Pictures: Kilkenny's new urban park opens with a bang as Yulefest wraps up in style

A brand new urban park has been opened just off Parliament Street in Kilkenny, with a special Christmas gig by RSAG Jeremy Hickey christening it in style.

The event marked the end of the Christmas season in Kilkenny, with the city’s Yulefest deemed a roaring success. The attractions of the Christmas Market, the Yulefest Live Music Stage and the traditional carousels on the Parade area in front of Kilkenny Castle, the addition of the high-quality Made in Kilkenny shop at the old KBC building and the dozens of other events supported throughout the city and county have created a fantastic festive atmosphere in the Marble City and its streets and lanes as over 100,000 visitors flocked to the city.

The sounds of music rang out from the festival stage as choral groups, school choirs, traditional, rock and jazz groups got to perform in front of friends, families and neighbours, while the city’s churches and cathedrals rang out with Christmas carols and tunes as local and visiting choirs staged their annual performances to packed audiences.

Pictures by Vicky Comerford
Head of Enterprise in Kilkenny County Council, Aileen McGrath, said that Yulefest had contributed to a busy festive season for the local business community. TAP HERE FOR MORE WHAT'S ON IN KILKENNY

"The local shops, cafés and restaurants have had a very busy few weeks and have reported a strong finish to a challenging year. The lift that Yulefest has given to the city centre in recent years has been vital as we position Kilkenny as the primary tourism location for the South East attracting people from all over the country," she said.

"The move by the Made in Kilkenny group to the Bank House building on the edge of the Parade was a statement of the central place of the craft and design industry in the life of Kilkenny. The legacy of Kilkenny Design over fifty years is truly alive and well as some of the county and indeed the country’s finest makers took central stage.

"This group of 16 artisan producers as well as the thirty nine stalls on the Parade made for a European style Christmas market we can be truly proud of."

Mayor of Kilkenny John Coonan said that the public and free events were a fantastic addition.

"The opening event in our new Watergate Urban Park, beside the Watergate Theatre is a credit to the ongoing development of the Abbey Quarter area. Local and national star Jeremy Hickey, better known as RSAG, gave a thundering performance which had the pocket park and surrounding streets rocking. From the opening of Yulefest a few weeks ago, with Robert Grace and family to the final day on the Parade, music and the performing arts have lifted all our spirits. Over 43 groups have performed on the marquee stage.

"We have also seen the major events of light displays in the Rose Garden of Kilkenny Castle, visited by 7,227 people, the superb LuxMuralis lighting display in St Canice’s Cathedral, visited by over 13,000 people and finally, the fireworks display in the Castle Park which attracted more than 3,000 visitors."

Festival manager Marian Flannery, gave credit to all those involved in the mammoth effort of running the festival over five weeks.

"Our small team of Jennifer Cooper, Helena Hatton, Cathy O’Connor, Anton Cullen and Fionn Ó hArgáin have been hugely supported by Kilkenny County Council officials with Head of Enterprise, Aileen McGrath, Night Time Economy Manager, Conor Sweeney and Director of Services Tim Butler and many of their colleagues giving unstinting support

"The co-operation of An Garda Síochána, Kilkenny Civil Defence, the Council’s Outdoor and Parks Staff and of course local residents and businesses is vital to this effort. We all work together for the betterment of Kilkenny and we hope that we have successfully raised the bar for the festival once again this year.

"As always, the planning for Yulefest 2026 begins now as we wish all our stall holders, staff and supporters a warm Nollaig Shona."