January: Hats off on a joint second place for Kilkenny in Tidy Towns competition

At the start of the year there were strong emotions expressed over a proposed wind farm in Kilkenny as a local community came together in January in a series of public meetings to make sure their voices were heard.

Community meetings took place in Kilkenny to discuss the potential impact of up to 10 planned wind turbines only kilometres North-East of Kilkenny City. EDF Renewables Ireland are spearheading the wind farm development in the Freneystown-Castlewarren area. Locals opposed to the wind farm have been actively mobilising in recent years under the banner of the ‘Save Our Hills’ group.

PICTURES: Crowds flock to Knockroe Passage Tomb in Kilkenny for Winter Solstice

Pictures by Harry Reid

Save Our Hills contends that the project will be hugely invasive to the area and have criticised the proposed scale and location of the turbines.

There was also reason to celebrate in early January when Kilkenny City was confirmed as one of the tidiest places in Ireland - taking joint second in the IBAL Anti Litter League. In the final litter survey of 2022, carried out by business group Irish

Business Against Litter, Kilkenny was just edged out for top spot by last year’s winner, Naas.

Chairperson of Keep Kilkenny Beautiful, Cllr Maria Dollard welcomed the news, saying that to come joint second was a great result and a great credit to KKB volunteers, Kilkenny County Council outdoor crew and all the fantastic businesses in Kilkenny who take such pride in their businesses appearance and keep their area looking beautiful for visitors and locals alike.

Meanwhile in Thomastown an event to mark the 100th anniversary of the executions in Kilkenny barracks of Anti Treaty Volunteers, on December 29, 1922, was held in the old St Mary’s cemetery in Thomastown. The two unfortunate individuals were 32-year-old John Phelan from Thomastown and 22-year-old John Murphy from Bishopslough, Bennettsbridge. Both men had been arrested at the same time two weeks previously, on December 13, 1922. The commemorative event included the singing of the national anthem, before the last post was sounded.

In January tributes were paid to well-known Kilkennyman Brian O’Callaghan of Talbot’s Inch, Freshford Road who died following a short illness. Brian was a former President of Kilkenny Lions Club, notably chosen to take on the role at a particularly prestigious time when the club celebrated its golden jubilee in 2017. His father, John was one of the charter (founder) members in 1967 when the Kilkenny Club was formed.

Meanwhile filming started in Kilkenny in January on a hit TV series, The Inheritance, a Channel Five/Peer Pressure production which was filmed in Kilkenny over five weeks, with an additional week of filming in Inistioge. Around 100 cast and crew members stayed in Kilkenny for the duration of the shoot, providing a major boost to the economy especially the hospitality sector.

In more good news funding of €948,063 has been confirmed for Kilkenny under the €50m Community Recognition Fund.

Among the projects that can be supported under the fund are the refurbishment of sports clubs and facilities; the upgrade of community facilities like walkways, parks and community gardens and equipment to benefit local clubs and festivals.