Top 25 things to do and attractions in Carlow

Very good place! Dear people, and when I say dear – I mean it! This place is filled with special, warm memories for me. First kiss… first sex.. then kiss… and many many JOYFUL experiences!! Please help to preserve this beautiful piece of my dear childhood. Me and my sweetheart always love to comeback and relive these expiriences together over and over again, but if you wanna do something what we did – we recommend public holiday - it’s really easy to get lost in between all those crazy beautiful busy people that like to do the same thing that me and Molly do. Thank you.! See you later sweethearts

Interesting place to know about Carlow history

Brought my eight year old to do the free Museum Detective activity and she enjoyed it. Lots to see and learn.

Located in old Presentation Convent right in the centre of the town. A great way to learn some local history.

Very informative. Staff are extremely knowledgeable and helpful.

Very enjoyable, particular as there is such a mix of exhibits. Very much something for everyone. The museum is split over 3 floors, so it may be a little larger than one's initial impression.

Well laid out small museum in the heart of Carlow. Plenty to keep children busy.

Impressive ruins of the ancient castle worth to visit, good walking path around it, several information boards telling about its history and drawings, parking spaces in front of the castle. Free access, no tickets.

Such a great spot! I’m sure many people pass by without realizing it, but it’s definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area. The OPW did a fantastic job with the landscaping using trees to outline the walls that are no longer there, really brings the history to life.

The castle has been preserved as unique ruins reaching towards the sky. It certainly adds a touch of grandeur to the town

This is a fantastic example of a front castle gable but because its in the middle of a busy town you will never find a time when cars or vans are not parked in front of it, so that ruins it regarding photography, but its well kept and in excellent condition, its such a pity it is not more isolated and the roads around it clear of traffic, especially as it such a major tourist attraction, cheers

Just a wall remaining and was mostly locked up. Wouldn't recommend if you don't have a lot of time but not a bad place to visit.

Couldn't really walk around it properly as a lot of fencing off. Also Just the one wall remains, so not much to see. You'd be much better off going to somewhere like Kilkenny

Parking was not great, you can't park in front of the castle. It took literally 15 mins to look around & read . But interesting.

The cafe has some lovely simple meals and free onsite parking is conveniently close to the entrance. The design elements and art displayed are very tasteful and add to the sensory experience of the garden. The water features and waterful are very peaceful spots. After 17 hours of flights and travel the children enjoyed the garden and were noticeably more relaxed after oir time in the garden.

Only €5 entry and it's stunning how so much has been included in the Delta Sensory Garden. It was our second time visiting and it is absolutely recommended to go visit for an hour or so to explore the maze of gardens.

Fabulous hidden gem in Carlow for an afternoon ramble (with or without the kids). Has a lovely cafe and sells locally produced baked goods and crafts.

Loved my visit here to the Delta Sensory Gardens. Plenty to see in these impressive gardens and I had a great coffee and scone in the cafe. Well worth checking out, especially on a fine day like I had. Thanks to Helen for the recommendation 😁

A beautiful place to visit. Suitable for all ages. Fabolous gardens and sensory water features

A superb place for relaxation and calm down. Each of the twenty featured objects and gardens is accurately designed and brought to life.

The Gardens are beautiful, peaceful and also fun, whether you have additional Sensory needs or not they are worth a visit. Nice bright Cafe for a cuppa and a sweet treat after exploring the gardens

We were part of a special event, a living history presentation, and we thoroughly enjoyed the day, talking to a lot of people. This was our second visit, and I suspect we'll be back there in future

Great little place we stumbled upon accidentally while on the road from Limerick to Dublin, nice fella showed us around and give us the low down on all the exhibits

This museum may look tiny but it is packed with extremely interesting pieces. I was especially interested in the native American Indian section. Well worth a visit especially for older kids.

Absolutely great place to visit.

Fantastic place, with a very knowledgeable staff. Thank you.

Well worth a visit. Unfortunately it is now closed until st Patrick's Day. Open from 2 to 5 every Sunday during the summer. I was able to see medals and some other items belonging to my Grandfather who served in World War 1. Therefore it was a wonderful visit for me. I would highly recommend.

