July: GAA heartbreak, DJ drama and a historic month for Kilkenny Pride - Year in Review

July was a disappointing month for Kilkenny GAA as both its hurling and camogie teams saw their season ended at the hands of local rivals Tipperary.

The games were played as part of a double-header in Croke Park on July 6, with Tommy Shefflin's camogie side taking the field first for their quarter-final matchup.

The Kittens had come into the game as heavy underdogs but a tight encounter saw them beaten after extra-time by a scoreline of 1-22 to 0-19.

The day continued in a frustrating manner for the Kilkenny faithful as the hurlers came out the wrong side of the all-Ireland semi-final against the Premier county.

After a thrilling back and forth match, the Cats were narrowly beaten in a 4-20 to 0-30 classic. There was controversy at the conclusion however, as a Noel McGrath shot was waved wide by the umpire but counted on the scoreboard, leading Kilkenny players to believe that they needed a goal to bring the match to extra-time, when two points would have been sufficient.

The incident became known as the 'ghost point' and marked the end of another campaign for Derek Lyng's side, stretching the wait for a 37th all-Ireland crown out to at least 11 years.

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Four days previously on July 2, there had been drama of a different sort for another figure in Kilkenny GAA. Former hurler of the year DJ Carey had been expected to plead not guilty to 10 counts of defrauding people for money by falsely claiming to have cancer with the trial anticipated to go on for three to four weeks.

However, Mr Carey caused surprise by entering a guilty plea at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, bringing an adjournment to proceedings until his November sentencing.

In more upbeat news, Kilkenny hosted its first ever Pride festival at the end of the month. The four-day celebration took place from July 24-27 and featured a parade on the 26th.

The procession set off from Kilkenny Castle down Parade Plaza, towards High Street and the Market Yard before concluding at Butler Gallery.

A family fun day was held at the end of the route, complete with a diverse line-up of performances, bubbles and face-painting. Other offerings on the weekend included a comedy show, a Queer Céilí and an event which blended drawing and drag performers.

Kilkenny Pride was a resounding success and is sure to be a much anticipated addition to the county's packed festival calendar in the years to come.

In south Kilkenny, progress was made towards the opening of the long-vacant Ferrybank Shopping Centre as Dunnes Stores submitted a planning application to the County Council on July 1 after a years-long saga.

The site has been without a commercial tenant since construction was completed in 2008 and the plans submitted would bring a large retail store along with leisure facilities to the unit which currently only houses the Ferrybank Library and a County Council area office.

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