Fancy doing something a bit different this Bank Holiday Monday? Then why not register for the Kilkenny Mini Marathon? You can run, walk, jog or even struggle your way around the 10km Kilkenny Route and take part with friends or family.
The Marathon takes place every May Bank Holiday in Kilkenny. Registration and the race starts from the Aspect Hotel Kilkenny at 12 noon. On the day you can be sure to enjoy the friendly relaxed atmosphere around the hotel with the other participants and enjoy the local Radio station broadcasting for the hotel’s lobby.
The Carer’s Association provide lasting quality care in the homes of communities to support carers looking after ill children, the elderly and incapacitated people within their families.
The registration is €12.00 and includes a Timing Chip. Online sign-up has closed but to register please call The Carers Association on 056 772 1424 or carerskilkenny@carersireland.com
Once again the May Bank Holiday will see the return of the ever popular Roots Festival which takes place over a four day period from 4th until 7th May.
This Kilkenny music festival has been taking place since 2008 and has proved to be very popular and successful with both locals and people travelling to hear the music.
There are lots of acts performing this year featuring country, folk, Cajun, rockabilly just to mention a few. There is over 30 venues participating in the festival and showcasing over 30 acts from Ireland, USA, Canada and Sweden.
Some of the more popular shows have sold out already and there are a lot of FREE shows in the Free Pub Gig Trail.
For a detailed list of all the gigs and events happening throughout the festival please see the festivals website
Today is the start of the new and exciting Panceltic Festival in County Carlow just a short 30 minute drive away on the new M9.
The festival showcases music, art, dance, storytelling and language of the 6 countries involved which along with Ireland include Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Isle of Man and Brittany. The festival promises to be a hive of activity with visitors from all over the country expected to visit between 10th & 15th April.
This April, Kilkenny’s walking trails will be filled with people as the Kilkenny Walking Festival is on now! The festival opened last Friday and runs right up until the end of April.
The Festival includes over 50 events for families, walkers and holiday makers, spanning the Easter Holidays and beyond. There is a detailed programme on their site but some of the main attractions that caught our our include:
- The Bluebell Walk Series featuring Jenkinstown, Castlecomer Discovery Park and Mount Juliet
- Scavenger Hunts at Castlecomer Discovery Park each Saturday
Hunt for and collect a list of natural items in the woodlands. Great fun for all while learning about the plants and animals of the Demesne. This is a guided activity and pre-booking is essential. - Shankill Castle Garden Walk: A guided Garden walk through the landscaped gardens, looking at unusual varieties of plants and trees and taking in the history of the surroundings.
Runs each Saturday and Sunday during the festival. - Explore the River Nore with Mary White on her Riverbank Ecotrails and Foraging Walks
Community Walking Leader Training: a weekend of training primarily aimed at people wishing to lead a walking group or promote walking in the community or workplace.
If you are looking for a last minute availability for the Easter Weekend we still have the best Kilkenny hotel deals available online!
If you’re in the south east this weekend then on Sunday the must see event is the Kilkenny Castle Day.
The city will be celebrating the Castle and the Butler Family with a host of activities for all ages and to make it even better it’s a FREE event!
There will be Victorian Horse & Carriage Rides throughout the park, face painters and balloon shapers, music in the Courtyard to name a few of the fantastic events to keep the kids entertained. You can also see the Castle reconstruction film presentation, ‘Castle Life in the Victorian Ages’ in the Tapestry Room. While in the Kitchen Corridor there will be a demonstration of cooking through the ages with dishes the castles residents would have enjoyed.
If you’ve not booked your Kilkenny hotel break yet and would like Sunday to visit the Castle Day our new Late Checkout Package would be perfect for you! It’s available this Saturday night at €50 for 2 people sharing including full Irish breakfast, late checkout up to 4pm and if you dine in our Rueben’s Restaurant main courses are all €10.
St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner and to make it more exciting it falls on a Saturday this year, giving us a great long bank holiday weekend to celebrate.
