In March 2026, Muckalee Ladies Gaelic Football Club was honoured at a civic reception hosted by Kilkenny County Council at County Hall in Kilkenny. The event marked a proud and memorable occasion for the club and its supporters, celebrating the team’s outstanding achievement in winning the All-Ireland Junior Ladies Football Championship, a historic first in …

162

Room for improvement at both ends for Lyng’s men BY NIALL SHERRY, SPORTS EDITOR SPORTSEDITOR@KILKENNYOBSERVER.IE So where are we? It’s April already.  Hopefully ‘winter hurling’ is in the rear-view mirror and we can look forward to better weather and better hurling for those in black and amber over the next three months or so.  Now …

165

Mullinavat 2-17; Dicksboro 1-09 Mullinavat advanced to the quarter finals of the 2026 Senior Football Championship with an eleven-point victory over Dicksboro in this lunchtime encounter at Mullinavat GAA Grounds on Sunday last. On a difficult afternoon weather-wise, with a swirling wind and persistent drizzle throughout, conditions made fluent football difficult for both sides. Handling …

136

Ireland’s premier Americana and roots festival returns to Kilkenny from 1–4 May 2026 Kilkenny, Ireland – Ireland’s leading Americana and roots music event, the Smithwick’s Kilkenny Roots Festival, returns for its 28th edition from 1–4 May 2026, bringing an outstanding line-up of international artists from America, Europe and the UK to venues across Kilkenny’s historic city …

166

By Tom Dayton Photos: Ken McGuire Growing up in Clare in the 1980’s, two topics were always up for discussion. Traditional Irish music, and Fairies. Mind you they were never referred to as fairies. Rather, they were addressed as ‘The Good People (An Dea Daoine) for fear of insulting them. The music, whether in Miltown …

142

The Environment Department of Kilkenny County Council has launched a new public awareness campaign aimed at tackling illegal dumping, fly-tipping and littering across the city and county. The campaign, which will run over the coming months, features a series of short online videos highlighting well-known locations throughout Kilkenny that have been adversely affected by illegal …

131

BY CLAIR WHITTY The journey from perimenopause to post can be an easy one with very little symptoms or a difficult one dealing with everything that could be thrown at you. Symptoms can include anxiety, low mood, memory and sleep problems, or aches and pains. You might not suspect perimenopause just yet. Hot flushes and …

122

By John Fitzgerald (Part three) In March1921, six members of the Callan IRA Flying Column sought shelter at the Luttrell farmhouse: Paddy Ryan, Ned Aylward, Jimmy Leahy, Paddy Luttrell, Sean Quinn, and Jim McKenna. The Luttrell family welcomed them and the spent the night in the unoccupied Garryricken House.  But someone had tipped off the Tans …

211

Kilkenny County Council Library Service is delighted to launch Spring into Storytime 2026, an annual Irish library initiative running throughout April that celebrates children’s love of books and storytelling. Spring into Storytime is part of the national Right to Read programme, which encourages family reading and supports literacy development for children of all ages. Sophie …

110

Filmmakers and creatives from across Kilkenny will gather this April for the Artist Connect Film Day, a one-day event focused on collaboration, discussion and developing new work. Taking place on Saturday, April 11th, 2026, from 10am to 5pm at Thomastown Community Centre, Marshes Street, Kilkenny, the event will be hosted by writer and filmmaker Gillian …

176