Why Kilkenny?

Why Kilkenny?

• A cosmopolitan city with a rich medieval heritage and National award winners in Tidy Towns, Entante Florale and National Enterprise Towns.

• Kilkenny’s reputation in the commercial, civic, social, design and sporting arena has been achieved through hard work, determination and a respect for history, heritage and tradition. 

• The transformation of the former Brewery Site into a modern new quarter with Commercial, Educational, Recreational and Residential uses is underway in the heart of our Historic City.  

• A creative hotspot and home to the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland, Heritage Council, Cartoon Saloon, Lighthouse Studios and Grennan Mill Craft School with plans afoot for a new school of jewellery in Thomastown.

• One of only five regions worldwide designated as a World Craft City and Region and home to the Made in Kilkenny Group http://madeinkilkenny.ie/

• The City of Festivals with world-renowned festivals such as the Kilkenny Arts Festival, the Cat Laughs Comedy Festival, Kilkenomics, Savour Kilkenny and Yulefest.

• A place for history buffs, with Ireland’s Medieval Mile stretching from Kilkenny Castle to St Canice’s Cathedral while the county boasts the famous Cistercian Jerpoint and Duiske Abbeys dating back to the 12th century.

• Sport is a key part of life for the people of Kilkenny and they are proud to be home of the famous ‘Kilkenny Cats’ hurling team, All Ireland Camogie champion team, Kilkenny Rugby Club, Kilkenny City Harriers Athletic Club and a number of football clubs such as Evergreen and Freebooters. 

• A county of theatre lovers with gems such as the Set, Watergate Theatre, Ballykeeffe Amphitheatre, Cleere’s Theatre Barn and The Red Door.

• A shopping experience to remember, Kilkenny has countless boutiques, shops and shopping centres with everything you could want and more.

• Kilkenny is an attractive location for talented people and their families to live and work with a quality of life that other locations in Ireland can’t offer.

• Kilkenny people have some of the shortest commutes in Ireland, with 64% of people who live there travelling 30 minutes or less to work versus 48% of people in Dublin.

Population and Employment:

The population of Kilkenny County is now greater than 100,000, with more than 27,000 people living in Kilkenny City. There is a population of more than half a million within a 60km radius.

As at October 2022, Kilkenny is currently only one of 6 counties with less than 3,000 people on the live register.

Accessibility and Transport links:

Kilkenny is the closest city to Dublin and just 70 minutes from Dublin Airport via the Motorway

Kilkenny is a gateway to Waterford, Cork, Limerick and Galway

Home to Ireland’s closest multi-modal port to Europe at Belview

Irish Rail operates a train service from Kilkenny MacDonagh to Dublin Heuston six times a day between 06:35 and 19:15. The journey takes approximately 90 minutes.

There is a train service between Kilkenny and Waterford up to seven times a day and the journey takes just under 40 minutes.

The Big Green Bus service operates between Kilkenny and Dublin City Centre up to 9 times per day between 04:40 and 21:40. The journey takes approximately 105 minutes.

There are a number of private bus operators operating routes between Dublin and Kilkenny daily also.

There are up to 8 coaches daily operating between Kilkenny and Cork City, and more than 15 services between Kilkenny and Waterford daily.

The City of Kilkenny has a bus service operated by City Direct and running buses around the City from 07:00 each morning until 22:30 each night.

Bolt, the European mobility champion, has launched its second electric bike service in Kilkenny; the first of its kind in the South East.

Education:

The newly launched South Eastern Technological University (SETU) with campuses in Waterford and Carlow are both within a 40-minute commute 

There are seven secondary schools in Kilkenny City, with a further 9 throughout the County. See Appendix 1 for contact details.

There are 80 primary schools throughout the County and City servicing all towns, villages and communities within the county. 

There is a wide range of childcare facilities including Montessori, pre-school and day care across towns and villages in the County.

Housing:

As at Quarter 4 2022, the average rent in Kilkenny was 1,218 EUR. That is 25% lower than the National Average and 43% lower than Dublin City Centre

The median house price in Kilkenny in Q4 2022 was 284,547 EUR. That is 8.7% lower than the National Average and 23% lower than Dublin City Centre.

See appendix 2 for Real Estate Agents and contact details.

Healthcare:

St. Luke’s General Hospital is a large acute general hospital in Kilkenny City which provides a wide range of acute healthcare services to the people of Kilkenny and Carlow. It is part of the Ireland East Hospital Group (IEHG) – Ireland’s largest hospital group – with University College Dublin (UCD) as its academic partner.

St Luke’s is a teaching hospital for medical students from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and from the University of Limerick School of Medicine.

Lourdes Orthopaedic Hospital, Kilcreene is the regional elective orthopaedic hospital for the South East region.

There are two further hospitals within the County located in Thomastown and Castlecomer specialising in the care of older people, and providing day care, respite, convalescent and end of life care.

UPMC Aut Even is a private hospital in Kilkenny with 75 beds offering patients access to a broad range of medical and surgical specialties, departments and diagnostics.

There are more than 25 health care centres across the County.

Social and Dining:

Kilkenny has all the ingredients of a vibrant, top-class restaurant scene and when it comes to eating out. Kilkenny is home to two Michelin Star restaurants, the most prestigious award in the food industry. The Lady Helen & Campagne both take pride in local sourcing thanks to the bounty of excellent produce right on their doorstep. https://tastekilkenny.ie/

Theatre and the Arts:

Kilkenny brings visitors and locals together all year round to celebrate their shared love of arts, culture, food, music, business, and much more through a year-round calendar of Festivals.

