Kilkenny weather in August
August in Kilkenny: nice, a little rain, with clean air — an excellent time to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#3 of 12 months in Kilkenny · #420 of 1413 destinations to visit in August · comfort 86/100 (tier A)
- Days
- 19°C
- Nights
- 13°C
- Wet days
- 12
- Sun
- 8.4 h
- Humidity
- 80%
- Daylight
- 15 h

Traveller notes on Kilkenny in August
Notes from nearby Dublin (101 km away)
Kilkenny doesn't have its own notes for August yet — these are about Dublin, close enough to share the season.
Sunshine and showers is the phrase regulars keep for August here, with the note that thundery short downpours are likelier this month than any other and that nobody knows anything until it arrives. Our row is kinder than the figures they quote - 20.5C over 12.5C against their 15 to 18C and lows in the single digits, which describes a cold late-August night rather than a normal one. Rain falls 60.4mm across 11 days, about five millimetres a time: showers, as advertised. Their packing list is a hooded lightweight waterproof rather than an umbrella, layers, and something for a cool night. A 20.2 kph wind is why the hood matters. The record: humidity 79 percent, 9.4 hours of sun and AQI 30.
Other months in Kilkenny
Forum posters describe January in Ireland as bringing a better-than-average chance of snow and real ice risk, with main and most secondary roads gritted but minor roads still requiring caution. Posters are direct that the biggest practical issue is how short the days run, with some days barely seeming to get properly light at all, and typical temperatures sitting in the 40sF (around 4-9C) alongside wet, drizzly conditions. Posters specifically recommend Kilkenny as a well-suited January destination since it's easily reached from Dublin and every attraction can be covered on foot, making it a practical, compact city pick for winter's short daylight hours. Posters generally recommend leaning on Kilkenny's walkable city center, pubs and indoor sites as the main plan for a January visit rather than fighting the weather.
Forum regulars call July Ireland's driest month on paper, but still expect drizzle - one visitor described hail, strong winds, thunder and sun all within 8 hours, and the recurring line is that a forecast is only reliable about 48 hours out at best. The standard packing list: a light jacket and sweater for cool nights, proper rain gear with a hooded waterproof top rather than an umbrella (which regulars call impractical in Irish towns and cities). July also draws the year's biggest crowds to nearby tourist hubs like Killarney, with several posters suggesting September instead for a similar climate with noticeably fewer visitors.
Add your own note from Kilkenny's card on the map.
Kilkenny climate normals — August
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Kilkenny in August
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Peak crowdsKilkenny Arts Festival, Summer holidays in Ireland, school holidays in 7 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Kilkenny's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Best weatherKilkenny's weather peaks June–August, best around July.
August includes Ballykeeffe Amphitheatre summer.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Kilkenny in August
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Festival
Ballykeeffe Amphitheatre summer
20 Jun – 25 Aug · usuallyMusic festivalBook earlySaturday-night concerts and plays in an open-air amphitheatre cut into a disused quarry, about 15 km west of the city. The better-known acts sell out, and evenings in the quarry turn cool. Source ↗
- Festival
Kilkenny Arts Festival
6–16 AugCrowdedBook earlyTen days in August of classical music, theatre and literature using St Canice's cathedral and the medieval buildings as venues. The best week of the year to be here and the hardest to find a bed. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Kilkenny — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Kilkenny?
Kilkenny in August — FAQ
- Is August a good time to visit Kilkenny?
- August in Kilkenny: nice, a little rain, with clean air — an excellent time to visit. It ranks #3 of 12 months for Kilkenny on SeasonMap's comfort score (86/100).
- What is the weather like in Kilkenny in August?
- In August, Kilkenny averages a daily high of 19.1°C and a low of 12.7°C, with about 68 mm of rain over roughly 11.9 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Kilkenny in August?
- Kilkenny has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 30 in August.
Within 300 km: Dingle's Blasket Islands boats around 1 Apr – 30 Sep, and Belfast's Belfast Mela on 22–30 Aug.