Paul the curator has a wealth of knowledge.He has moving stories about some of the exhibits in the museum.well worth a visit.

Just spent 3 nights here. Overall a very enjoyable experience. Great spot for families. Kids really enjoyed it especially the animal petting farm. They loved the play ground and tractor ride. Lots to keep them entertained. Also great entertainment for adults including bingo and music in the evenings. Nice selection of hot food in the shop at a reasonable price. Staff were very friendly and accommodating to our large group. Very relaxed and friendly campsite! Toilets and showers were ok. No toilet paper or soap available which was an inconvenience but other than that we had no complaints! Will definitely be back

So glad ranchos has reopened, had a great weekend. Eoin, oisin and the team have done a great job cleaning and rebuilding it, the new cafe is a great addition and the menu is perfect and delicious. Can't wait to see what else they add. Tractor ride is great not just for kids but and its free and that includes the muddy pool they drive into.

We stayed one night as we were passing through the area. Eoin was very welcoming, the site was well laid out, good lighting to the toilets( which are a bit rustic but kept clean and tidy). The animals were a huge hit with the kids and the play area.

Fantastic place to go camping with young children! You have access to the petting farm with horses, pigs, deer, snakes, lizards, rabbits etc, horse rides, tractor rides, playground, cafe and indoors play zone all included in the price you pay to camp. In the evening there is a frog hunt, fire pits, it is a really good place to visit. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars was because of the water was not reliable for showers etc

Visited in April 2017 with our two kids 7 and 4. Very good value - €6 per child and €3 per adult. No time limit, spend as long as you like. Has lots of attractions all free - playground, petting zoo (bunnies, snakes, lizards), donkey and pony rides, go cart track, sandpits, farm animals to feed, indoor play center and café with hot food and lots of seating with reasonable food prices but also picnic areas if you want to bring your own. Staff were very friendly. When my daughter was upset after spilling a drink the owner spent over 10 mins joking with her to cheer her up and gave both kids a free lollipop. Lots of free parking too. Highly recommended.

Great day out for family's.... All the staff are so friendly. Its great value for money and plenty activities for the kids. Wear wellies and old clothes ;-)

The owner is an absolute gent. As a venue it's a bit rough around the edges but the kids loved it. Loads of animals to interact with and a massive play ground. They even have a tractor ride.

A hidden in plane view gem of Carlow, located on the grounds of the second oldest college in Ireland, being, Saint Patrick's College/Carlow College. Free exhibitions are plentiful, as are the host of artists across a broad range of lenses. Couldn't recommend highly enough.

Attended restaurant next door,v friendly and helpful staff. Service excellent ,party group,helped with cake etc

Perfect Gallery, beautifully designed with expansive staircase, high ceilings and very user friendly spotless toilets. Children’s corridors filled with joy, and to top it all, a really good restaurant. We, NaCailleacha came here for a celebration lunch and on hearing it was a birthday event,a cake appeared. The new show was being installed and we were determined to return. 🎂🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸

Great venue with a lively theatre and exhibition spaces. Wonderful restaurant downstairs called Lennons.

Lovely space and grounds. We have installed our stretch tents here for Carlow Arts Festival for the last few years. Stretch Tents Ireland

Brilliant show. Very comfy seats and drinks before.

I loved this gallery in Carlow town on the college campus. Staff were kind and attentive and great with children. I wish the white room could stay until summer, it would be great to bring old people in and have them soak up light.

The toddler play area isn't great but such a huge place that you can just let them run around with you anyways! There's definitely more space to fit something better for toddlers though. Having said this, my girls had a great time and the staff were lovely too! The food was very reasonably priced.

