Posts filed under 'Kilkenny'
St Patrick’s Day is celebrated all around the world. However, for many it is simply a party, rather than a chance to celebrate Ireland’s patron saint. This is strange, because Saint Patrick had a dramatic life.
As a young lad of sixteen years he was captured by a band of raiders near Bologne in Gaul and taken with many others to slavery in Ireland. He was first brought to Mayo, but later sold to an Antrim farmer and he spent six years in captivity as a shepherd on Slemish Mountain.
One cold winter’s night, while Patrick slept, he heard a voice telling him “it is well that you fast, soon you will go to your own country” and a short time later the voice said to him “Look, your ship is ready”.
The spirit guided Patrick to the south of Ireland near Wicklow where he boarded a ship with a cargo of dogs bound for Gaul.
At this time an invasion of Gaul had left much of it desolate. Patrick and the crew of the boat wandered for 28 days until all food had run out. Patrick said to the crew “turn to God and he will provide” and suddenly a herd of pigs appeared and they had food once more. Patrick had performed his first miracle.
For a number of years Patrick wandered through Gaul. Conscious of his lack of formal training in theology and law he spent his time talking to and learning from the wise deacons and Bishops and soon he was made a Bishop in Rome.
He was lonely in Gaul so he went to visit his relations in Britain. While he was there he had another vision in which a man arrived from Ireland with many letters, including one for himself. The letter said “We ask you boy to come and walk once more among us”. Patrick was delighted and went to Ireland immediately.
The people of Ireland at this time were pagans under the influence of the Druids. Patrick had first to rid the country of these “magicians”. This is symbolised by the banishing of the snakes forever from Ireland.
He now set about converting the people to Christianity. His deep faith and belief in the Blessed Trinity made this doctrine a centre piece of his instruction. To help explain the mystery he used the simple 3 leaf shamrock to illustrate 3 persons in one God.
St Patrick died in 461. By this time he had created an established structured church throughout the country. His converts were across the entire social classes from Princes to slaves and many of his priests and deacons were from the youth of Ireland. He is still to this day the most famous figure in Irish history and is one of the best known figures throughout the Christian world.
February 27th, 2008
Leinster are preparing for their Heineken Cup clash at Leicester on Saturday 19th of January.
While the Leicester side is strong, Leinster coach Michael Cheika is confident they will be able to get a result.
He said: “What we’ve got to do is go up there and make sure we keep sowing a bit of doubt in
their minds in their home base, where they don’t lose very often.
“We’ve got to make sure we continue to play well…and try to sneak a win up there.”
Leinster’s preparations were given a boost with the news that both injury worries Shane Horgan and Ollie le Roux have recovered enough to be included in the squad. They will face fitness tests oon Thursday, but are expected to be at near 100%.
The full squad to face Leicester is:
Forwards (15): Cian Healy, Ollie le Roux, Ronan McCormack, Brian Blaney, Bernard Jackman, Stephen Knoop, Stan Wright, Leo Cullen, Trevor Hogan, Cameron Jowitt, Malcolm O’Kelly, Stephen Keogh, Keith Gleeson, Shane Jennings, Jamie Heaslip
Backs (12): Guy Easterby, Chris Keane, Felipe Contepomi, Jonathan Sexton, Luke Fitzgerald, Rob Kearney, Gordon D’Arcy, Christian Warner, Brian O’Driscoll, Gary Brown, Shane Horgan,
Girvan Dempsey
Ireland duo Gordon D’Arcy and Malcolm O’Kelly, need only three more appearances for Leinster to equal who both joined Reggie Corrigan’s record for the province.
Over 1,000 Leinster supporters are expected to travel to Leicester for the Heineken Cup match, which kicks off at 3.30PM at Welford Road.
January 16th, 2008
There’s a lot going on at Donnybrook, as Leinster prepare for the new season.
First, a new Rugby Development Officer has been named. Everyone at Leinster Rugby is delighted at the appointment of David McAllister.
The former Leinster and Ireland Under-21 out-half will be responsible for the North Midlands area. Hopes are high that his experience will help him unearth some exciting new talent.
But that’s not all. You can now sport the colours of your favourite team, as the new home jersey for the 2007/08 season is now available at the Leinster Rugby Store. Short sleeved jerseys are only €77, with long sleeved shirts costing €80.
The 2007/08 season looks to be a very exciting one for Leinster. Season ticket applications have almost doubled since last year. Priced at just €199, a new batch of Bronze season tickets has been released after the initial tickets were snapped up within weeks. Make sure you get yours quickly to avoid disappointment.
For devoted Leinster fans who can’t make it to all the home games, Leinster Supporters Memberships are available for next season.
Exile packages (€50) are designed for those Leinster fans all across the globe. The kids can join the Leinster Cubs for just €30.
Look out for more rugby news as the 2007/08 season approaches.
July 24th, 2007
Kilkenny Tourist Hostel is a cost effective way of spending a fabulous time in County Kilkenny. The hostel is located in the centre of downtown Kilkenny and is medium in size. The building of the hostel is a townhouse almost 260 years old with Georgian architecture that is mostly still remarkably intact. The hostel provides the city’s best budget accommodation without compromising on quality or service. The hostel provides valuable information to tourists on its notice boards like where to experience the best traditional music, how to get a free tour of Kilkenny Brewery and where to go if you are interested in watching a hurling match. A fully equipped kitchen is provided for the guests so they can cook their favourite meals. Linen is included in the price. Luggage storage and laundry facilities are provided. A comfortable sitting room with a burning fire is a nice place to mingle with the other guests. This is the only hostel in the city to be approved by the Irish Tourist Board and is a member of the Independent Holiday Hostels group.
