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.

This weekend will see the Inistioge Gathering Weekend taking place. The event features live music in the village on Saturday and Sunday, with Trail Runs through Woodstock Gardens on Saturday  All funds raised from the €5 entry fee will go towards developing G.A.A. and athletics facilities in the parish.

Sunday night will also see Kilkenny Musical Societys 40th annual show, Pirates of Penzance, starting it’s run in the Watergate theatre.

Tickets are now on sale from the Watergate box office 056-7761674 and available on line at www.watergatetheatre.com. Prices are €12 for Sunday, €15 for Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday, and €18 for Thursday, Friday & Saturday. The Society is also offering Group discounts for 10 or more at €15 per ticket.

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.

Kilkenny’s  first gathering event of the year took place on New Years Day in Castlecomer, when around 10,000f people turned out for the 33rd annual Wellie Race. This year, the race featured an international element, with Tyler Chuang of Toronto declared International World Wellie Race Champion!

Competitors were encouraged to run in the national colours of their home or adopted countries. Thousands of euros were raised for a variety of charities, and you can see s gallery of the highlights at the wellie races Facebook page here.