trundles across the midlands from Athlone to Moate, Clara, Tullamore, Mountmellick, Portlaoise, Stradbally, Carlow, Kilkenny, Thomastown, Mullinavat and Waterford. There are two M-Sa and one on Sunday.

Local Link Bus 800 runs from Arklow (for trains from Wicklow, Wexford and Rosslare ferry port) via Aughrim and Tullow, taking two hours to Carlow. There are four M-Sa and two on Sunday.

Bus 880 runs from Naas along R448 via Timolin, taking 90 min to Carlow. There are 7 M-Sa and 5 Su.

Bus 887 runs three times a day from New Ross, taking 1 hr 40 min via Tinnahinch, Borris, Bagenalstown and Leighlinbridge.

Bus 897 runs 3-4 times a day from Kilkenny, taking 1 hr 40 min via Castlecomer, and continues to Athy.

52.834-6.92732 Carlow coach park is at the foot of Barrack Street, junction with Kennedy Ave. It's just a draughty bus shelter.

Carlow is on the national waterways network. The Barrow Navigation branches off the Grand Canal (between Dublin and the Shannon) and courses south through Athy, Carlow and into the tidal river at New Ross and Waterford. Obviously there are limits on how far a rental boat may be taken.

Walk, town centre is compact. The historic main streets are Dublin St north, Castle St and Bridge St west, and Tullow St east.

Bike will easily get you to the outlying sights, which lack public transport. There are half-a-dozen shops for bicycle sales, spares and repairs, but no bike hire.

By car is pointless for town centre but the quickest way to reach outlying sights. Lower Tullow Street in the central one-way system is closed to traffic M-Sa 8AM-6PM.

Carlow has over 3000 parking spaces, so there's never a shortage. There are two multi-storey car parks, with the largest in Carlow Shopping Centre, and another on Dublin Street. You collect a ticket on entry, which needs to be validated by a local shop.

Taxi fares are nationally regulated and taxis must use the meter. The main operator is Bridge Cabs (+353 59 917 0777).

• 52.837-6.92821 Carlow Cathedral (Cathedral of the Assumption), College Street R93 E681, ☏ +353 599 164087. Daily 11AM-6PM. Built 1828-1833 in neo-Gothic, and embellished by its 46 m spire. The interior has been renovated several times, and in 1997 a parishioner went to the Supreme Court to try to block changes recommended by the Second Vatican Council, but those went ahead.  (updated Oct 2026)
• St Patrick's College or Carlow College is north side of the cathedral. Indeed the college is older, founded in 1782, and owns the land where the cathedral now stands. There's no public right-of-way but you can stroll the grounds of the elegant buildings. Until 1989 it was a seminary for the priesthood then became an independent college, with some 700 students.
• 52.8362-6.92822 Carlow County Museum, College St R93 E3T2, ☏ +353 59 913 1554. M-Sa 10AM-4PM. This is housed in the beautifully renovated Presentation Convent, a former convent school; the nuns' chapel has a gold-leaf ceiling and stain glass windows. The museum is bigger than it first looks as it's over four floors (full wheelchair access) covering the area from prehistory to modern times. Free.  (updated Oct 2026)
• 52.8353-6.92953 Liberty Tree is a fountain at the centre of Potato Market, commemorating those slain on or around 25 May 1798. The 1798 uprising sought to unite all Irishmen of every creed; it flopped in Dublin but had stronger support in the south. Some 1200 rebels, called "Croppy Boys" for their short hair, converged on Potato Market unopposed. But their plans were known and they had walked into a trap: a deadly fusillade tore into them. Over 400 were killed in the next few minutes, and another 150 were executed in the aftermath. The loyalist forces suffered no casualties, but some 200 civilians died as their houses were torched or fired upon and they attempted to flee. The rebellion held out in Enniscorthy, County Wexford for another month until they were encircled and slain. The fountain was commissioned for the 200th anniversary.
• 52.8391-6.93014 Carlow Courthouse , at the junction of Dublin St and Athy Rd, looks like it wants to be on a banknote. It's a neo-classical design, completed in 1834 and still in use as a courthouse. The Russian cannon in front was a trophy of the Crimean war.
• 52.8435-6.92875 County Carlow Military Museum, Athy Rd R93 PK46. Apr-Nov Su 2-5PM. Small volunteer-run museum within the former church of St Dympna's Hospital. Various military memorabilia and a reconstructed World War I trench.  (updated Oct 2026)
• 52.8378-6.9336 Town Hall is a white-harled late 19th-century building on Centaur St. It's still used as local government offices but Carlow no longer has a town council: it's a municipal district within Carlow County Council. Their main building is modern, on Athy Rd.

