Castlecomer will be celebrating its mining heritage this weekend, with a number of events planned for the town.  The official opening will take place on Friday at 7.30pm with former miner Jim O’Neill and his daughter Mary. Saturday will feature guided tours of the old pit head, with a ceílí mór in the evening, while Sunday will see the unveiling of a plaque in memory of all the men and boys who lost there life in the mines.

You can read the full programme here: 

Kilkenny Rugby Football Club are hosting the Marble City Sevens Rugby Festival which will take place on the 28th, 29th, 30th June 2013.

This fun filled weekend will see teams from all over Europe and Ireland compete for the coveted title of Marble City 7’s Rugby Champion.

Included in the festivities is a Ladies 7’s competition and a Golden Oldies competition. It is also hoped to host a representative game on the final day against a Kilkenny selection.

If you want to participate, download the application form here
and return the completed version to fergus.horgan@cklp.ie

Photo courtesy of www.keithdowlingphotography.com

Two hundred and seventy four members of the extended Harper family, ranging in age from 9 weeks to 96 years gathered in Kilkenny College last weekend for The Harper Reunion This was the 4th reunion of the descendants of Samuel Harper (1881-1957). The previous reunions took place in 1990, 1999 and 2006.  The hosts were excited to extend the family reunion to those who are descended from Sgt. Robert Harper (1800’s) who lived in Coon, Co. Kilkenny.

Over 80 people travelled to Ireland from 11 different countries including Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Hong Kong, Norway, Sweden, Holland, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, the UK and USA, while others were connected to the event through Skype.

Over 1500 cups of tea and coffee, and over 30L milk were consumed over the course of the weekend, along with countless trays of home baking.

Since the last reunion in 2006 the family has recorded 70 new births, 14 marriages and only 3 deaths. The weekend featured a family church service which represented the main different Christian traditions within the family including  Church of Ireland, Methodist, Presbyterian, Non-dominational, Catholic and Charismatic/ Pentecostal, which was the highlight for many people.

Art exhibitions and a group art project were also a feature, with the fingerprints of all those in attendance being used to make up a large image of a fingerprint. You can read more about the event here and here.

Kilkenny County Library Service has prepared a series of six such postcards featuring pictures of Kilkenny, past and present. The original postcards were published in the early 1900’s and the ‘now’ photographs were taken from the same perspective last year. The postcards are available through library branches or by contacting your Gathering co-ordinator, Aisling Hayes.

The Bridge, Graiguenamanagh

Designed by George Smith, the bridge crosses the River Barrow in the centre of Graiguenamanagh and was built in 1764-7. During the rebellion of 1798, British forces blew up some of the arches to close access to Kilkenny from County Carlow. It is one of several bridges rebuilt in Kilkenny following the great flood of 1763, including those in Thomastown, Inistioge, Castlecomer and Green’s Bridge in Kilkenny.

High Street, Kilkenny

Dominated by the Tholsel building, high street is at the heart of Kilkenny City. Originally constructed in 1579, the Tholsel was extended in 1761. It has in the past been used as a customs house, a guildhall and a courthouse, and is currently in use as the town hall. It also stores the ‘Liber Primus Kilkenniensis’ which  contains records of decisions taken from 1231. High Street is also well known for the medieval lanes, or ‘slips’ which run down to Kieran street to the east.

John’s Quay, Kilkenny

The River Nore runs for 140km, from Devil’s Bit Mountain in north Tipperary, through Counties Laois and Kilkenny, to the sea at Waterford Harbour.  The Nore has played a central part in the history of Kilkenny and with the Rivers Barrow and Suir, forms the ‘3 Sisters’. Major tributaries of the Nore include the Dinin, the Breagagh at Kilkenny City, the King’s River, the Little Arrigle and the Black Water. The Nore is crossed at Ballyragget, Bennettsbridge, Thomastown, Inistioge and Kilkenny City.

Bessborough House, Piltown

Built in the mid 18^th century for Brabazon Ponsonby (1679-1768), the first Earl of Bessborough, Bessborough House was burned during the Civil War. It was reconstructed in 1929 and used as a convent until 1944, when it became the home of Kildalton Agricultural College.

Church Road, Johnstown

The  village of Johnstown features an attractive diamond at its centre. The nearby Spa Well at Ballyspellan was celebrated in verse by the great Johnathan Swift after a visit in the 1700’s. Check out Johnstown Historical Society’s facebook site for lots of archive photographs at http://ow.ly/jFrtr

The Square, Castlecomer

The market square and street layout of modern Castlecomer date to the 1630’s when the Wandesford family began construction of the present town near the location of the Norman castle.  Coal mining began in earnest in the area around 1640, and the mines remained open until 1969, providing employment for many in the surrounding area.

The Easter holiday will be a busy time in County Kilkenny, with gathering events taking place around the county.

Emigration through the centuries

Rothe House & Garden will be hosting ‘Emigration through the centuries’ a three day series mix of lectures, day trips, and social entertainment exploring factors influencing the departure of so many 19th and 20th century Irish men and women. The conference will be based in Rothe House Kilkenny and will engage with Irish diaspora seeking to connect with their Kilkenny roots. A full programme of events is available here

MacGiollaPhadraig/Fitzpatrick Way Walk

Easter Sunday March 31st 2013 sees the staging of the popular 17km walk on theMacGiollaPhadraig Way from Durrow Co. Laois to Gathabawn Co. Kilkenny. This estimated 3.5 to 4 hour cross country walk will commence from 11:30 am. The walk will leave the Church car park, Durrow at 12.00 noon and continue by Ballykealy then to Cullahill Mountain at 2.30pm, where intended walkers can join at the trail head. This particular location boasts spcetacular scenery where seven Counties come into view . At the conclusion of the walk lunch will be served in Mackeys Bar, Gathabawn. Registration and walk fee of €5,   fee paying shuttle bus will also be available throughout the day. More information available here

Pat Walsh Easter Memorial, Dunamaggan

THE ANNUAL PAT WALSH MEMORIAL PARADE will take place in Dunamaggan on Easter Sunday. The celebrations commence with the 11.00 a.m. mass in St. Leonard’s Church, Dunamaggan which will be followed by the Parade. The guest speaker this year is John McGuinness T.D., chairman of the Dáil Public Accounts Committee. The evening concludes with a Cabaret in O’Dwyer’s at 9.00 p.m. from which the proceeds will go to the Dunamaggan G.A.A. club and the committee. This Easter Sunday Parade is one of the longest established Parades in the country and your support is very welcome so as to ensure that it continues and is still part of the local celebrations in 2016 and 2021 when it celebrates historic centuries of Irish History.

Law Enforcement  officers from around the globe will be coming to Ireland to celebrate the ten year anniversary of the Special Olympics World Summer Games held here in 2003.

They will be walking in the parade with the Special Olympics Team Ireland Athletes who will be took part in the World Winter Games in South Korea in January 2013 and will be carrying the Special Olympics Torch in the parade.

For the first time since 2003, these US officers will take the “Flame of Hope” through the streets of Ireland, visiting Dublin then on to Kilkenny on Tuesday the 19th for a very special Torch Run with local athletes. Everyone is invited to show their support at the Parade at 12:00

You can view them all, and create custom invites to your Gathering event, here.

Creating a Gathering:

Inviting people to your Gathering:

Managing your Gathering:

and using social media to promote your Gathering:

Also, we now have templates available for printing promotional material. They can be downloaded at the link below:

We had our Brochure Launch in Stathams Bar at the Pembroke Hotel here in Kilkenny on Wednesday night. You can read the event  here, and download the brochure here.