April: Cartoon Saloon showcase Kilkenny to an international audience at the Oscars

Local councillors have flagged serious concerns over the scale and size of a proposed windfarm development in South Kilkenny.
They are calling for an oral hearing to be held on the matter. At a special council meeting , Cllr Eamon Aylward proposed that An Bord Pleanála hold a public hearing. This was seconded by Cllr Patrick O’Neill and received unanimous support from members.
Coillte and Kilkenny-based wind farm development company ART Generation, have lodged a planning application to An Bord Pleanála for the proposed Castlebanny Wind Farm. While the council can submit a report, the planning decision ultimately rests with An Bord Pleanála.
The Chief Executive of Kilkenny County Council outlining the council’s concerns in relation to the scale of the project, due to the number and height of the proposed turbines and how the sensitivities of the landscape have been dealt with.
Property prices also made the headlines as they continued to rise amid a lack of supply to the market. Kilkenny property prices in the first three months of 2021 were 18% higher than a year previously, compared to a fall of 3% seen a year ago.
The average price of a home is now €254,000, 92% above its lowest point. This was the highest increase anywhere in the country according to the latest figures.
Tributes were paid to the former Dean of Ossory (1991-2010) Norman Lynas, a great friend of Kilkenny, who passed away.
Many people here, including parishioners of St Canice’s and those from further afield, fondly remember Canon Norman from his time in Kilkenny. He arrived here in 1991 and quickly became involved in the local community.
Cartoon Saloon, once again were the pride of Kilkenny with their Oscar nomination for their feature film Wolfwalkers.
It was the fifth time that the Kilkenny-based animation studio has been nominated for an Oscar and the third time for Tomm Moore, who co-directs Wolfwalkers, with Ross Stewart.
Many critics felt that Cartoon Saloon were the deserving recipient of the Oscar but they lost out to industry giants, Pixar. However directors Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart along with some of the team enjoyed a very special evening in Kilkenny Castle and The Rivercourt Hotel as Kilkenny was beamed onto the international stage for the Oscars due to Covid restrictions
Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart have known each other since school, and attribute being a part of Young Irish Filmmakers (YIFM) to both their own success as artists and to the creation and success of Cartoon Saloon.
“If it were not for YIFM who knows where Cartoon Saloon would be,” said Stewart. “YIFM was a great foundation for me and Tomm and they gave us our first home in Kilkenny.”
From a small team of 12 working out of a space in the former St Joseph’s Orphanage, Cartoon Saloon has grown into a powerhouse of the animation industry.