Kinnitty

Nestling in the shadows of the magnificent Slieve Bloom Mountains is the quaint and picturesque village of Kinnitty. The Slieve Blooms form a natural link between Offaly and Laois, the cross-roads of Ireland, and Kinnitty lies at the heart of it.

The village itself is steeped in history and was the home of one of Hollywood’s greatest silent era directors, the Irish exile, Rex Ingram. Best known now for The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921), this handsome, strong willed visionary was responsible for a succession of films for Metro Pictures, later M-G-M that topped the box office and were hailed as masterpieces by the critics. 

Kinnitty also boasts Ireland’s first ever pyramid burial vault located at the rear of the Church of Ireland in the village. It is an exact replica of the Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt and was built in 1834 by the Bernard family who lived in Kinnitty Castle. The concept was derived from a visit to Egypt by one of the family members during his military service in the country. Six Bernard family members are buried in the tomb.

In recent years, Kinnitty Castle has established itself as one of Ireland’s premier wedding venues. The popular wedding venue is located two kilometres outside the village and attracts thousands of extra visitors to the area.

The village has all the necessary amenities visitors need including the historic Kinnitty Castle – known the world over as the venue for fairytale weddings – the award winning Giltraps Pub with Live Music every weekend, historic churches, top class accommodation including yurts and log cabins at the purpose built Giltraps Townhouse & Glamping in the centre of the village – one of the best glamping sites in Ireland!

Kinnitty is home to one of the Irelands best Mountain Bike Trail Centres, to be enjoyed by biking enthusiasts of all levels. Riders can start out from the village and take on a selection of off-road road trails spanning the Slieve Bloom Mountains across Laois & Offaly. With organised hiking expeditions scheduled on a weekly basis throughout the calendar year, there are hundreds of kilometres of walking trails to be enjoyed.

If you are looking for accommodation in Kinnitty, whether you are attending a wedding in the nearby Kinnitty Castle or looking to explore to picturesque countryside, Giltraps Townhouse & Glamping Accommodation, located adjacent to Giltraps Pub, offers a range of deluxe ensuite rooms and glamping accommodation to suit everybody's needs.