Features
Romantic Success at Connolly’s RED MILLS Day
Last Saturday, 14th February, Gowran Park played host to a spectacular edition of Connolly’s RED MILL Day successfully blending high-octane National Hunt racing with a romantic Valentine’s Day flair. As a cornerstone of the Irish racing calendar for over 40 years, this fixture once again proved exactly why it remains a premier social and sporting destination for fans across …
The choice to step forward into growth or back into safety as Lake present The Weir
‘Tell me a story; tell me a story; tell me a story before I go to bed’ By Willie Egan Photos by Ken McGuire Methinks this line from an old nursery rhyme might be a good way to introduce an article about The Weir by Conor McPherson, the current offering from Kilkenny’s Lake Productions. For …
Kilkenny Karate Club Claim Medals at Major Championships in England
The Budo Martial Arts Centre, Kilkenny, has returned home with medals and memorable achievements following a strong showing at the Japan Shotokan Karate Association GB & Ireland Championships, held recently in England. The championships attracted karate competitors from across Great Britain and Ireland. With a high standard of judging and experienced athletes in every division, …
Davy Holohan – Reflections on a Life
I had many interactions with Davy Holohan. Our friendship began during innocent schooldays and remained constant as we navigated life. On a regular basis, over cups of black coffee, we would chat, discussing world affairs and the mundane frivolities of life. We occasionally disagreed but were never disagreeable. Regularly, I would meet Davy as he …
The Weird World of The Weir
In Conor McPherson’s play The Weir, being presented by Lake Productions, we are introduced to stories about fairies, local folklore, and the supernatural, allowing us to explore themes of isolation, tradition and modernity, and the human need for connection. The Kilkenny Observer contacted Dr Stiofán Ó Cadhla for his take on the subject. By: Dr …
Love of land results in murder, gossip, isolation and silence as Kilmoganny stage The Field
Since they were founded in 2005, Shrughawadda Players from Kilmoganny have produced some wonderful nights of theatre. The man who started the theatrical ball rolling was Michael Dowling. Celebrating their 20th anniversary, the players are now preparing to take to the stage again and will present The Field by J. B. Keane. Based in and …
Statement from Bishop Ger Nash
Bishop Ger Nash has been appointed Apostolic Administrator for the Diocese of Ossory. The following statement, issued by Bishop Ger, has been received by the Kilkenny Observer newspaper. “I have been informed by the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland, Archbishop Montemayor, that Pope Leo XIV has appointed me Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Ossory, to …
Thomastown Concert Hall to host McPherson’s The Weir
By David O’Brien (Kilkenny Observer) In 2018, a chance meeting between Seamus Quigley from Thomastown Concert Hall and Ger Cody from Lake Productions set the ball rolling for a great theatrical relationship. The week prior to this, Ger Cody and Emily Kelly had met and hatched a plan to form a new theatre company in …
First-class relic of Saint Brigid for annual service
This year’s St Brigid’s Day service, led by the Kilkenny Gospel Choir, will take place on Friday, 31 January (eve of the Feast of St Brigid) in St Fiacre’s Church, Loughboy, Kilkenny, at 7.30 pm. A first-class relic of Saint Brigid will be available on the night for blessing. Saint Brigid, ‘the Mary of the …
The Great War Widows of Walkin Street and Goose Hill, County Kilkenny
The Great War Widows of Walkin Street and Goose Hill, County Kilkenny (working title) is a forthcoming publication that will document the human cost of the First World War on two Kilkenny streets. Research on the lives of the widows and families left behind is underway. Over 150 soldiers who served in the Great War …
