Ireland (Lonely Planet, 9th Edition) - Fionn Davenport [189]
Pumphouse ( 056-776 3924; 26 Parliament St) Frequent live rock groups plus pool tables, big TVs and a rooftop terrace.
Hibernian Bar ( 056-777 1888; Hibernian Hotel, Patrick St) Civilised lounge bar with deep, comfy leather banquettes and a long list of proper cocktails.
Matt the Millers ( 056-776 1696; 1 John St) Tangerine-coloured medieval mill with four bars over four floors, crowd-pleasing bands and DJs, and good pub grub.
Entertainment
For information on local events, check out the weekly Kilkenny People newspaper (www.kilkennypeople.ie). Events are listed on the tourist office website, and on www.whazon.com.
CINEMA & THEATRE
Kilkenny Cineplex ( 056-772 3111; Fair Green, Gaol Rd) Four screens blare the latest Hollywood releases.
Watergate Theatre ( 056-776 1674; www.watergatekilkenny.com; Parliament St) Recently spiffed up, this theatre hosts drama, comedy and musical performances. If you’re wondering why intermission lasts 18 minutes, it’s to allow patrons time to nip into John Cleere’s pub for a pint.
NIGHTCLUBS
Ask around to see what’s hot now. Clubs close at 2am.
O’Faolain’s and Club 51 ( 056-776 1018; Kilford Arms Hotel, John St) Built on three levels around a 16th-century stone church that was brought over in crates from Wales and painstakingly rebuilt here, numbered stone by numbered stone, O’Faolain’s is a lively night-time spot year-round. Between approximately Easter and October, Club 51 (admission €6 to €10), in a strobe-lit space out back, sees dancers getting sweaty on Saturday nights.
Morrison’s Bar ( 056-777 1888; 1 Ormonde St) In the belle époque cellar of the Hibernian Hotel, DJs spin an eclectic mix for an upmarket crowd that actually cares about getting spilled on.
Langton Club (admission free Tue, free before 11pm, €5 after 11pm Thu, €5 before 11pm, €10 after 11pm Sat; Tue, Thu & Sat) A massive wave-design bar made from turquoise volcanic rock is the centrepiece of this local nightlife magnet.
SPORT
You can go to the dogs (as it were) at James Park ( 056-772 1214; Freshford Rd; races 8pm Wed & Fri).
One of the unique pleasures of a trip to Ireland is catching a game of hurling at the Cats’ hallowed home stadium, Nowlan Park ( 056-775 1500; www.kilkennygaa.ie; O’Loughlin Rd). Hurling and Gaelic football schedules are listed in Kilkenny People.
Shopping
An interesting mix of local stores concentrates on High St and in Market Cross, a multilevel mall behind a row of High St shops.
In a vast converted factory, the family-run outdoors store Padmore & Barnes ( 056-772 1037; Wolfe Tone St; 9am-6pm Mon-Sat, 2-6pm Sun) has an unbeatable selection of well-priced camping equipment, hiking boots, wet-weather clothing and sports gear.
The whopping new chain-store-filled shopping mall MacDonagh Junction is the largest in the region.
Getting There & Away
BUS
Bus Éireann ( 056-776 4933) operates from a shelter about 200m east of John St adjacent to the train station. Bus Éireann also picks up and drops off passengers on St Patrick’s St in the centre of town. There are services to Carlow (€7.40, one hour, 12 daily), Clonmel (€8.10, one hour, 12 daily), Cork (€16.10, three hours, two daily), Dublin (€10.80, 2¼ hours, five daily) and Waterford (€9, one hour, two daily).
JJ Kavanagh & Sons ( 056-883 1106; www.jjkavanagh.ie) has regular services to destinations including Carlow town, Portlaoise and Dublin airport, with wi-fi available in some vehicles.
Buggys Coaches ( 056-444 1264; www.buggy.ie) runs services to the north of the county.
TRAIN
On the eastern side of the new shopping mall of the same name, MacDonagh train station ( 056-772 2024) has five trains daily to/from Dublin’s Heuston Station (from €10, 1¾ hours) and Waterford (from €10, 50 minutes).
GETTING AROUND
There are large car parks off both sides of High St, and numerous others throughout the city.
For a taxi, call Kilkenny Cabs ( 056-775 2000).
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CRAFTY KILKENNY
At least 130 full-time craftspeople and artists work commercially in the county – one of the highest concentrations