August - Community rallies around family after home is destroyed in blaze

In the midst of great tragedy a local community showed what kindness and generosity they possess.

The Kenneally family, living near Mullinavat were overwhelmed by the huge support the local community has shown them after they lost their home in a horror blaze in August.

Just days after their house was burned to the ground a campaign was set up to raise in a bid to help the family rebuild their lives.

In little over a week from the devastating fire, the campaign had raised over €90,000 to help rebuild the Kenneally family's home. The campaign has now raised €110,000 which will go a long way to start rebuilding their home.

Floodlights, clubhouse and improved access planned for GAA club in Kilkenny

Meanwhile there was great scenes of jubilation and celebration at Croke Park when the Kilkenny senior camogie team were crowned All-Ireland champions.

The party continued as thousands of black-and-amber clad supporters lined the city streets to give the Cats a rousing welcome home as they returned with the O’Duffy Cup in tow after a great win over Cork.

Arts festival

August in Kilkenny is also synonymous with the Kilkenny Arts Festival and this year the team created a magical 10 days of showcasing the best of creative offerings.

Early August is the time of year when Kilkenny basks in an ethereal magic as audiences are transfixed by artists offering all sorts of everything. The city and county come to life as artists and performers take over the spaces creating magnificent works. Kilkenny Arts Festival is deservedly recognised as one of the best festivals around and for its 49th year it opened with

incredible performances from Rough Magic and its production of The Tempest and Opera Collective’s premiere of Handel’s

Semele

The programme was jam-packed full of amazing performances and concerts including a large number of free events with offerings to suit all .

In more positive news a total of €302,072 was allocated to outdoor projects in Kilkenny to develop outdoor adventure projects throughout the county. 

The investment, under the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme (ORIS), is key to enhancing our outdoor amenities such as our walkways, cycleways, rivers, lakes and beaches and will also provide a major boost to local economies by attracting visitors and furthering our reputation as a destination for adventure tourism. 

Allocations

The major Kilkenny allocations include Castlemorris Woodland Trail (€25,790), Dock Road, Graignamanagh ( €29,700), Garyduff Loop Walk, Owning (€14,400), Glen Combe Wood Loop Walks (€29,700), Kells Kings River Trail (€29,700), Kilkenny to Kilkenny Countryside Park, feasibility Study - off-road cycling/pedestrian link (€49,500), Outdoor Kilkenny Campaign 2023 (€18,000), Pollrone Quay, Mooncoin - develop 5km community walk with a connection to Pollrone Quay  (€16,182), Windgap Village Loop - upgrade -  repair and enhancement of walking trail (€29,700), Wood Road, Graignamanagh - upgrade Wood Road, between Graignamanagh  and  River Barrow Amenity Area - €29,700 and Woodstock Gardens and Arboretum Promotion and marketing campaign -  €29,700.

Heatwave
Sweltering conditions also saw Kilkenny record an all-time high for the month. In a period where temperatures exceeded 25°C for five consecutive days the mercury reached a maximum of 31.3°C - a new all-time record for August in the county.