I brought my family and an older guy with glasses and a work badge wearing a black jumper on Thursday was watching us the whole time making us uncomfortable I don’t know his name he was bald I asked if he was okay and he just stood there and made us uncomfortable every corner we turned he was there watching us we played pool and he was watching us we played bowling and he did the same thing. We were the only people in there at the time apart from another couple that left after an hour. The other workers were lovely it’s a shame we were treated like that. He was mumbling something under his breathe. He’s around 40-50 years old and I would bring my children back but on the days he isn’t working I spent so much money in there for him to be doing that, if you are unhappy with your job don’t take it out on other people. It’s rude!!! I think he was the manager as he wasn’t wearing the uniform

Really good place for the kids 👌 I just had one problem which was how wild some of the kids were...there was a traveller family there when we were there and one of their kids were walking around looking for other kids like he wanted to fight them! So my partner was constantly worried about that. Now I no that's nothing to do with the actual venue so I'm not knocking them for that..it's just something that happened that day

Invited for a party. Found it a bit dirty. Staff weren't friendly unfortunately and we were left waiting to check in also waiting to order tea etc a second time. Daughter enjoyed it. But wouldn't be returning.

Great place full of attractions not overpriced. Facilities are in condition, clean and spacious. It offers attractions for few age groups, however I haven't noticed any staff supervision. Good coffee plus usual junk food like fries and nuggets. No healthy options available.

Staff if amazing had a birthday party for my son and the manager came in humiliated me in front of friends and came few day after to bring kids to the dome and humiliated me again in front of friends manager is extremely rude staff is brilliant don’t recommend this place at all over the manager avoid at all cost

Can be very busy at times. Great selection of activities to do. Good parking outside. Nice staff

Fabulous amenity in the centre of Carlow , , an amazing college steeped with history with vibrant staff and learners , ,

Carlow College is a institution offering undergraduate and post graduate courses in arts ,humanities and social sciences. It is lovely place with good atmosphere .

I graduated from here in 2009 in Humanities. I went and continued my studies in UCD in 2016 and I preferred Carlow College. The Carlow College lecturers and staff were top notch. They were friendly and helpful. Most knew the students names and the high quality lectures had a relaxed and personal touch. I wasn't mad about living in Carlow but the College was decent.

Beautiful historic building and grounds .The Visual and George Bernard Shaw Theatre and Carlow Cricket club on site. A must visit for a stroll or walk your Dog on lead.

Best ever experience , i have had, as an academician. It was my third college, i attended, in Ireland, and it was the best so far.I wish all the staff, and the lecturers, the best in the future. Kind regards Fuden

Great place to play cricket. Good bunch of players too. Thanks for the day guys. Really enjoyed it

my second time abroad brings me very nice memories

After six sittings, nothing has been done. The person that is the defendant hasn't shown up four times out of six, nothing is being done about that. Even if the attendance was mandatory.

Very bad need to wait outside in the rain

This court is severely corrupted at the District Level. This is all I will say as I fear my family will continue to be targeted even further if I tell my full story.

Poor access for anyone with a disability and parking a short walk away

Wouldn't recommend to visit in any circumstances

(Translated by Google) Very bad attitude, you have to wait seven hours to accept (Original) Ļoti slikta attieksme,jāgaida septiņas stundas lai pieņemtu

(Translated by Google) Licc my nootz dead (Original) Licc my nootz dood

If you're nearby, it's definitely worth stopping by this historical spot. You can spend anywhere from 10 minutes to a few hours here – whether with a good book or in pleasant company. It's a cozy and atmospheric place with seating available. There are no restrooms, but it's still a great spot for a short break.

A good 10 minute walk (they detour you around the farmer's field). I jogged it, was a great breath of fresh air! Much bigger than I was expecting. Gaulstown Dolmen under Waterford is also a great stop.

No day trip to Duckett's Grove or Carlow is complete without a pitstop to Brownshill Dolmen. This majestic portal tomb boasts the biggest capstone in Europe. It's truly amazing! Plenty of parking and well laid out path to site. It's a 5,000yr old wonder!

Beautiful walk to the actual place. we visited in June so the weather was lovely, flowers all around. Lovely place visit with your family.

This dolmen ie: portal tomb has the largest top stone of any found in Europe. A great free experience.

A well kept piece of history. Worth a visit.

