We're delighted to share reviews from visitors who have experienced our free school tours. As our tours are tailored to each class, we appreciate your feedback as we aim to continuously improve our tours and each visitor's experience.
If you have visited us on a school tour and would like to submit your review, please contact our Visitor Experience Team.

Email: [email protected]

Borris Vocational School 2024

"Butler Gallery is a total immersive experience for students and adults of all ages.
As an Art Educator, I take all of my Art students to this venue each year. Each temporary exhibition offers something new and interesting which challenges students to think and conceptualise about the art works on show. They serve as a window into perceiving and understanding the world and times they live in.
Film Installation Art, traditional painting , sculpture, contemporary art , photography, as well as multi media exhibits featured here, feed the senses, and can provide anchor points for project exploration and development, or act as frames of reference, as students subsequently explore their own visual narratives in their own project work, and in particular work for state exams.
Housed in the historic Evans House, a annals house of old, this gallery also has a modern wing that provides a different and contrasting context, a perfect opportunity for students to see and appreciate how an old heritage building can be repurposed and infused with life from the addition of this architectural gem. Coupled with the onsite sculpture garden, and with its close proximity to the National Crafts Council Gallery and the sculpture of the Kilkenny Castle , (which also houses the Long Gallery and the Ross Tapestry) makes this venue an excellent "must see " on any educational Art trip.
A final note on the excellent work of the Butler Gallery staff, Shane Gallagher and Paula Lynch, hosts of the Educational Tours here, who focus on key points that aid students in their Leaving Certificate Visual Art Exams, providing context, background, and insightful critical narrative about each exhibit whilst focusing on points that aid curation and display of the work such as lighting, use of space, labelling, accessibility, media, scale .Their visual lens and enthusiasm serve to help put this gallery on any Artist, Educator or tourists map - a gem, in a city of riches!"

Deirdre Mooney (Head of Art, Borris Vocational School).