
Things to do in Kells
Find places that fit your time and your plans. 116 of them are in Kells itself and 152 more within twelve kilometres, because the castle outside the village is usually the reason to go to the village.
96 places
Places to explore in pictures

XNukes · CC BY-SA 4.0. Via Wikimedia Commons. Resized and cropped for display. 
Brian Shaw · CC BY-SA 2.0. Via Wikimedia Commons. Resized and cropped for display. Old Rathmore Church
9.4 km south of Kells · Some of it indoors

Garry Dickinson · CC BY-SA 2.0. Via Wikimedia Commons. Resized and cropped for display.
More places to explore
- MonumentsThe Market CrossIn the centreOutdoors · About 15 min
- MonumentsMarket StreetIn the centreOutdoors · About 15 min
- ShrinesOur LadyIn the centreOutdoors
- Information boardsMonastic SiteIn the centre
- GardensParnell Garden120 m from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- MonumentsThe Parnell Garden120 m from the centreOutdoors · About 15 min
- Information boardsChurchyard Wall170 m from the centre
- Tourist officesKells Civic Offices180 m from the centre
- Information boardsDriving Route180 m from the centre
- High crossesSaint Patrick and Saint Columba Cross190 m from the centreOutdoors · About 20 min
- Information boardsKells Town Hall190 m from the centre
- MonumentsKells High Crosses and Round Tower220 m from the centreOutdoors · About 15 min
- High crossesPatrici et Columbae Crux220 m from the centreOutdoors · About 20 min
- MonumentsKells Round Tower230 m from the centreOutdoors · About 15 min
- Information boardsTáin Trail Cycling & Touring Route260 m from the centre
- MonumentsHeadfort Grove 1976-2016280 m from the centreOutdoors · About 15 min
- MonumentsJames Carolan300 m from the centreOutdoors · About 15 min
- Information boardsSaint Columcille's House300 m from the centre
- MonumentsSaint John's Cemetery300 m from the centreOutdoors · About 15 min
- ParksRemembrance Garden370 m from the centreOutdoors · About 30 min
- High crossesMarket Cross380 m from the centreOutdoors · About 20 min
- Information boardsKells Courthouse390 m from the centre
- MonumentsKells Presbyterian Church400 m from the centreOutdoors · About 15 min
- PlaygroundsFair Green Playground Kells420 m from the centreOutdoors · About 45 min
- Tourist officesKells Courthouse Tourism and Cultural Hub420 m from the centre
- ParksOld Kells Courthouse430 m from the centreOutdoors · About 30 min
- ParksBlackthorn Grove Park550 m from the centreOutdoors · About 30 min
- Ringforts and sitesKells Union Workshop, site of700 m from the centreOutdoors · About 20 min
- LakesTownparks Pond830 m from the centreOutdoors · About 30 min
- WoodsLong Wood890 m from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- WoodsLong Wood910 m from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- WoodsStone Wood1.0 km from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- LakesHeadfort Demesne Pond1.0 km from the centreOutdoors · About 30 min
- MonumentsKells Anglers Association Memorial1.1 km from the centreOutdoors · About 15 min
- WoodsMausoleum Wood1.1 km from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- ParksRockfield Park1.1 km from the centreOutdoors · About 30 min
- LakesTownparks North Attenuation Pond1.2 km from the centreOutdoors · About 30 min
- LakesGardenrath Pond1.2 km from the centreOutdoors · About 30 min
- WoodsRabbit Hill Wood1.2 km from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- WoodsHeronry Wood1.3 km from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- LakesTownparks Attenuation Pond1.3 km from the centreOutdoors · About 30 min
- LakesGardenrath Pond1.4 km from the centreOutdoors · About 30 min
- LakesTownsparks South Attenuation Pond1.4 km from the centreOutdoors · About 30 min
- WoodsTiermurrin Wood1.5 km from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- LakesWilliamstown Farm Pond1.5 km from the centreOutdoors · About 30 min
- WoodsLarge Island1.6 km from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- LakesGardenrath Pond1.7 km from the centreOutdoors · About 30 min
- WoodsLisland Woods1.7 km from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- WoodsSmall Island1.7 km from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- LakesGardenrath Pond1.8 km from the centreOutdoors · About 30 min
- LakesCalliaghstown Attenuation Pond1.8 km from the centreOutdoors · About 30 min