• 52.836301-6.9359427 Carlow Castle remains only as its western wall and adjoining towers. It was built on the river bank circa 1210, the reign of King John. Anglo-Norman castle architecture was still evolving so it doesn't have features that would later be typical, such as a gatehouse and great hall. It went through ownership changes and spells of being empty, and was damaged (of course) by Cromwell, but what did for it were the humane new approaches to mental health flourishing in the 19th century. Dr Philip Parry Prince Midleton leased the building and spent a fortune trying to turn it into a lunatic asylum, the Charenton of the west. In 1814 he had a brainwave: by packing the lower level with explosives, he could open up the interior and a passageway entrance. What followed was not really a blast, more like a protracted crump as three of the four walls subsided, and locals regretted that the castle was no longer suitable for confining Dr Midleton himself.
• 52.8367-6.93788 Graiguecullen Bridge is a five-arched stone structure of 1569, re-built and widened in 1815. The west bank neighbourhood of Graiguecullen was in County Laois until the boundary was adjusted in 1898.
• Town Park is the pleasant green space west bank of the river, reached by a footbridge from town centre. It's open daylight hours.
• 52.8389-6.93929 Croppies Grave just west of Town Park on Ninety-eight Street is the mass grave of the United Irishmen, the "Croppy Boys", killed in the 1798 uprising.

• 52.858-6.951910 Sleaty Church is a medieval ruin 2.5 km north of town. The two High Crosses are from the earlier abbey.
• 52.8375-6.88111111 Brownshill Dolmen or Kernanstown Cromlech is a portal tomb dating from 3000 BC. It hasn't been excavated but its occupant must have been one helluva swell, as it has a humongous granite capstone of 150 metric tons, probably the largest in Europe. This is supported by upright stones, with a portal stone closing the burial chamber, and the whole structure used to be covered in earth. Free access, reach it on R726 Hacketstown Road, 3 km east of town.
• 52.8575-6.812812 Duckett's Grove, Kneestown R93 A0P8. Daily 9AM-dusk. Gardens centred on the shell of an 1830 neo-Gothic mansion, which was unoccupied from 1912 and burnt out in 1933. In 2005 the County Council acquired the estate, stabilised the ruin and re-established the gardens as a public park. The Upper Walled Garden was planted with roses and other flowering shrubs, the Lower Walled Garden was restored as an orchard. Free.  (updated Oct 2026)
• 52.8474-7.001313 Killeshin Church is the ruin of a 12th-century Romanesque church. It's 5 km northwest of town on R430, just across the boundary into County Laois.

• IMC Cinema is within Fairgreen Shopping Centre by the coach park.
• Gaelic games: Carlow GAA play football and hurling at Dr Cullen Park, capacity 21,000. It's on N80 ring road 1 km north of town centre.
• River Barrow is navigable from tidal waters up through Carlow to Athy, then the canal continues north, eventually joining the Grand Canal. Boat trips sail from the west bank just upstream of the bridge. The towpath on the east bank is a long-distance hiking and cycling route. Go with the Flow organise canoeing at various spots along the river.
• Graiguecullen Swimming Pool (St Fiacc's), The Numbers R93 N5Y0 (off Chaff St, west bank), ☏ +353 59 914 0330. M-F 7AM-9PM, Sa Su 11AM-6PM. Church-run heated 25-metre swimming pool, plus kiddy pool. Adult €5, child €3.50. (updated Oct 2026)
• Dome Entertainment Centre, Sleaty Rd (Next to Talbot Hotel), ☏ +353 59 9166 4311. Daily 9:30AM-9PM. Children's entertainment centre with arcade games and bowling alley. (updated Oct 2026)
• 52.864-6.8951 Oak Park is a pleasant woodland 2 km north of town. There are walking trails, picnic sites, and toilets at the car park.
• 52.8524-6.8942 Carlow Golf Club, Deerpark R93 HX46, ☏ +353 59 913 1695, info@carlowgolfclub.ie. Inland links course on the former Oak Park estate. The 18-hole Deerpark course is 6025 yards off blue tees, par 70, and there's a 9-hole Oak Park course.  (updated Oct 2026)
• 52.83-6.9573 Carlow Golf Centre, Springhill Rd, Crossneen, ☏ +353 59 913 2878. M-F 8AM-9PM, Sa Su 8AM-6PM. Driving range in tranquil surroundings at the foot of the Killeshin Hills.  (updated Oct 2026)
• 52.817-6.9374 Quinagh House Par 3, Quinagh R93 V741, ☏ +353 89 497 3555. Daily 9AM-dusk. 18-hole par-3 golf course. Club hire available.  (updated Oct 2026) ^{[dead link]}

