Graignamanagh named in top ten most charming Irish 'villages'

Graignamanagh has been named as one of the top ten most charming 'villages' in Ireland according to The Guardian newspaper.

"Graignamanagh (greg·nuh·maanah) needs to marinate in the ear for a while – and there’s little hope of a snappy hashtag with a name that long. The last effort to put it on the map ended almost as soon as it began more than 200 years ago, when the Grand Canal Company developed the quays well beyond capacity and added a fine, overpriced hotel for good measure. Both lay idle for centuries, but the village has finally grown into its infrastructure, with cleverly designed walking routes that lead to the summit of nearby Brandon Hill, and to popular canoeing lanes.

Third Level students in Kilkenny to have their say on EU values

"The most striking feature is the seven-arch ivy-clad bridge linking the town to neighbouring County Carlow across the gushing Barrow River. When floodlit at night, it adds a moody glow to the setting. Graiguenamanagh means “village of the monks” – the neat streets weave around 13th-century Duiske Abbey. Behind its simple stone walls are a clerestory, royal effigy and medieval floor tiles.

"Hidden among the village lanes are a small museum, secondhand books and Mick Doyle’s, the best pub in town, if not all of Leinster, which sells fishing tackle as well as pints of stout. The Waterside Guesthouse in the centre of the village has river views from €130," says the article's author, Vic O'Sullivan.