- WoodsFurzy Wood1.8 km from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- WoodsLong Plantation1.9 km from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- WoodsBallyreily Wood1.9 km from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- WoodsGarden Plantation1.9 km from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- WoodsBullock Wood1.9 km from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- Information boardsHeadfort Bridge1.9 km from the centre
- LakesWilliamstown Farm Pond1.9 km from the centreOutdoors · About 30 min
- LakesRockfield Pond2.0 km from the centreOutdoors · About 30 min
- WoodsLisland Woods2.0 km from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- WoodsBoxhill Wood2.0 km from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- Information boardsRestoring Grassland Biodiversity2.0 km from the centre
- MonumentsThe Pauper's Cemetery2.0 km from the centreOutdoors · About 15 min
- LakesWilliamstown Farm Pond2.0 km from the centreOutdoors · About 30 min
- HillsHill of Lloyd2.0 km from the centreOutdoors
- ShrinesAltar2.0 km from the centreOutdoors
- MonumentsGreat Famine Project2.0 km from the centreOutdoors · About 15 min
- Information boardsPeople's Park2.0 km from the centre
- WoodsBullock Wood2.1 km from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- Information boardsKells Community Allotments2.1 km from the centre
- MonumentsThe Kieran Flanagan Way2.1 km from the centreOutdoors · About 15 min
- PlaygroundsPeoples Park Playground2.1 km from the centreOutdoors · About 45 min
- Information boardsRingfort2.1 km from the centre
- Information boardsLloyd Walking Trail2.1 km from the centre
- WoodsEel Weir Island2.1 km from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- LakesWilliamstown Farm Pond2.1 km from the centreOutdoors · About 30 min
- HillsCherry Hill2.1 km from the centreOutdoors
- LakesKilmainham Attenuation Pond2.1 km from the centreOutdoors · About 30 min
- Ringforts and sitesStanding Stone2.1 km from the centreOutdoors · About 20 min
- WoodsAvenue Wood2.2 km from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- LakesKilmainham Attenuation Pond2.2 km from the centreOutdoors · About 30 min
- CastlesCastle ruins2.2 km from the centreSome of it indoors · About 45 min
- WoodsBlack Wood2.2 km from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- WoodsAvenue Wood2.3 km from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- WoodsWindmill Wood2.3 km from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- WoodsLackmelch Rockfield2.3 km from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- WoodsOrchard Wood2.3 km from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- LakesWilliamstown Farm Pond2.3 km from the centreOutdoors · About 30 min
- WoodsSally Wood2.3 km from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- WoodsBlackarch Wood2.3 km from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
- LakesWilliamstown Farm Pond2.4 km from the centreOutdoors · About 30 min
- LakesGrangegoddan Pond2.5 km from the centreOutdoors · About 30 min
- WoodsOrchard Wood2.5 km from the centreOutdoors · About 40 min
Showing 96 of 268 places, with photographs first. Every kind of place in Kells lists the rest.
Put a day together
A day on foot in Kells: 9 stops the map records, joined in the shortest order that walks them all, 4.57 km in total.
By kind
Events during your visit
Checked against the organiser's own pages. Pick a date on the events page and it answers for that day rather than for the month.
- 5 to 8 November 2026Free and ticketed partsSamhain Festival of Food & CultureEureka House
- 6 November 2026TicketedRaw & Natural: Exploring Irish Raw Milk Cheeses and Natural WinesHeadfort House
- 6 November 2026TicketedThe Samhain Literary Pub CrawlThe Red Chapel
- 7 November 2026TicketedIcons of Ireland Afternoon Tea with Graham HerterichHeadfort House
While you are there
50 places to eat and 5 places to stay on the map in Kells, and 14 bus and train lines calling here.
Questions people ask
What is there to do in Kells?
How is indoors or outdoors decided?
Does with kids mean it is suitable for my child?
What does it cost, and when is it open?
How do you get to Kells?
Places are OpenStreetMap records and each links to the one it came from. Indoors, outdoors and with kids are worked out from what kind of place a thing is, not from tags on it, because the tags exist on almost none of them. Visit lengths are a default for each kind. Distances are straight lines from the centre of Kells.