Not visible from the road. To get there, take the R726 and watch for a tiny visitor's car park on the side of the road. Keep an eye out for signs as it is easy to miss. Admission is free. The dolmen sits in the middle of a barley field on the former estate of the Browne family from which it gets its name. It is barely visible from the road - but only if you know what to look for. From the car park, follow the narrow footpath around the field and up to the monument in the middle of a clearing. Takes about 5 minutes to walk. Grounds around the dolman are well kept. A plaque describes the historical significance of the site. Though nice to see and learn about, little kids probably would not find it interesting.

definitely one of the most beautiful churches in ireland 🇮🇪

Went to 12.30 Mass here on a Sunday, while visiting the area. A lovely atmosphere inside the Cathedral. Beautiful decor. Don't know the Priest's name that said Mass but very nice. A good size car park close to the Church.A reminder it is free parking for Mass times ONLY and parking machines available for other times. Toilets available. Wheelchair accessible. Good location.

Fabulous cathedral. Very peaceful and only 20c to light a candle. The stain glass windows are Fabulous.

Just wonderful. The beautiful alters and the whole atmosphere was " holy " No entry fees for churches 🙏

English Mass Mass time every day 7.30 AM Every Saturday 10 Am Novena Mass followed by confession.God Bless You

The foundation stone of the cathedral was laid on 18 March 1828 by Bishop James Doyle and completed in 1833. The Cathedral of the Assumption is the second oldest Roman Catholic cathedral built in Ireland.

This church had its wars when it was refurbished in the 1990s and now it is quite nice and was very suitable to the pan-Celtic concert that we attended there.

Visited the park today for the 1st time. Lots of space, grass to sit on, view of the river. Very nice. Today was a Dragon Boat festival, and the park was thronged with supporters and families. Great interaction with them, all very friendly. No litter, so even such a crowd was respectful to the park.

Town Park - something for everyone. Recently renovated Children's Playground, swans & ducks to feed on the river - there is a machine selling suitable feed for them for €1, nice planting, lots of room to stroll around & kick a ball. There is a Coffee Dock - not sure about the opening hours. Plenty of parking around the park.

Lovely park! Tidy and clean. Great playground for kids. You can find beautiful swans in the river. Parking lot too small you will need luck. Toilet are not free.

This is one of my favorite spots on the river Barrow to just chill out and relax. There are plenty of spots to find under a tree and have a picnic and watch the world go by. Or head over to the rivers edge and feed the swans. There is a fantastic looking playground for kids and judging by it's popularity, it is a must for those with kids. If you are in the area, it's well worth the visit for some time out.

Locals are saying that number of swans in the park I'd dropped over the years, but they are still around and well looked after. Contactles solar panel feeder was installed, €1 for a small amount given... Soon, swans will forget how to sweem)

Great for the kids playground you can feed the swans

Lovely area to walk and enjoy the nature.

Worst cinema I've ever been to. They refuse cash. Card only which in my opinion shouldn't be allowed. They had 1 person behind the counter at the busiest time of the weekend trying to do their best but couldn't keep up with the amount of customers. ( not the staffs fault) and lights came on maybe 5 minutes before the end of the film. Brutal.

The fact your company's policy of not accepting cash is absolutely against whatever law that STILL exists that cash and card is acceptable in all other companies, supermarkets , small shops, petrol stations nationwide etc,etc , etc , is absolutely an pathetic and lazy attitude and your staffing issues, while any staff in all IMC are hard working, over worked , it's never them , but high management, top officials and all other top people in your company seem to have a very attitude, don't care much, focus on making money than obeying or breaking any law dealing with consumers and customers are really entitled to, either seriously get your act together or it will be done soon or later. And no apologies in expressing mine or anyone's opinions and entitlements. Many thanks Jon de Molay

Great cinema, plenty of screens and ticket prices are very very good. But only one thing it has poor Sound quality from the Big Screen in Screen 1...Went to see Thunderbolts on Saturday the 4th of May in screen 1... I wasn't impressed with the sound system during the trailers and the main movie itself. The dialogue when the actors/actresses start talking was coming from 1 speaker, sounded like they're on a phone call.. Very poor...I noticed before between screen 2 to 5 the sound in them rooms are actually better compared to Screen 1 for some reason..Time for a sound engineer to be called in and really get the sound system up to date, especially in Screen 1.. The dialogue and surround sound needs to be updated ASAP.. That's the only reason I gave it a 4 Star.. Other than that issue, I like going to IMC in Carlow, staff are nice and friendly. I like watching a movie there because as you don't get people on phones and who actually watch a movie without talking during it, that's what I like the most, compared to the overpriced Odeons

