Johnstown (Kilkenny)

Johnstown sits along the R693 about 8km northeast of Kilkenny city, with handy connections to the N10 for Dublin and Waterford runs. Most locals nip into Kilkenny via the R693 for work or shopping, while the M9 motorway 15km away handles longer trips to Dublin or Cork. The N76 offers a lovely alternative route through the Nore Valley if you're heading west to Callan. The town's claim to fame is the massive Kells Priory, one of Ireland's finest Norman sites, where five medieval tower houses connected by curtain walls sprawl across several acres.