• St Patrick's Day is celebrated on 17 March whenever it falls in the week. There's usually a street parade and live entertainment.
• Gordon Bennett Classic Car Rally, open to vehicles of more than 30 years, is based in Portlaoise and circles through Kildare, Stradbally, Athy and Carlow. It's held in June over the Bank Holiday weekend.
• Carlow Arts Festival is held over five days in June. Wide programme, multiple venues, including many free events.
• Carlow Garden Festival in July opens up many gardens that aren't usually accessible.

• Tullow St is the original downtown retail strip, with the lower part pedestrianised during shopping hours. Stores include Hadden's (clothing), Shaw's department store, and Allen's for hardware and giftware.
• Carlow Shopping Centre is the block south of Tullow St and Potato Market, with a multistorey car park. Most units are empty.
• Fairgreen is the large shopping centre just east across Barrack St, extending south to the coach park and river. Tesco is open daily 8AM-10PM.

• Chokdee (formerly Lemongrass), Unit 6, Hanover Square, ☏ +353 59 911 7205. Tu & Su 1-9PM, W-Sa noon-9PM. Good standard of Thai food. (updated Oct 2026)
• Shapla, Hanover Court, Kennedy Avenue R93 D2C0, ☏ +353 59 913 0037. Tu-Sa 4:30-10:30PM, Su 1-10:30PM. This Indian place near the bus park was closed down for hygiene breaches in 2024 and again in 2026, but they soldier on and get mostly good reviews. (updated Oct 2026) ^{[dead link]}
• Lotus, Unit 3, Kennedy Avenue R93 P7W4, ☏ +353 59 913 6699. Th-Tu 4:30-10:30PM. Mixed reviews for this Chinese near the bus park. (updated Oct 2026)
• Caffé 500 is at 6 Kennedy St R93 T9Y6, open Tu-Su 1-9PM.
• Pimento is a tapas place off Kennedy Ave, south bank of the river, open M-Sa 5-10PM, Su 4-9PM.
• Brooks Café, 21 Tullow St R93 TW86 (within Dinn Ri complex), ☏ +353 59 913 3111. Daily 8AM-5PM. Good central spot for breakfast, lunch or coffee. (updated Oct 2026)
• Café Roma, 51 Tullow St R93 AK19, ☏ +353 59 916 4627. Daily 4PM-midnight. Takeaway for pizza, burgers, kebabs and so on. (updated Oct 2026)
• Teach Dolmain, 76 Tullow St R93 NY70, ☏ +353 59 913 0911. M-Sa 9:30AM-11:30PM, Su 11AM-11:30PM. Lively gastropub with à la carte menu and extensive wine list, plus outdoor dining area. (updated Oct 2026)
• O Galo is Portuguese, at 144 Tullow St R93 XV52, open daily noon-9PM.
• Lennon's, Old Dublin Rd (within VISUAL Arts Centre, St Patrick's College), ☏ +353 59 917 9245. W Th 11AM-3:30PM, F Sa 11AM-3:30PM, 5:30-9:30PM, Su 12:30-3:30PM. Gets great reviews for its modern European cuisine. (updated Oct 2026)
• Kishmish at 7 Dublin St is open W-Su 5-10PM.
• Neko is Asian, at 20 Dublin St, open daily 12:30-10PM.
• The Clink, 37 Dublin St R93 W7W4, ☏ +353 59 918 2418. Daily 8AM-1AM. Restaurant in "Cell 38½", they also have rooms. (updated Oct 2026)

