The picturesque village of Kinnitty nestles at the foot of Knocknamann on the western slopes of the Slieve Bloom Mountains, 12km from Birr and 25km from Tullamore. Knocknamann is the site where the festival of Bealtaine was held in pre Christian times.

The Community Centre, originally the old School House and Petty Sessions Court built in 1820, now houses the Slieve Bloom Environment Park Exhibition (on display June-September) and the Tourist Information point. The Tourist Office will give you information on walking in the Slieve Blooms. Guided walks take place every Sunday from May to September.

The village is full of charm and welcoming residents. And with the Slieve Bloom Mountains at your doorstep, there is plenty to see and do.

The stunning 12th century neo gothic style Kinnitty Castle is located at the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains. Kinnitty Castle has been destroyed, rebuilt and refurbished many times and has seen many residents come and go, including the Normans, the O'Carrolls, the English forces and the Bernard family, who were English settlers in the 1764.

In 1811 Lady Catherine Hutchinson, wife of Thomas Bernard, commissioned the Pain Brothers, architects of Dromoland Castle and Adare Manor, to extend the castle. Destroyed by fire in 1922, Kinnitty Castle was rebuilt in 1928 and is still inhabited by the Bernard family until 1946 when it was sold to Lord Decies who in turn sold it to the state in 1951. In 1994 the castle was bought and transformed into a luxury hotel.

It now draws many visitors to this small village for a fairy tale wedding or holiday, featuring mountain trekking, horse riding, clay-pigeon shooting and maybe even a little pampering in the luxurious Gate Lodge Spa.

The pyramid is the only one of it's kind in Ireland. Located in the graveyard behind the Church of Ireland in the Village.

On his return from Egypt in the mid 1800's Lt. Col. Richard Wesley Bernard built the crypt for his family it stands 30 feet high and is an exact replica of the pyramid of Cheops in Egypt. Building began in 1830 was completed in 1834.

Inside the steel doors there are 5 steps down to the tomb where there are 6 coffins all belonging to the Bernard family of Kinnitty Castle. The first person was Mary Bernard who was bitten by a dog and got rabies, and the last burial was in 1907.

If you come to Kinnitty you just have to explore the Slieve Bloom Mountains – they are a walkers paradise. They have unspoilt landscape that will take your breath away. You may even spot a deer as the mountains are home to the Silka deer. If you are really lucky you could see the famous grouse, which is still a common sight in our beautiful mountains.

There are map trails waiting to be discovered with different levels of difficulty and distance (guided walks every Sunday from May to September), and lovely little picnic areas for one to dine alfresco and have the view that money can't buy.

There is also has a beautiful waterfall named Cathole Falls and just a bit further up the mountain is the Ridge of Capard, where you can see for miles. If you want TIME OUT then the Ridge is the place for you.