Features
Emma’s first novel a sign of a bright future
Emma Heffernan Burkhardt, a 16 year old from Kilkenny, has recently published her first novel entitled Disabilities More Like Abilities. Emma has always loved to write and last summer began focusing on her first novel. Having recently received her own diagnosis, Emma realised that often people with disabilities have hidden talents or abilities. This became …
Church singer & musician celebrates 70th birthday
Gerry Feeney, the talented singer and musician, who performs at the 10.30am Mass in St John’s church every Thursday, was honoured with a surprise birthday party in the Parish Centre last week. Friends and parishioners joined Monsignor Dan Carroll in wishing Gerry joy, happiness and health on his special day. An atmosphere of convivial merriment …
Kindness and caring to the fore at St John’s school
The Amber Committee at St. John’s Senior School have been busy highlighting the importance of mental health, kindness and caring for each other. These boys and girls, together with their teacher Ms. Heffernan, have been visiting the local nursing home and spreading kindness in school. They recently welcomed Teac Tom for some important talks on …
Laois Open Door Theatre presents; Play-On
Laois Open Door Theatre are delighted to be back in Thomastown for the third year in a row. This year they will present Play On by Rick Abbott. This hilarious love letter to amateur drama, follows a plucky community theatre group rehearsing an original murder mystery Murder Most Foul by a first time author. In …
Huge demand for places on thatching course
Photos by Pat Shortall The country’s first formal thatching course in fifteen years, which started in January in Co. Kilkenny, has highlighted significant public interest in keeping the ancient Irish skill of thatching alive. This full-time introductory course, which has been developed and run by Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board (KCETB) in partnership …
Planting of Crocus bulbs at war memorial proves great initiative
Photos by Danny Lahart The Kilkenny Great War Memorial Committee had a desire to improve the envoirns of the memorial to the over 800 Kilkenny men and women who died during the First World War. To this end, the idea to place Crocus bulbs in the raised grass bank was born. This task was enormous …
Carlow Little Theatre Society present Eden
Carlow Little Theatre Society are delighted to be returning to the stage of the George Bernard Shaw theatre this coming March with Eugene O’Brien’s much lauded, and award-winning play, Eden. Eden is the powerful story of an ordinary relationship on an extraordinary weekend. Billy and Breda are approaching their 10th wedding anniversary. Breda is determined …
The St. John’s dream that became a reality
The Side by Side community group from St John’s parish gathered in the parish centre on Thursday last to celebrate the club’s 50th anniversary. The day began with a special mass celebrated by Monsignor Dan Carroll. Joining the celebrations was the Mayor of Kilkenny, Cllr. Andrew McGuinness, a regular participant in club activities. Also in …
A doubled life, off and on the stage
PM O’Sullivan Clare Gibbs always had an eye. Just for how things fit together, pattern and mosaic, the sheen of rightness. This gift led the Kilkenny native in various directions, and eventually into theatre, but first she had to be a schoolgirl. There were roads to travel in the paths of taste. The grown woman …
Marvellous moon show comes to Kilkenny
The ‘Museum of the Moon’, a breath-taking installation by artist Luke Jerram, opened on March 10th 2025 for an exclusive three-week exhibit at Kilkenny’s St. Canice’s Cathedral. And local creatives are planning a spectacular show to welcome the celestial art piece. The large-scale installation is dramatically suspended three metres from the ground above head height. …
