The spooky and fascinating past of Kilkenny is a huge tourism draw

The famed and varied stories of Kilkenny are fast becoming key selling points of Ireland's Ancient East.

With local legends and places coming to the fore, numbers visiting the region and the county of Kilkenny have increased greatly. 

One such story, that of Jerpoint Park, is very much a case in point where tourists are enthralled by the story of a lost village - and of course the remains of St Nicholas. 

But like in all great stories it’s in the telling - and you will travel far and wide to find a better storyteller than the owner of Jerpoint Park, Joe O’Connell. 

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Tours from all around the globe - from Japan to California - have come to Jerpoint Park and even music videos have been filmed there this year. 

Their story is one of the featured stories of the Ireland's Ancient East campaign - which, despite initial skepticism, has become a real jewel in our tourism crown. 

It also features prominently in Neil Jackman’s guidebook of the region, along with the tale of 1,000 men, but mostly women and children who were massacred by the Vikings in 928 AD at Dunmore Caves. 

With what is on offer in Kilkenny, and hopefully numbers continuing to rise elsewhere, our own story here could yet prove to be a real winner.

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Travel journalists from throughout Europe - from Iceland down to Italy - have been enthralled by what is on offer in Kilkenny and have not only enjoyed our sights and sounds but have savoured local produce and all return home with glowing reports.

Kilkenny will now have its eyes set on a substantial post-Covid boost in 2023 to bring tourism and tourism offerings here to a whole new level!