Athy
Burtown House
A working organic estate near Athy where the wedding dinner is built from what grows in the walled garden.
Ireland
Kilkea Castle wedding venue, Castledermot, Co. Kildare
One of Ireland's oldest inhabited castles, in south Kildare, with a baronial hall and 40 beds.
- Up to 270 guests
- From €135 per guest
- 1h 5m from Dublin
A closer look
A place with character.
Kilkea is a castle that has never stopped being lived in, rising out of flat Kildare farmland with a moat, gardens and a baronial hall for dinner. It scales up and down, so a small wedding is not rattling around in a room built for hundreds.
Exclusive use is available and there are 40 beds on the estate between the castle and the lodges. Castledermot is about an hour from Dublin on the M9.
Before you book
Worth asking.
- What does exclusive use cover, and what does it cost midweek?
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 Kilkea Castle, so allow more at busy times.
- Airports
-
- Dublin Airport 1h 5m 81 km
- Shannon Airport 2h 15m 173 km
- Cork Airport 2h 35m 197 km
- Ferry ports
-
- Dublin Port ferry terminal 1h 20m 93 km
- Rosslare Europort 1h 35m 102 km
- Railway stations
-
- Athy 15m 9 km
- Carlow 20m 14 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 9 places to stay within 10 km of Kilkea Castle, and 24 within 20 km. Distances are in a straight line, not drive times.
- Ballindrum Farm B&B Guest house or B&B 7.3 km
- Hawthorn Bed and Breakfast Guest house or B&B 7.7 km
- Bowden's B&B Guest house or B&B 7.8 km
- Clanard Court Hotel Hotel 7.9 km
- Forest Farm Guest house or B&B 8.2 km
- Aurora House B&B Guest house or B&B 8.3 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 Kilkea Castle'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 | 15:37 | 16:38 | 8h 05m |
| February | 07:46 | 16:46 | 17:36 | 9h 50m |
| March | 06:44 | 17:43 | 18:29 | 11h 45m |
| April | 06:30 | 19:38 | 20:24 | 13h 54m |
| May | 05:30 | 20:24 | 21:16 | 15h 46m |
| June | 05:01 | 20:57 | 21:53 | 16h 53m |
| July | 05:19 | 20:52 | 21:47 | 16h 28m |
| August | 06:07 | 20:08 | 20:57 | 14h 50m |
| September | 06:59 | 19:00 | 19:46 | 12h 47m |
| October | 07:51 | 17:47 | 18:34 | 10h 43m |
| November | 07:49 | 15:38 | 16:34 | 8h 45m |
| December | 08:33 | 15:05 | 16:11 | 7h 38m |
How it compares nearby
The three venues most like Kilkea Castle within reach, side by side. Distances are in a straight line.
| Venue | Away | Guests | Rooms on site | Exclusive use | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kilkea Castle | This venue | Up to 270 | Yes | Yes | From €135 per guest |
| Burtown House | 6 km | Ask | Yes | Yes | Ask for prices |
| Huntington Castle | 32 km | Ask | Yes | Ask | Ask for prices |
| The Abbey Athy | 9 km | Up to 200 | Yes | Yes | From €130 per guest |
How we checked this
- Guests. Up to 270, from the venue's own wording: wedding parties of up to 270. Read from the venue's own website, last checked September 2026.
- Price. From €135 per guest. Published by the venue at its own page. Checked September 2026.
- 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 Kilkea Castle
- How many guests can Kilkea Castle hold?
- Up to 270 guests. Wedding parties of up to 270. Confirm the layout for your plans.
- Does Kilkea Castle have accommodation?
- Yes, there is accommodation on site, with 40 beds.
- Can you have exclusive use of Kilkea Castle?
- Yes, it is listed as exclusive use. Check which buildings, grounds and hours your booking includes.
- How much does a wedding at Kilkea Castle cost?
- From €135 per guest. Wedding packages start at this price per guest. Prices change, so confirm what's included.
- Where is Kilkea Castle?
- Kilkea Castle is in Castledermot, Co. Kildare, Ireland. By road, without traffic, it's about 1h 5m from Dublin, about 2h 30m from Cork, about 2h 35m from Galway.
More in Co. Kildare
See all
Celbridge
Cliff at Lyons
A restored village of buildings on the Grand Canal near Celbridge, with an intimate package for up to 45 and larger weddings to 130.
Athy
The Abbey Athy
A restored 18th century building in Athy with a stained glass chapel and 38 bedrooms.