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music · Saturday 18 July 2026 · 7:00pm 
Matt Berninger with Lisa O'Neill and Engine Alley
At Castle Mills · Castle Mills, Kilkenny, Co. Kilkenny
At Castle Mills · Castle Mills, Kilkenny, Co. Kilkenny
Matt Berninger, the voice and lyricist behind The National, brings his solo show to Kilkenny for the inaugural Live at Castle Mills concert series on Saturday 18 July 2026. This is the first event of its kind in the city - a purpose-built tented venue beside the River Nore, right in the shadow of Kilkenny Castle. If you know The National’s records and have wanted to hear Berninger in a more intimate setting than a festival main stage, this is the one. He is joined by two acts who make the bill genuinely special: Lisa O’Neill and Engine Alley.
Berninger released his second solo album Get Sunk in May 2025, produced with his wife Carin Besser. The set will draw on that record as well as material from The National’s catalogue - expect the low baritone, the searching lyrics, and the kind of songs that feel better heard live than through headphones.
Lisa O’Neill opens proceedings. The Cavan singer-songwriter has built a devoted following through years of touring, and her album All of This Is Chance was among the most praised Irish records in recent memory. She brings socially engaged songs and a sharp, dry wit that goes down well with a crowd settled in for the evening.
Engine Alley round out the bill. The brothers from Kilkenny were a distinctive presence in Irish music in the early 1990s, and their 2018 return album Showroom reminded people why. A rare live appearance from them on home turf.
The venue itself is worth noting. Live at Castle Mills uses a large tented structure set in riverside parkland beside Kilkenny Castle grounds. The promoters have focused on sound quality and comfort - it is not a field with a PA bolted to scaffolding. Doors are at 7:00pm.
Kilkenny is well connected by rail from Dublin Heuston (about 90 minutes) and from Waterford. Bus Éireann runs regular services from Dublin, Cork, and Limerick. The Castle Mills venue is an easy walk from Kilkenny train station and city centre.
If you are driving, city centre car parks are the practical option - there is no parking on site at the venue. The N10 and N77 are the main approach roads, and the M9 connects Kilkenny to Dublin in under two hours.
A Saturday night show gives you the day to explore a city that rewards the visit properly - the medieval mile, Kilkenny Castle, the craft quarter, and more good pubs per square mile than most Irish cities. There is more to see in Kilkenny and across Co. Kilkenny.
Heading to Castle Mills in Kilkenny? Kilkenny has plenty more to see. Read the Kilkenny area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.