Captivating KILKENNY

Edward Hayden, celebrity chef, author, radio presenter and regular on Virgin Media’s Ireland AM gives us plenty of reasons to visit his native Kilkenny this summer for a weekend or more. It’s a quirky, charming city surrounded by the most beautiful countryside with bike and hike trails and home to great bars and restaurants just waiting to be explored. Favourite staycation spot?

For me the best place to go for a staycation is in Kilkenny. I love to use the downtime of the summer period to catch up with friends and family, so spending time in my home county of Kilkenny is heaven sent.

I love nothing more than travelling into Kilkenny, getting a coffee in Kilkenny Design Centre, going across to the castle park and watching the world go by. What to do?

Boating on the River Nore is great, you don’t have to have your own boat as there are regular boat trips and it’s a great day out.

Lovely long walks along the Barrow line, picnics at Kilfane Gardens and Waterfalls, visits to the Castlecomer Discovery Park, Jerpoint Park, Kilkenny Castle Park, grounds of Butler House or around Woodstock Gardens.

The Waterside Guesthouse in Graignamanagh also runs a bicycle hire business for touring my native Graignamanagh and its hinterlands. Best place to stay?

Ken Walsh in Graignamanagh has set up a wonderful business, Brandon Hill Camping, in recent years and he offers a wonderful