Kilkenny Buses and Trains: The Full Route List
A complete index of public transport in Kilkenny: 8 routes, 297 journeys today, every one linked to its live timetable. Search covers every stop on every line.
City buses 2
Routes running inside Kilkenny and its immediate suburbs.
Intercity coaches 2
Long-distance services linking Kilkenny with other cities and the airports.
TFI Local Link 4
Rural connections serving smaller villages near Kilkenny.
How the network is laid out
Public transport in Kilkenny is built around a single interchange point. Everything else — the regional coaches, the rural links, the rail line — connects through it, which makes the centre the place to change rather than a place to avoid.
Weekends and evenings
Weekend timetables in Kilkenny are lighter than weekday ones and Sunday is lighter again. Some routes on this page run Monday to Friday only. The journey counts shown are for today, so check the route page itself if you are planning for a different day.
Who runs the buses
4 operators serve Kilkenny, and they do not share ticketing. Knowing which company runs your route matters because it decides whether a Leap Card works.
| Operator | Routes here | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| TFI Local Link Carlow Kilkenny Wicklow | 4 | City |
| City Direct | 2 | Selected routes |
| JJ Kavanagh | 1 | Selected routes |
| JJ/Bernard Kavanagh | 1 | Selected routes |
Getting to the airport
Airport journeys from Kilkenny are on this page — filter the list above by coach services to compare them. Book ahead where you can: the airport runs fill first and the walk-up fare is rarely the cheapest.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Assuming one ticket covers everything
Leap works on TFI services, not on private coaches. Check the operator on the route card before you rely on it.
Trusting the terminus time
The headline departure time is from the first stop. Your stop may be twenty minutes later — open the route page for times from where you actually board.
Accessible travel
Most city buses serving Kilkenny are low-floor with a ramp and a wheelchair space. Coaches and rural minibuses vary far more, so contact the operator ahead for those. Rail assistance should be booked in advance where possible.
Where these numbers come from
Everything on this page is generated from the official GTFS timetable data published for Irish public transport, refreshed weekly. The journey counts reflect services scheduled to run today — not a yearly average — which is why they move from day to day. Operators set the times and can change them, so confirm before travelling.
Rural connections
4 TFI Local Link services reach Kilkenny from the smaller towns and villages around it. These run a handful of times a day rather than hourly, and they are frequently the only public transport those places have.
The busiest routes today
Frequency varies enormously between routes here. These five carry the most journeys today, which usually means you can turn up without checking a timetable — the rest reward planning.
| Route | Where it goes | Operator | Journeys |
|---|---|---|---|
| KK2 | Cillín Hill – Saint Luke’s Hospital | City Direct | 120 |
| KK1 | N77 Roundabout – Danville Business Park | City Direct | 119 |
| 717 | Clonmel – Kilkenny – Dublin Airport | JJ Kavanagh | 20 |
| 891 | Fiddown – Kilkenny | TFI Local Link Carlow Kilk | 10 |
| 881 | Graiguenamanagh – Kilkenny Castle | TFI Local Link Carlow Kilk | 8 |
Early starts and late finishes
The earliest departure listed for Kilkenny today is early morning and the latest is late evening. Outside that window there is no scheduled service, so late arrivals need a taxi.
Check the day type
Saturday and Sunday timetables are thinner than weekdays, and some routes do not run at all.
Work backwards
Pick the arrival you need first, then find the departure that gets you there with a margin.
Confirm the last bus
The final departure of the day is the one most often missed — check it before you commit to the trip.