Criminal Law Solicitor for County Kilkenny
Kilkenny is where Rafter Solicitors is based, at 26 James Street, a short walk from the courthouse on Parliament Street. For anyone in the city or the county who has been charged, summonsed or asked to attend a garda station, this page explains how we take a criminal matter from the first phone call to the courtroom in Kilkenny.
Criminal defence from a practice that sits in Kilkenny every court day
Because the office and the courthouse are in the same city, a Kilkenny client can meet us in person before the first listing rather than relying on a phone call the night before. We read the charge sheet or summons with you, identify the offence and the section it is brought under, and set out what the prosecution must prove. Where there has been a garda interview, we obtain the recording and the custody record and check that the detention and questioning followed the rules that protect you.
The work after that depends on the case. Some matters turn on a legal point, such as whether a search or an arrest was lawful. Others turn on the facts and on witnesses. Many are resolved by careful preparation of a plea and of the material a judge considers before sentence. Whatever the route, you will know before each court date what will happen in the room and what is being said on your behalf.
Kilkenny clients also ask about the practical side: whether an employer or a college needs to be told, what a conviction would mean for travel or for a professional registration, and how long the matter is likely to run. Those answers depend on the offence and on your situation, and we give them honestly in consultation rather than in general terms.
If you or a family member is currently detained, our garda station page for County Kilkenny covers the interview stage and the right to have a solicitor present.
Kilkenny Courthouse: District Court, Circuit Court and the cases that go further
Kilkenny Courthouse on Parliament Street hosts the District Court, the Circuit Court and sittings of the High Court, so a Kilkenny matter can stay in one building from first appearance to trial. Summary offences are heard and finished in the District Court. Offences that are triable on indictment are either dealt with in the District Court with the consent of the prosecution and the accused, or sent forward to the Circuit Court, where a jury decides contested cases. The small number of offences reserved to the Central Criminal Court are heard elsewhere.
Bail, legal aid and adjournments are decided at the early listings, and each of those decisions depends on your circumstances and on the charge rather than on a general rule, which is why we discuss them in consultation. The terms the court uses are explained in plain words in our District Court glossary.
Clients from Kilkenny city, Thomastown, Callan and Castlecomer
The Kilkenny County Council area runs from Castlecomer in the north through the city to Thomastown and Callan and down to the Waterford border, and the District Court area that covers it, District No. 22, also takes in County Carlow. We act for clients from across the county and arrange meetings around work and family commitments at the James Street office, by phone or by video.
Alexander Rafter, the principal of the practice, deals with criminal matters personally. The practice attends garda stations day and night, represents clients in the District Court, builds the trial strategy for serious offences, and advises on applications to have a conviction overturned.
Many Kilkenny matters begin with a road traffic stop, a dispute that ended with gardai being called, or an allegation made some time after the event. Each type raises its own questions about evidence and procedure, and the approach that suits one does not suit another. That is why the first consultation is spent on the detail of what happened rather than on general reassurance.
To discuss a charge or summons in County Kilkenny, use the contact page to arrange a consultation with Rafter Solicitors. The first conversation is without obligation; if both sides wish to proceed, a letter of engagement sets out the terms before any work begins.
Towns we cover in County Kilkenny
Pages for towns in County Kilkenny: Ballyragget, Callan, Castlecomer, Graiguenamanagh, Kilkenny City, Mooncoin, Thomastown.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Sound legal advice is based on years of training, hard work, and passion, as well as familiarity with legislation and precedent and sound consideration. You’ll find all that and more at Rafter Solicitors.
- 26 James Street, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland
Written by Alexander Rafter, Solicitor. Last reviewed October 2026.
This page is general information, not legal advice. The position depends on the circumstances of each case and on current law.
In contentious business, a solicitor may not calculate fees or other charges as a percentage or proportion of any award or settlement.