Kilkenny’s St Patricks Parade will start at 2pm on the 17th and be led the by the 2012 Grand Marshall Kilkenny Hurling Team Captain Brian Hogan. There will also be live music in the city centre at various locations from Friday evening and throughout the day on Saturday.
To celebrate the long weekend, we have launched a great hotel special offer for St. Patrick’s Weekend in Kilkenny – Stay 2 Nights (Friday 16th & Saturday 17th) and receive 50% discount on your Friday night rate! That makes a stay for two people in a double or twin room including full Irish breakfast both mornings only €148.50 in total!!
And don’t forget when you book online at our official Kilkenny hotel website you will also receive a complimentary welcome drink – it’s your choice but for St Patricks weekend we recommend treating yourself to a glass of Guinness.
Kilkenny is such a wonderful city to explore with so much to see and do one of the biggest complaints we get at reception is having to go home so soon. Whether you need to catch up some much needed sleep or just want to enjoy your last day in Kilkenny without rushing back to checkout a 4pm departure time is just what you need!
Our new late checkout package includes complimentary extended departure time up to 4pm – plenty of extra sleep or time to explore the city.
To celebrate the arrival of spring as an added bonus, guests staying with us on our Late Checkout Package can enjoy any main course in Rueben’s Restaurant for just €10!
Our Kilkenny hotel late checkout special offer is priced from €45 per night for 2 guests sharing a double or twin room and includes full Irish breakfast and taxes. Book on-line or call us now before its sold out!
Stays at the Aspect Hotel Kilkenny are now even more rewarding. We are delighted to be part of the exciting new guest reward scheme Rewards From Us To You! Each time you stay you can earn points for fabulous treats such as free hotel breaks and One4All gift vouchers!
You can earn and redeem points at any of the participating hotels so if you’re a regular guest with us you might like to treat yourself to luxury a break elsewhere.
Rewards From Us To You participating hotels currently include:
- Aspect Hotel Kilkenny
- Aspect Hotel Parkwest
- Premier Suites Dublin
- Dublin City Inn
- Leopold Hotel Sheffield
With many more hotels soon to be introduced to the scheme
Stay with us and either enrol online or at the Reception Desk of any of the hotels and start earning your points today.
Points are awarded on your room rate and as you earn 15 points for every euro spent you can quickly build up points to redeem your great rewards from One4All Vouchers to Free Nights Stays at the participating hotels.
For more information, or to sign up for free, checkout their website
The Barrow River Arts comes to County Carlow on the 2nd and 3rd March. As part of the festival there is the world famous piano duo of Marielle and Katie Labeque who will play in Duiske Abbey, Co. Kilkenny on 2nd March from 8pm.
Carlow is now within easy driving distance to Kilkenny, only a small journey of 30 minutes away by car and excellent Bus and Train Service; you can enjoy the Festival while also taking in the delights of the Marble City.
All other parts of the festival will take place in Co. Carlow and range from Irish Story Telling to Albert Irvin Exhibition Evan Parker – Saxophone.
For more details are available on the festival website
Next Thursday, January 26th, sees the return of the greatly anticipated Thyestes Day at Gowran Park. It is a great day enjoyed by the avid followers of horseracing and new visitors to the race track alike.
Gowran Park Racecourse is expecting a crowd of around 6,500 of the great sports spectators on 26th with the first race starting at 1.05pm. The racecourse is about 10 minutes outside the city and they have also organised free buses to take you from Kilkenny city centre to the race ground, the first bus departs at 11am so you’re sure not to miss any of the action. The Big Race of the Day is at 3.05pm in which Kilkenny horse trainer Willie Mullins has 5 entries.
Here at Aspect Hotel Kilkenny we have excellent rates to stay of only €25.00 per person sharing or only €45.00 for a single room. All our fantastic value Kilkenny hotel rates include full Irish breakfast which will set you up for the exciting day ahead at the race meet!
Gowran Park also has great Hospitality Offers for the day, from only €12.00 for an Adult Admission and Race Card to €80.00 which includes Race Card, Reserved Seating in the Rooftop Restaurant, 4 course Buffet and Private Bar and Tote Betting.
For more information of the races held on the day please visit the Gowran Park Racecourse Track website.