During these festivals, the streets of Kilkenny bustle with life. Visitors arrive from far and wide in search of those festival moments that only Kilkenny offers: Kicking back to classical music in Butler Gardens during the Arts Festival, wolfing down street-food in the warming autumn sun during Savour, or randomly finding yourself the drummer at an infamous Hole in the Wall pub gig.

https://visitkilkenny.ie/

Festival Programme:

• St. Patrick’s Day (March)
• Tradfest (March)
• Kilkenny Roots (April/May)
• Cat Laughs Comedy (June)
• Music Series at the Rose Garden (July and August)
• Kilkenny Arts Festival (August)
• September Sounds (September)
• Kilkenny Animated (October)
• Kilkenny Day (October)
• Savour Kilkenny (October)
• Kilkenomics (November)
• Yulefest (December) 

   

  Appendix 1 Secondary Schools in Kilkenny City and County
  St Kieran’s College Secondary School	College Rd Kilkenny	Kilkenny City	056-7761707	Boys, >750 pupils
  Kilkenny City Vocational School	New Street Kilkenny	Kilkenny City	056-7722108	Mixed, >260 pupils
  Presentation Secondary School	Loughboy Kilkenny	Kilkenny City	056-7765684	Girls, >800 pupils
  CBS Secondary School	James’s St	Kilkenny City	0567721402	Boys, >800 pupils
  Loreto Secondary School	Granges Road Kilkenny	Kilkenny City	056-7765132	Girls, >1,000 pupils
  Kilkenny College	Castlecomer Road Kilkenny	Kilkenny City	056-7761544	Mixed, >900 pupils
  Colaiste Pobail Osrai	Bothar Urmhumhan	Kilkenny City	056 7764557	Mixed, >200 pupils
  Scoil Aireagail	Ballyhale Kilkenny	Kilkenny County	056-7768632	Mixed, >200 pupils
  Coláiste Eamann Rís	Callan Co Kilkenny	Kilkenny County	056-7725340	Boys, >280 pupils
  St. Brigid’s College	Callan Co. Kilkenny	Kilkenny County	056-7725189	Girls, >250 pupils
  Castlecomer Community School	Castlecomer Co Kilkenny	Kilkenny County	056-4441447	Mixed, >570 pupils
  Duiske College	Graignamanagh Co Kilkenny	Kilkenny County	059-9724177	Mixed, >150 pupils
  Coláiste Mhuire	Johnstown Co Kilkenny	Kilkenny County	056-8831135	Mixed, >590 pupils
  Grennan College	Ladywell St Thomastown Co Kilkenny	Kilkenny County	056-7724112	Mixed, >310 pupils
  Coláiste Cois Siúire	Mooncoin Co Kilkenny	Kilkenny County	051-895112	Mixed, >130 pupils
  Coláiste Abhainn Rí	St. Brigid’s College, Callan, Co. Kilkenny	Kilkenny County	056-7761707	Boys, >760 pupils

  Appendix 2 Estate Agents in Kilkenny City and County
  DNG Ella Dunphy	9 Ormonde Street	Kilkenny	056 7786000	www.dngelladunphy.com
  Fitzgeralds Auctioneers	24 Patrick Street	Kilkenny	056 7770888	www.fitzgeraldacutioneers.ie
  Fran Grincell Properties	9 Dean Street	Kilkenny	056 7715000	www.frangrincellproperties.ie
  Pat Gannon Auctioneers	55 John Street	Kilkenny	056 7723298	www.gannonauctioneers.com
  Donohoe Properties	Butler Court, Patrick Street	Kilkenny	056 7770400	www.donohoeproperties.com
  Warren McCreery Auctioneers Valuers & Chartered Surveyors	12 Parliament Street	Kilkenny	056 7702000	www.warrenmccreery.ie
  Sherry FitzGerald McCreery Kilkenny	40 Parliament Street	Kilkenny	056 7721904	www.sherryfitz.ie
  Green Door Properties	3rd Floor, 22 Friary Street	Kilkenny	056 7789670	www.greendoorproperties.ie
  REA Boyds	The Parade	Kilkenny	056 7764833	www.realestatealliance.ie
  Dee Gibney Properties	10 The Parade	Kilkenny	056 7705070	www.deegibneyproperties.ie
  Property Partners Buggy	4 Watergate, Parliament Street	Kilkenny	056 7796161	www.propertypartners.ie
  Clodagh Daly Auctioneers Ltd	81 Johns Street	Kilkenny	056 7773777
  O’Keefes Auctioneers	13 John Street	Kilkenny	056 7763963	www.okeeffeauctioneers.com
  Cillín Hill Auctioneers	Cillin Hill	Kilkenny	056 7722260	www.cillinhill.com/cillin-hill-auctioneers
  Joseph Coogan Auctioneer and Valuer	Castlecomer	Co Kilkenny	056 4440000	www.cooganauctioneers.com
  Sharon O Brien Auctioneers Ltd	Bennettsbridge	Co Kilkenny	056 7727001	www.sharonobrienauctioneers.ie
  Kealy Homes	Paulstown	Co Kilkenny	059 9726404	www.kealyhomes.com
  REA Grace	Callan	Co Kilkenny	056 7725163	www.realestatealliance.ie
  Thomas O Dwyer and Sons	Urlingford	Co Kilkenny	056 8831286	www.odwyerandsons.com
  WR Comerford	Urlingford	Co Kilkenny	056 8835266	www.wrcomerfordauctioneers.com
  Seamus Callanan Auctioneers	Dunmore upper	Co Kilkenny	087 2432944	www.callananauctioneers.com