Kilkenny public urged to take precautions against life changing disease
The health warning was made at May’s Plenary meeting of Kilkenny County Council
Notices have been erected warning of the dangers of ticks and the risk of contracting Lyme disease in several public parks across County Kilkenny.
Senior Engineer with Kilkenny County Council, Frank Stafford confirmed to councillors before May’s Council meeting that warning notices had been erected at a number of popular walkways across the county.
Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council, Cllr Mary Hilda Cavanagh, who raised the motion for the May Plenary meeting, subsequently requested council officials to erect the same signage at Kilkenny Castle Park.
According to OPW figures released this week, 477,748 visited the local tourist attraction in 2025, making it the second most visited ticketed OPW landmark in Ireland over the calendar year.
Cllr Cavanagh cited the story of local woman Ann Maher, who has lived her entire life with the condition after receiving just a single bite from a tick.
Ms Maher has battled the cruel disease over the past 30 years and has subsequently become a political campaigner to raise awareness of the little-known condition.
The little-known disease is a bacterial infection that can be spread to humans by infected ticks
“To minimise this, anywhere there are no signs, there should be signs in Irish or English,” Ms Cavanagh added.
The motion was seconded by Cllr Sean Ó hArgain.
The motion to implement signage on the grounds of Kilkenny Castle was previously passed by members of the Kilkenny City Municipal District, with hopes that the additional pressure at the county council level may see them in place at a future date.