News
Choirs to perform carol service at St Mary’s Cathedral with special guest Tanya Sewell
A very special evening of music and carols will take place on Sunday 17th at 7.30pm at St Mary’s Cathedral, Kilkenny. Following on from last years successful concert, the much loved event returns and promises to be bigger and better. This year there is an outstanding line up of performers including St Mary’s Cathedral choir, …
Clothes encounter, but not always in the right fashion
THE FACT OF THE MATTER BY PAUL HOPKINS Back in the late ‘80s a colleague of mine never came into the national newspaper office without wearing a new outfit every other day. Needless to say, she wore it well. Occasionally, I would compliment her new look and she would politely acknowledge my appraisal. One day, …
Castlecomer Pantomime: down through the years
Kilkenny County Library Service was pleased to mark the launch of the latest addition to our Kilkenny Digital Archive at Castlecomer Library on Tuesday the 5th of December. This digital exhibit is a collaborative venture with the Deenside Players and aims to record the longstanding tradition of local theatre & pantomime in the Castlecomer community. …
Christmas… and some timeless financial wisdom
BY JOHN ELLIS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR Christmas week is upon us and the whole population is gearing up for one of the biggest spending sprees of the year. Many retailers and small businesses see this as the time when they make a sizeable amount of their total return for the year. Now, while we spend, spend, …
A funny thing happened on the way to Christmas
AS I SEE IT MARIANNE HERON “How did you get over the Christmas?” is an odd question, as though the occasion was a steeplechase hurdle that had to be jumped. It can be a bit mad at this time of year, with all that buying and cooking and eating, giving rise to festive memories often …
Memories of Christmas in Thomastown
By Joan Cleere My memories of Christmas are mostly happy ones. When I was small I remember watching the local store for weeks beforehand waiting for the toys to be displayed. When the great day arrived the word spread like wildfire and within a short time the big plate glass window of Hoyne’s Hardware Store …
The Magnificent Nine
PART 4 Continuing the story of the nine County Kilkenny nuns who brought the gift of education to Australia… BY JOHN FITZGERALD Shortly before the Callan nuns at the Parramatta Convent, the Monte Sisters had left mysteriously after fifteen years of service to the community. To this day, nobody knows why. The suspicion at the …
Observation and imagination the key to creating theatre
By Ger Cody Photos: Martin Doyle Back in the 1970’s, many of the amateur drama fraternity in Kilkenny began travelling to Gormanston College to attend the Amateur Drama League (ADL) Summer school. The week long course enthused and engaged participants. ‘Improvisation’, ‘Mime’, and ‘Directing for the future’ were at the heart of the instruction. Banished …
Businesses come up trumps to help light up the City as never before
In a remarkable display of community spirit and collaboration, local businesses in Kilkenny have played an important role in transforming the City’s Christmas lights into a dazzling spectacle for the 2023 Christmas season. Their generous contributions have complemented the substantial funding by Kilkenny County Council, marking the most significant upgrade in festive lighting the City …
Watergate Theatre – 30th Anniversary
Some of the Kilkenny Greats of the Watergate Theatre By Gerry Moran I took photographs of performances in the Watergate Theatre for almost a period of twenty years. With my trusty little camera I took snaps of the good and the great who performed there. One of the best nights I ever had, however, was …




