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24 Sept 2025
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24 Sept 2025
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The Bug Hotel in Piltown was severely damaged
A south Kilkenny community that was shocked when a local Tidy Towns project was destroyed by fire has decided to rebuild the structure - but needs your help!
The Ink Bottle Bug Hotel in Piltown was ‘destroyed in an act of vandalism’ two weeks ago, just a few months after it had been opened to the birds, bats and creepy crawlies of the area.
It was the product of a huge community effort and cost €17,000 which was raised in sponsorship.
“It was something the people of the village were very proud of, and the parish, county and further afield admired,” a spokesperson for Keep Piltown Tidy said.
Now the local community is set to defy the destructive act and reinstate the haven for local wildlife. An iDonate appeal has been launched online, with a fundraising target of €15,000.
“The Ink Bottle Bug Hotel was destroyed last Saturday night by an act of vandalism. This is being investigated by the Gardai and people are being helpful,” Keep Piltown Tidy have updated their online followers.
The steel frame is all that remains standing of the original bug hotel and it is described as “a sorry sight.”
The fundraiser says: “We, as a group and a community are saddened and very angry by such pointless behaviour. However, it has been decided that we are going to rebuild the Ink Bottle Bug Hotel with your help.”
Local businesses funded the original project and, with the exception of block work, all the work was done by members of the Keep Piltown Tidy group and local people, under the guidance of the group’s chairman.
You can donate to the appeal at: https://www.idonate.ie/crowdfunder/KeepPiltownTidy
CLICK HERE FOR MORE CRIME UPDATES AND COURT REPORTS
The Ink Bottle Bug Hotel was an idea the local Tidy Towns group came up with to mark the entrance to the village and was modelled after the nearby Ink Bottle House in Belline. It was designed to provide a home and shelter to bugs, birds and bats.
The structure contained 23 bird nest boxes with a roof space for birds and bats to roost; and below that was a layer of timber, logs and bamboo; a layer of loosely packed bricks as well as soil and branches, cones, straw and rolled cardboard.
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