Confirmed: Kilkenny is top hen and stag destination

Kilkenny has been revealed as Ireland’s leading hen and stag party venue by leading party providers HenParty.ie and StagParty.ie.

The well-known party providers have compiled data from some 40,000 guests that they have hosted over the last 12 months to reveal just how different Irish men and women are in their approach to organising a send-off.

The figures indicate that while planning a stag-do has never been more challenging, with groups increasing in size by some 20% since 2016, and over half of stags (51%) going away for two nights or more (versus 33% of hens who tend to pack their festivities into a single evening), grooms-to-be are far more laid back than soon-to-be-brides.

The research shows that men never plan their own stag party while 1 in 10 brides get involved in the organisation of their pre-nuptial celebrations with even a small cohort planning their fiancés’ stag too.

Indeed, the traditionally held gender clichés have never been more apparent when looking at the booking timelines in the past year alone with men far more likely to book with weeks to spare while most women begin planning months in advance with bookings already secured by HenParty.ie for 2020.

Their tastes in activities continue to become more and more disparate with hens favouring gin tea parties above all else in 2018 while escape rooms proving to be one of the most popular stag pastimes in the same year.

The average age at a hen party has taken a serious dip in recent times with an uptick in babies in attendance! Not wanting to miss out on the fun, new mums now often bring their newborns and partners to a hen so that they can celebrate with their friend for at least some of the time. Unsurprisingly, this is not a trend that has been seen with stag dos.

The research did display some similarities however, with an overwhelming majority of male and female revellers choosing Kilkenny as their number one hen/stag Irish destination.

In addition, when identifying the biggest source of stress when planning either a hen or a stag, the accomplished customer services teams at both HenParty.ie and StagParty.ie concurred that every client considered collecting money from the group the greatest bone of contention – a service that both businesses offer as standard. This was closely followed by securing final numbers and agreeing on an activity that all in attendance wanted to do.

With a focus on health and wellness on the rise with people in their 20s and 30s, it's of little surprise that HenParty.ie and StagParty.ie are asked to arrange booze free celebrations at least once a fortnight – typically because the hen or stag is a non-drinker.

"The way stags and hens plan for their events is ever evolving," said Director Kate Hyde said.

"For instance, despite popular belief, strippers are rarely requested though we were once asked if we could find a stripper that looked like Phil Mitchell from Eastenders! Other such wild and wonderful requests in the past year alone have included a request for a blue dwarf to be handcuffed to the groom as well as an Alice in Wonderland themed hen. There’s really no ask too big or small. Our aim at HenParty.ie and StagParty.ie is to make the experience as fun-filled and pain-free as possible."

For more information on planning the ideal hen or stag, visit HenParty.ie or StagParty.ie and follow @henparty.ie or @stagparty.ie on social media for all the latest news and party trends.