Not a welcoming space for disabled people. In fact IMC Policy for disabled people seems to be to Intimidate and belittle them. Do not attend this cinema if you are disabled. I went to the IMC Carlow yesterday and they demanded that I have a carers card for my disabled daughter and her disabled cousin even though I made it clear that I would be paying. Both of them are registered disabled and had there cards with them. When I questioned why I needed a careers card the female supervisor continued to insist that this was IMNC policy. At some point a large young man from IMC, who had been continued to shadow and intimidate my group, even though I had asked that he stand to one side, announced that he was "Going to get security to throw you out"? I couldn't believe it? and said so, but sure enough a security guard arrived, of course his arrival upset and frightening my daughters and there cousin even further. However why was her there? He didn't attempt to make us leave and in fact I have him on film saying he didn't know what was going on. At that point it was 3.20 and we had missed the film, for this reason, and for the sake of our sanity, I decide we would leave. This then is what you get when you question IMC disability policy: public intimidation and belittling. I still dont know why I need a carers card if I'm going to pay, why the staff seem so edgy and badly trained and why, except to intimate me, and by default two disabled adults and a 12 year old child, they called the security guard. I'm a grown man but being public humiliated is egregious and foul in the extreme, dosing so because you dont like to be questioned is beyond me. Stay clear, this is not a cinema its a home for the passive agressive and the inept. One star only because I can give minus 10. ...Absolutely sub standard apology below, for sub standard and abusive service. When the first reaction of your staff to queries and complaints is to call security on a 62 year old man, two disabled women and a 11 year girl and then making a dogs dinner of what passes for customer service. And then to excuses it with this watered down version of the truth is an appalling act of misdirection. I have the video of that night where I ask the security guard why have you been called and he says "I don't know". It seems I would be better off seeking legal recourse. Poor show, lacklustre and evasive response, you should be ashamed to write such a disingenuous description of what was a terrible experience for me my children and my niece.

Love the IMC in Carlow, i had stopped going last year because it used to be so cold, but they've changed something since because it's lovely to go there now. I'm now an Infinity member and go weekly, but they've lost a start now because you can't select your seats anymore when you buy tickets at the counter.

Well organised place. Carefully planned seating layout with right levels of seats, when front row in low enough not to obstruct vision. Seating zones division make place - cosy and movie experience - positive. A separate praise to organisation for having huge waste bin inside, and another ones just as you exit to the hallway. Great tickets price option through out the week. Plenty of free parking! Best place for cinema experience!

Nice staff and clean cinema with good food.

If you park there make sure you don't lose your parking ticket!!!!! I went in today at 3.50 left it at 5.15 couldn't find my parking ticket and was charged 7.60 being what I was told was the "lost ticket" fee despite all day parking is €4.00!!!! When I asked The man to check the camera as he would see when I arrived at the carpark he refused so they penalise you by charging 3.60 for losing your ticket, it's not about the money it's the principal☹️. A disgrace

Unfortunately there isn't much happening in this shopping center anymore, it used to be busy with plenty of shops and people but has slowly declined over the years. Still has the nice architecture and features, hope to see it resurrect from the ashes

Solid shopping center in a small town. Very quaint but not in a bad way

Depressing and sad. Pretty much abandoned and everything shut. Such a shame as the building is nice.

A central place to park in town. There's a health food shop that sells good take away coffee. The Peter Mark hairdressers here are excellent. The building itself has an interesting history & look. They closed the public toilets though which makes me less likely to park here.

There no shops as everything is closed down. Plus it a disgrace that the closed the toilet that no one can use them that a joke.

Place is like a ghost town parking very expensive

Poor throughout. Small screens, staff not particularly helpful, and a mindless policy regarding paying for food that requires at least 2 separate queues even with tickets pre booked/paid. Plenty of other options than here.

