What We Know as Kieran Street construction timeline changes in Kilkenny City
Works on the middle section of Kieran Street will take place in September
Works on the middle section of Kieran Street, adjacent to several outdoor dining areas, have been postponed until September, the local authority has confirmed.
The improvement works, which form part of the Kieran Street and Market Square Urban Enhancement Scheme, have been ongoing for the past number of months, with some concern that they may impact trade at certain periods in the calendar.
The postponement of the works follows pressure from Cllr David FitzGerald at last month’s meeting of the Kilkenny City Municipal District to be ‘practical’ in the scheduling of future works on the city centre street.
Initially, construction was set to resume following the August Bank Holiday weekend, but this was flagged as a potential drawback for business and tourism, with The Kilkenny Arts Festival scheduled to begin on August 6th for ten days.
The Fine Gael councillor welcomed the news at last Friday’s meeting, crediting the council executive for ‘listening’ to the relevant stakeholders.
Each phase of the construction takes between four and six weeks to complete, and the scheme is expected to be completed in late 2026.
The complete project will provide an improved public realm to include seating, outdoor shelter in the form of canopies, hanging baskets and areas for planting of trees and shrubs.
The contractor is phasing each leg of the works to roughly 50m-long sections.
According to the local authority, the enhancement scheme will "give the area a new sense of purpose, connectivity, and pedestrian flow."
"Improving accessibility and attractiveness to locals and visitors is expected to generate higher footfall supporting increased economic activity in the area," the council added.
Both Kilkenny County Council and the contractors continue to engage with local traders.