My Kilkenny Life: Ciarán Dunphy

What's your idea of a perfect day, or perfect weekend out in Kilkenny?
A brisk mindful stroll with my wife through the Castle Park, onto the Canal Walk, followed by a hike through town with all roads leading to a nice creamy pint of Smithwicks in Cleere’s. The perfect weekend takes place during the May Bank Holiday and it’s called the Roots Festival.

Who has made the greatest contribution to Kilkenny in your lifetime - and why?
It’s unfair to name just one when so many people contributed. Given my fondness for the Roots Festival and the institution that is Cleere’s pub, I'll go with John Cleere. Roots is an international festival that is deeply under-appreciated and seems to go under the radar of many locals. John has managed a lot of colourful egos over the years to get them to perform in Kilkenny. With Phyl, he also founded Cleere's pub and theatre which has been voted best pub in Ireland on countless occasions.

What's your first Kilkenny memory?
Some of my earliest memories were over at Nowlan Park when my Dad was County Treasurer. My brothers and I would have to wait around for Dad after matches and we would explore the inner sanctum of the park. I remember there used to be a great big safe, beneath some old carpet, built right into the floor of the old stand. It required a gigantic brass key to open it up. It’s gone now.

What's your favourite part of the county - and why?
The Watergate Theatre. I’ve some incredible memories on stage and got to perform with people who have become life-long friends. I also met my wife in the musical society! The transient nature of Kilkenny really plays into the local theatre scene as it allows people to come and go and then return again down the line.

What do you think gives Kilkenny its unique identity?
Kilkenny is a service based transient town. People arrive on short term contracts and then move away again. As an estate agent I meet a huge amount of people moving to Kilkenny and rarely have to ‘sell’ Kilkenny to them. It really sells itself. For me, this comes back to the people and the culture. It’s obviously a very pretty town but the festivals every weekend give people a lot to do. Aside from all of the wonderful fundraisers/volunteers, our County Council also deserve a lot of credit for this.

Do you have a favourite local writer or author?
John Morton. If there was ever somebody whom the county should get behind as the ‘next big thing’, it's John. Whether he's writing for stage, TV or film, he always has his finger on the pulse of the nation. Through his work, and with Devious Theatre, Kilkenny has produced some marvellous talent over the last decade.

What's the biggest challenge facing the county today?
Housing. The rental sector is under severe pressure. We have rents that are higher than the Celtic Tiger peak, yet Landlords are still being forced to exit the sector. Many investment/rental properties are being Purchased by first time buyers who have little choice due to the lack of new building taking place in Kilkenny. Added to this, we have great companies like Cartoon Saloon trying to expand but finding no place for their employees to live. Kilkenny cannot grow without new homes, and fast.

If you had the power to change one thing in, or about Kilkenny, what would it be?

We need more people living in the city centre. Cities like Paris are filled with wonderful residential apartments and maisonettes over ground-floor shops. This would bring more life into the city as well as aid retail on the High Street. There are schemes available to encourage this but maybe more needs to be done to attract all walks of life back to the city centre.