Kilcullen's Seaweed Baths

​In 1912, the year of the “Titanic” the doors of Kilcullen’s Bath House opened for business.  The Bath house had been built for the purpose on a site required by the Kilcullen Family as far back as 1898.

The Edwardian building at the time as ‘Kilcullen’s Modern Bath House’, an attempt to set it apart from a much older establishment dating from the middle of the 19th century, is today as it was then. 

Ironically it is that ‘modern’ building which now gives the Bath House its quaint Edwardian charm, a time capsule to remind the bathers of the simple elegance of a bygone age.  The beautiful Edwardian fitting comprising the original enormous glazed porcelain baths, solid brass taps and panelled wooden shower cisterns, which a decade ago would have been considered dowdy, now combine to provide the unique ambience of the Bath House.

For over 100 years and into the fifth generation of ownership by the same family the Bath House has opened its doors for the summer tourist season.  Cynics are silenced by this enduring testimony to the appeal of the Seaweed Baths.

The Benefits of Seaweed Baths

Tradition along the west coast of Ireland holds that the practice of bathing in hot water and Seaweed provides relief from painful symptoms of rheumatism and arthritis.  The therapeutic power of the Seaweed Bath is attributed to the high concentration of Iodine that occurs naturally in Sea Water and in Seaweed.

In its growing process Seaweed extracts this Iodine from the surrounding Sea Water and concentrates it in its fronds to such an extent that some seaweeds have up to 20,000 times the concentration of Iodine of the water in which they grow.

Steam Baths

At the Bath House the “full treatment” comprises a “Steam & Seaweed Bath”.  In concept our Steam bath is very similar to modern Sauna Baths but that is where the familiarity ends... You are enclosed in your individual wooden cabinet with only your head exposed to the light of day.  You can breathe fresh cool air as your body is gently seamed with pure moist vapour. The treatment is completed by taking a warm Seaweed Bath followed by an invigorating cold sea water shower.