Date: August 15th
Time: 10.30am-11.30am
Tickets: €10, booked in advance here.

The theme for National Heritage Week 2026 is ‘Heritage at Risk’, which fits perfectly with the story of the saving of Rothe House & Garden.

Join us for a special Restoration Tour on Saturday, August 15th at 10.30am.

This tour will guide you through the history of Rothe House and the landmark restoration of its three buildings and beautiful garden from the 1960s to the mid-2000s.

The restoration of the first building between 1962 and 1966 was the first project of its kind undertaken in Kilkenny and, in many ways, was a ground-breaking project on the island of Ireland at the time.

After all three buildings opened to the public in 1995, the final big restoration project was the Renaissance garden.

In many ways this project was also of huge national importance; this restoration was the first time the garden archaeology of an early townhouse in Ireland was ever examined. It is now Ireland’s only restored Renaissance garden – an oasis in Kilkenny City.

As part of this special guided tour, you will also get the chance to hear first-hand from some of those who were involved themselves or whose parents were involved in the restoration of Rothe House.

Spaces on the tour are limited, so booking early is advisable. Tickets can be booked via Eventbrite by clicking here.