Galleries

Homily of Bishop Niall Coll at Mass for Pope Francis RIP, St Mary’s Cathedral, Kilkenny My phone started ringing within minutes following media reports of the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday. Even though he has been ill, his death came as a shock to most of us. Immediately, a media statement had to …

Photos: Pat Shortall The sun shone as over 100 people gathered at Kilkenny’s Peace Park. Representatives from Australia, Turkey and New Zealand were in attendance, as were people from many Irish counties. Also present were various politicians. At 16.30 hours, Commandant Larry Scallan assumed his position. A long whistle sounded, and proceedings got underway. It …

The annual Easter Commemoration ceremony was held on The Green in Freshford at noon on Sunday 20th of April. Members of Kilkenny historical re-enactors led the parade, followed by the flying column with  Kilkenny Historical Re-Enactors. The event was MC’d by John Meagher, who opened the ceremony. The Proclamation was read by newly elected TD …

Photography by Mr. Tom Beirne  On 8 April 2025, Loreto Secondary School Kilkenny held their annual International Day to celebrate the vast diversity of cultures and ethnicities representing the student body. The day was a huge success, with over 185 students from various ethnicities taking part in the event, and show-off their culture with pride. …

By Barrie Henriques Forty-seven years ago the ‘Coolagh boys’ decided that it would be a good idea to revive the dormant Pattern that had been so much a part of the Coolagh community for a very long time. Local community activist, James Neill (pronounced Nail), was very much central to the idea. He was also …

Written by Michael Doyle Graiguenamanagh is a town in County Kilkenny situated 30 minutes from Kilkenny City, near the River Barrow at the foot of Brandon Hill. It has a population of over 1,500 and is considered to be one of the most beautiful areas in the southeast of Ireland. Graiguenamanagh is home to the …

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 …

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 …

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 …