December: Yulefest, new brewery plans, musical nostalgia and horror collision in Kilkenny

As always, festive spirit guided the month of December in Kilkenny and that spirit was encapsulated in another great Yulefest programme.

Dozens of stalls featuring local craft, food and art producers attracted tens of thousands of shoppers who were entertained all month by live music on the festival bandstand - all under the glow of the city’s sparkling new lighting displays.

The visit of the Santa Truck delighted the little ones and the festival was topped off with a low-level fireworks display that illuminated the night sky over the River Nore.

UNDERGROUND REUNION

Earlier in the month, a packed Set Theatre was filled with nostalgia as bands from the glory days of Kilkenny’s Underground gigs reunited for a very special occasion.

The 2003 Battle of the Bands winners Itchy Trigger Finger, fronted by Jimmy Trigger who travelled home from Los Angeles for the show, were joined by Chemical Addiction, White Noise and Bad Mothers Union.

All the bands bar one reunited especially for the event while Chemical Addiction have remained a working band ever since The Zoo closed its doors.

COUNTRYSIDE PARK

December also saw Kilkenny Countryside Park open to the public.

Located on the site of the closed municipal landfill at Dunmore, the park occupies an area of approximately 24 acres and is located just 5km north of Kilkenny city centre.

The new park offers visitors three themed trails - the Mass Path Trail (starts at Dunmore) as well as an Accessibility Trail and Biodiversity Trail.

The new park also provides a myriad of other attractions including two ball walls, a bespoke viewing area, play and exercise equipment and novel relaxing spaces that include hammocks, and loungers along with Kilkenny’s first dedicated dog-friendly enclosure.

NEW BREWERY

Sullivan’s Brewing Company took another step forward in December as they broke ground on the site of their new brewery on John’s Street.

Dan Smithwick described the occasion as a ‘huge milestone’.

“We’ve been planning this step in the journey for several years and we’re very lucky to have the support of our neighbours and the council and the people of Kilkenny and our partners,” he told the Kilkenny People.

HORROR CRASH

Twelve people were injured in a horror collision in Kilkenny in December.

Thankfully, no lives were lost in the crash that involved a lorry and a school bus in the vicinity of Dinan Bridge between Kilkenny and Ballyragget.

Local councillors have since renewed pleas for the road to be examined by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) following a number of recent incidents.

ACADEMIC SUCCESS

Two schools had great cause to celebrate academic success in December.

According to the Feeder Schools Report, every student who sat the Leaving Certificate in Presentation Secondary School (124) and St Kieran’s College (114) in 2023 proceeded on to third-level education.

Presentation Secondary School was also statistically the top feeder all-girls school in the entire country.