Discover Carlow
A Barrow river town with a blown-up castle, a free county museum and an arts centre beside the cathedral
What's On
Upcoming events and things happening in Carlow
Carlow Arts Festival
Five days of theatre, music, visual art and street performance, 3 to 7 June 2027.
Thursday night trad session at Teach Dolmain
RecurringWeekly Thursday trad session on Tullow Street, from about half nine.
Carlow Farmers' Market
RecurringSaturday market on the Potato Market, nine to two, with nineteen local traders.
Carlow Fringe Arts Festival
RecurringSummer fringe festival of local music, art and poetry, run from Made in Carlow on Tullow Street.
Carlow Right Now
Live conditions are not loading at the moment. Carlow is inland in the Barrow valley, so expect mild, changeable weather rather than extremes, with cool winters, mild summers and rain possible in any month. Bring a waterproof whatever the season, and good shoes if you are walking the towpath after rain.
🚆 InterCity from Carlow
Iarnród Éireann InterCity departures
InterCity service from Carlow. Updates every minute.
A county town on the Barrow
Carlow, Ceatharlach in Irish and KAR-loh to anyone who lives here, is the county town of Co. Carlow and, at 27,351 people in the 2022 census, the twelfth-largest urban centre in the country. It grew up at a crossing of the River Barrow, and the river is still the line the town is drawn on: the castle sits on the east bank at Castle Hill, Graiguecullen Bridge carries the road west, and the old towpath of the Barrow Way runs south out of town towards Milford.
Most of what a visitor comes for is inside a ten-minute walk. College Street holds the cathedral, the county museum and tourist office, Carlow College and VISUAL, the arts centre and theatre, which together the town calls its Cultural Quarter. Tullow Street is the main street and where the pubs are. The two things worth a short drive are out east and north-east: Brownshill Dolmen, a Neolithic tomb with an enormous granite capstone, and the Gothic shell of Duckett's Grove.
Where To Eat
From fine dining to casual favourites
Lennons @ VISUAL
Daytime cafe and weekend restaurant under the VISUAL arts centre, in town since 1999.
Mimosa Bar de Tapas
College Street tapas and wine bar, evenings Wednesday to Sunday, book online.
Carpenter's Bar, Lounge and Restaurant
Family-run Barrack Street pub since 1927, breakfast from nine and a carvery lunch.