Explore Kilkenny’s Heritage with the New Free Lingaun Loop Bus Service

This summer, Kilkenny LEADER Partnership is piloting an exciting new initiative in the Lingaun Valley: a free bus service designed to ease access to the sites of this beautiful and heritage-rich area of southwest Kilkenny and the adjacent part of Tipperary. Commencing on 31 May 2025, the Lingaun Loop will operate five times a day, seven days a week, free-of-charge, linking with existing bus services to bring visitors into the heart of this lovely valley to find ancient sites, village history, castles, hikes, and local cafes.

Visitors to the heart of Ireland’s Ancient East now have an opportunity to explore a sacred, unspoilt rural valley that straddles three counties, and experience 5,000 years of history, on a 50km loop, all at their own pace.

The route and frequency are designed to link in with existing public transport services from popular bases such as Kilkenny city and Waterford city, or Clonmel and Carrick-on-Suir in Tipperary. The Lingaun Loop stops at, or close to, key visitor attractions. Passengers can hop on or off at any one of 13 stops along the 50km route and rejoin the service later.

The Lingaun Loop orbits the area five times a day, seven days a week, starting at 9.30am and finishing just after 5.20pm. Stops include Tullahought, Kilkieran High Crosses, Parkside in Carrick-on-Suir, Dove Hill Centre, Kilsheelan, Kilcash Village, Kilcash Castle, Grangemockler, Killamery, Windgap, Knockroe Passage Tomb, Slate Quarries and Ahenny High Crosses. The full timetable and details about how to link with the loop are available on the Lingaun Valley website.

From Kilkenny, passengers can link in with the Lingaun Loop either through the Local Link 891 service or the JJ Kavanagh 717 service. The Local Link 891 starts from the Train Station or Ormonde Road and links with the Loop at Tullahought. The JJ Kavanagh 717 service from Kilkenny starts out from McDonagh Junction or Ormonde Road and joins the Lingaun Loop at Killamery, Grangemockler, or Kilsheelan.

The Lingaun Loop is being piloted by Kilkenny LEADER Partnership in association with the Local Link service until September. The project is co-funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development. The ‘action research’ pilot initiative will feed into a research project which will showcase demand and mobility options throughout the summer season. The raw data collected will be used to determine the feasibility of operating the service beyond the pilot term.

“We are eager to encourage visitors to Ireland’s Ancient East to discover the captivating Lingaun River that runs through this small, quiet valley and forms the border between south-west Kilkenny and south-east Tipperary. The pilot service is innovative in concept, in line with the philosophy of the LEADER Programme,” said Declan Rice, CEO, Kilkenny LEADER Partnership.

“The Lingaun Loop allows visitors to experience a beautiful landscape along the Lingaun River and this ancient river that flows from Slievenamon Mountain down to Carrick-on-Suir. Taking the bus is the ideal way for the public to visit ancient passage tombs that pre-date Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids and view high crosses, church ruins and monuments from the early Christian and medieval periods throughout the Valley.”