As a mobility impaired person, who uses a rollator/walker, I really needed to find out if Carlow Omniplex was accessible. Grace, the manager, called me back. I must say, she really knows her job. I was so impressed that not only could she tell me about each screen's accessibility - handrails available, leave rollator at bottom and book an aisle seat, etc. She also had extensive knowledge of parking and any steps/hazards I would need to know OUTSIDE. So often, I book a place and then find out that there are obstacles on the way to the venue. Grace was that rare thing: a non disabled person who actively takes an interest in the needs of disabled patrons. I cannot tell you what a joy it was to talk to her - this should be the norm! Many companies could take note of how Grace runs the Omniplex. Knowledgeable, kind, funny, friendly, compassionate. A credit to the company. And I'm delighted that Omniplex are doing classic Movie Marathons! Grace explained the Omniplex monthly membership, which sounds fantastic. Thank you so much Grace.

Nice quiet little cinema, very clean, very cheap ticket offers and overall a great addition to the entertainment industry of Carlow. Highly recommend

Seemless ordering and tixker and food pick up brilliant X

Well run Cinema. Very comfortable , clean and modern.

Great cinema 🎥🎥 friendly staff

Friendly staff, nice and warm inside too. And unlike that dive of a cinema in fairgreen, the omniplex takes cash 👍

Great trip up along northwards along the Barrow River and Grand Canal from Carlow. Our captain Cliff was very knowledgeable about the river and told us great stories about the history of the Barrow in Carlow. We saw loads of wildlife and passed through a working lock gate. Couldn't recommend highly enough if you're in Carlow and not expensive.

Fabulous trip with Clive !! So relaxed and casual . It was like sitting in a pub (remember those 😉) having a chat with your mates . Was glad we went to Carlow as it was an hour and a bit long of a journey on the boat , so worth the trip as we are living in Kilkenny ! But will definitely try and fit in Kilkenny some weekend great thing to do as a family as ye are all close together!

Our extended family of 7, had an absolutely fantastic trip with Cliff on the river Barrow at the weekend. Young, old and the in between all alike had such an enjoyable, relaxing, informative journey. If you get a chance to do this trip, do it as you won’t be disappointed. The best things we done for the family while we were in Carlow.

Cliff has mastered his trade. Putting safety first, we we're welcomed aboard with modern life jackets and a few instructions before setting out on a slow informative meander down the River Nore. A mix of wildlife sightings and historical tales ensured a journey suitable for all ages. Worth every euro. Camerons

What a trip, we absolutely loved it, the kids just wanted to get into the water it was that nice, up and down the river Barrow, We spotted kingfishers and herrings, walkers on the banks and fishermen doing there thing, Cliff was an amazing captain, a very knowledgeable fella, a definite must do if you around Carlow

Cliff was a pleasure to go along the riverbank with. He's full of stories and knowledge. Would recommend to a friend.

My friends and I had a fantastic boat trip with Cliff in mid July. We traveled up the Barrow towards knockbeg and went through one of the loughs which is manually operated. We saw lots of wildlife and dragon fly. Cliff has an excellent knowledge of the Barrow and its history. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone. A great day out was had by all.

Super service! Very good river! Rent out the boat, it was very nice and clean. Highly recommend!

Good

Very informative

Beautiful pictures, great selection 🥰

Maurice was an absolute joy to talk to. Beautiful shop with quality items. The candles are excellent

Fabulous place. Bought many pieces in here. Very friendly proprietor and the show casing of artistic works by local artists is amazing.

Beautiful local art. Jewelry, home decor, paintings, sculptures and more. Lovely staff too:)

Low attendance today

There really good

A beautiful place to visit with kids & family. It was a lovely day,so we took a walk by the river. You can see a no through road, this is the road taking you to a flyover then to the other side.

Beautiful location, and the little cafe and owner were so lovely

Not accessible, but worth passing by for a quick stroll around the area. Beautiful location by the river.

Stunning walk in either direction along the river. It is one of my favourite walks in Carlow. Lovely for dogs 🐕 & you meet great people who usually have time for a quick chat!

Beautiful place. Perfect for a riverside picnic.

A truly amazing place among the nature

Beautiful tranquil place. Fantastic strolls along the Barrow. And there is now a super food truck providing excellent coffees and treats. Just don't tell anyone. Otherwise it won't be the wonderful secret it is.