February 6th, 2007
The eighth and final section of the South Leinster Way is comprised of the route starting from Piltown and ending at Carrick-on-Suir. The route is quite easy for walkers of all abilities and is located in the eastern region of the province of Leinster in County Kilkenny. This part of the walking route is considerably shorter at just about eight kilometres. There is very little climbing involved on this route. Due to all these reasons, this route can be covered in a pretty short period of time amounting to only about two and a half hours. The traffic on this road can be quite fast. Also the road might be too narrow for the walkers so care should be taken to avoid any unfortunate mishaps or incidents. The area surrounding this walking trail is composed mainly of farmland. Walkers have the choice of climbing the wooded hill of Curraghballintea on this route. Dowleys Castle along Tibbaraghney road is a great place to spend some time exploring. Tibberaghny Castle is a towerhouse that is also worth visiting on this walking path. There’s lots to see in the heritage town of Carrick-on-Suir, especially historic stuff since this town dates back to the 13th century.
February 2nd, 2007
The seventh section of the South Leinster Way stretches from Mullinavat to Piltown. This part of the walking route is located in the eastern region of Leinster in County Kilkenny. The route is pretty easy and shouldn’t present walkers with any difficulties. A distance of fourteen kilometres has to be covered by the walkers to reach the end of this section of the walking route. The highest point on this walking trail is about two hundred metres. Walking at an average pace, most walkers won’t take more than five hours to finish this route. The landscape surrounding this walking path consists of mostly farmland and coniferous plantations. There are elevated sections on this route that prove to be a great vantage point for exploring the beauty of County Waterford and County Tipperary from afar. The scenic views of the Suir Valley can be enjoyed from the southern parts of the Booley Hills. The Poulanassy Waterfall at Clonassy is worthy of a visit for its pristine splendour.
February 1st, 2007
The walk from Ballykenna to Mullinavat represents the sixth section of the South Leinster Way. This walking route is pretty easy and shouldn’t be too difficult to handle for most walkers. This walking path is located in County Kilkenny. Walkers will get to walk over a distance of fourteen kilometres on this walking trail. Two hundred and thirty metres is the height of the highest point on this trail. Average walkers should easily complete this route in about four and a half hours. The road is pretty much desolate and peaceful. However, care will be needed in crossing the road at Lukeswell and N9 near Mullinavat. Walkers will have to cross the river at Ballyconnaught and Lukeswell village. Coolnahan Hill and the Derrylacky area consist of coniferous forest. The views available here and at Tory Hill are quite splendid. Explorers will have a nice time checking out Crowbally Castle ruins located on this walking route.
January 31st, 2007
Starting from Inistioge and ending at Ballykenna, the fifth section of the South Leinster Way is an easy route that will not prove to be a problem for most walkers. Like the fourth section, this section is also located in County Kilkenny. The total distance walkers will have to cover on this walking trail amounts to about fourteen kilometres. The highest point on this route is about two hundred and fifty metres high so it shouldn’t be too difficult for most walkers. An average walker travelling at a normal pace can expect to complete this walking path in a little less than five hours. The Mount Aldo forest road on this track features some spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. One mile from Inistoige village, walkers can check out the ice house that is located parallel to the River Nore. The gardens located before Mount Alto Wood are worth visiting for their splendour and beauty. From Mount Alto, walkers can take in breathtaking views of the River Nore Valley and New Ross.
January 26th, 2007
The fourth part of the South Leinster Way is comprised of the route starting from Graiguenamanagh and ending at Inistioge. This walking route is relatively easy for walkers to traverse with very few stumbling blocks to hinder their progress. This part of the walking route is located in County Kilkenny. This walking trail is quite long at about sixteen kilometres. Three hundred and thirty metres is the maximum height that walkers can expect to climb here. Most walkers will be able to finish walking this route in about five and a half hours. R705 and R700 are the roads on this route that will require some care in order to be crossed due to the heavy flow of the traffic. Most of this walking route is comprised of forest road. The forest road on Brandon Hill will provide walkers with some delightful views of the surrounding countryside. Duiske Abbey in Graiguenamanagh will be of particular interest for those who enjoy exploring historical buildings. If you fancy seeing a cairn or heap of stones, just walk up to the top of the Brandon Hill and feast your eyes. In Kilcross, walkers will have a chance to view the ruins of a famine village. Inishtioga village features an eye catching square. There are also some old churches here that are worth visiting.
January 25th, 2007
Rinuccini in County Kilkenny is often regarded as the premier Italian/Irish restaurant of Ireland. The restaurant specializes in Irish seafood which is delivered daily to the restaurant. Crabs, prawns, lobsters, mussels and wild Irish salmon are some of the aquatic creatures you can enjoy munching at this fabulous restaurant. Dishes made from locally produced veal, poultry and steak are also quite popular among the patrons of this restaurant. Homemade pastas like spaghetti, Fettuccine Alfredo, Lasagne al Fomo etc. are also appreciated greatly by the customers.
December 29th, 2006