• Carpenter's Bar, 10 Barrack St W93 R1X2, ☏ +353 59 914 3049. Su-Th 9AM-11:30PM, F Sa 9AM-12:30AM. Traditional bar and lounge with food, near the bus park. (updated Oct 2026)
• Corcoran's Bar, Castle St R93 C2D9, ☏ +353 59 914 1200. Daily 5-11PM. Authentic trad bar with old-style interior. (updated Oct 2026)
• Dinn Rí Entertainment Complex is within Dinn Ri Hotel, with bars, restaurant and night club.
• Tully's Bar, 148 Tullow St R93 W243, ☏ +353 59 913 1862. M-Sa 11AM-11:30PM, Su 1-11PM. Good midtown bar with decent food. (updated Oct 2026)
• The Barracks, 32 Tullow St R93 HW30, ☏ +353 59 914 1781, info@thebarracks.ie. M-Th 5-11:30PM, F Sa 4PM-2AM, Su 2PM-midnight. Smart but lively late-night bar, the DJ gets buzzing after dark. (updated Oct 2026)
• Racey Byrne's, 79 Tullow St X2P9, ☏ +353 59 913 1790. Daily 10:30AM-11:30PM. Long established trad bar, has rooms. (updated Oct 2026)
• Castle Tavern, 7 Castle St R93 KP64, ☏ +353 59 914 0279. M-F 5-11PM, Sa 3-11PM, Su 2-11PM. Trad sports bar. (updated Oct 2026)
• Corries Bar is in Talbot Hotel, see Sleep. Live music Friday & Saturday nights.
• Distillery: Walsh Whiskey is on Dublin Rd, 2 km northeast of town. No tours.

• 52.8357-6.931 Dinn Rí Hotel, Tullow St R93 CF77, ☏ +353 59 913 3111, info@dinnri.com. Within Dinn Rí entertainment complex in the centre of town. Comfy and central, but the "Dinn" comes from the nightclub. Double (room only) €140.  (updated Oct 2026)
• 52.8412-6.9292 Seven Oaks Hotel, Athy Rd R93 V4K5, ☏ +353 59 913 1308, info@sevenoakshotel.com. Modern hotel with 89 bedrooms and leisure centre with pool. Friendly helpful service and they can cater for vegans. B&B double €150.  (updated Oct 2026)
• 52.8421-6.91713 Avlon House, Green Lane R93 NT26, ☏ +353 59 917 4222, info@avlonhouse.com. Comfy clean place a 10-minute walk from town centre. B&B double €110.  (updated Oct 2026)
• 52.8433-6.91614 Green Lane B&B, Green Lane R93 E622, ☏ +353 59 914 2670. Pleasant B&B ten minutes from town by foot. Wheelchair accessible.  (updated Oct 2026)
• 52.8464-6.94365 Talbot Carlow, Barrow Valley Retail Park R93 Y504, ☏ +353 59 915 3000. Smart efficient hotel on N80 bypass north of town, with fitness centre. B&B double €150.  (updated Oct 2026)
• 52.8138-6.95136 Woodford Dolmen Hotel, Kilkenny Rd R93 N207, ☏ +353 59 914 2002, info@woodforddolmenhotel.ie. On the banks of the River Barrow 3 km south of town, this smart hotel has 93 rooms, great reviews for comfort and service. B&B double €140.  (updated Oct 2026)

As of Oct 2026, Carlow and its approach roads have 5G from all Irish carriers.

• Tullow is near Altamont Gardens and Baltinglass Abbey.
• Athy has the white castle and a fine cathedral. Travel via R448 to take in Castledermot monastery, Moone High Cross and Burtown House and Gardens.
• Kilkenny is the medieval miniature city that for six turbulent years was effectively capital of Ireland.