Thomastown
Mount Juliet Estate
A 500 acre Georgian estate in Kilkenny, with the manor house taking weddings up to around 96.
Ireland
Butler House wedding venue, Co. Kilkenny
The 18th century dower house of Kilkenny Castle, with the castle gardens out the back and the city out the front.
- Up to 120 guests
- Price on request
- 1h 35m from Dublin
- 1h 30m from Dublin Airport
A closer look
A place with character.
Butler House is a city wedding that does not feel like one. Step out the front door onto Patrick Street in medieval Kilkenny, step out the back into the castle gardens. The rooms are Georgian with a modern hand, and there are bedrooms upstairs.
It is not exclusive use, so the hotel side keeps running. For a small wedding in a walkable city, with guests able to stagger home rather than book coaches, it is hard to beat.
Before you book
Worth asking.
- Which rooms are yours for the day, and what else is happening in the house?
A little more of the place
The feeling, in photographs.
Planning facts
Getting there, the light, and how we checked.
Try your date and guest list
Getting there
For guests travelling in. Driving times are by road without traffic, from Butler House, so allow more at busy times.
- Airports
-
- Dublin Airport 1h 30m 133 km
- Cork Airport 1h 55m 152 km
- Shannon Airport 2h 10m 158 km
- Ferry ports
-
- Rosslare Europort 1h 30m 94 km
- Dublin Port ferry terminal 1h 50m 145 km
- Railway stations
-
- Kilkenny 5m 2 km
- Thomastown 25m 19 km
Railway stations are those on the Irish Rail network, and the nearest by road is not always the best connection. Check the timetable before you plan a guest's day around a train.
Where guests can stay
OpenStreetMap lists 49 places to stay within 10 km of Butler House, and 63 within 20 km. Distances are in a straight line, not drive times.
- Pembroke Hotel 0.1 km
- The Clubhouse Hotel Hotel 0.1 km
- Zuni Hotel 0.1 km
- Hibernian Hotel Hotel 0.2 km
- Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel Hotel 0.2 km
- Imperial Guest house or B&B 0.3 km
OpenStreetMap is mapped by volunteers and is thinner in rural areas, so treat these counts as a minimum and check booking sites for your dates. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, updated October 2026.
Light through the year
Worked out for Butler House's location on the 15th of each month, in Irish clock time. Golden hour is the last stretch before sunset when the sun is low and warm, a good window for portraits after the ceremony.
| Month | Sunrise | Golden hour from | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 08:33 | 15:41 | 16:41 | 8h 08m |
| February | 07:47 | 16:48 | 17:38 | 9h 51m |
| March | 06:45 | 17:45 | 18:31 | 11h 45m |
| April | 06:32 | 19:39 | 20:25 | 13h 53m |
| May | 05:33 | 20:25 | 21:16 | 15h 43m |
| June | 05:04 | 20:57 | 21:53 | 16h 49m |
| July | 05:22 | 20:53 | 21:47 | 16h 25m |
| August | 06:09 | 20:09 | 20:57 | 14h 48m |
| September | 07:01 | 19:02 | 19:47 | 12h 46m |
| October | 07:52 | 17:49 | 18:36 | 10h 44m |
| November | 07:50 | 15:42 | 16:37 | 8h 47m |
| December | 08:33 | 15:09 | 16:14 | 7h 41m |
In the national record
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage lists the house at Butler House, dated 1785 to 1790 and rated as of regional importance. Record number 12001045. See the record
Source: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, licensed CC BY 4.0. The venue may describe its own dates differently.
How it compares nearby
The three venues most like Butler House within reach, side by side. Distances are in a straight line.
| Venue | Away | Guests | Rooms on site | Exclusive use | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler House | This venue | Up to 120 | Yes | No | Ask for prices |
| Mount Juliet Estate | 16 km | Up to 200 | Yes | No | Ask for prices |
| Preston House | 30 km | Ask | Yes | Yes | Ask for prices |
| Ballykealey House | 34 km | Ask | Yes | Yes | €122 to €195 per guest |
How we checked this
- Guests. Up to 120, from the venue's own wording: 120 standing, 60 to 80 seated. Read from the venue's own website, last checked September 2026.
- Price. Not published by the venue, so no price is shown. Ask for a quote for your date and numbers.
- Rooms, exclusive use and catering. Not yet re-checked against the venue's own website. Confirm them when you enquire.
- Journey times and light. Calculated from the venue's location on OpenStreetMap roads, with sun times from standard solar equations. They are guides, not promises.
Questions about Butler House
- How many guests can Butler House hold?
- Up to 120 guests. 120 standing, 60 to 80 seated. Confirm the layout for your plans.
- Does Butler House have accommodation?
- Yes, there is accommodation on site.
- Can you have exclusive use of Butler House?
- No, the venue is shared.
- How much does a wedding at Butler House cost?
- Butler House doesn't publish its wedding prices, so ask them for a quote for your date and numbers.
- Where is Butler House?
- Butler House is in Kilkenny, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland. By road, without traffic, it's about 1h 35m from Dublin, about 1h 55m from Cork, about 2h 35m from Galway.