Her.ie’s resident fashionista Naoimh Wilkins headed to Kilkenny to check out the style, crafts and tastes of this vibrant city.
Kilkenny is only a hop, skip and jump from the capital but to my shame it’s been years since I’ve been to a place where I lived as a child. My friend and I took the late afternoon train from Heuston on Friday so after an hour and a half of catching up we were there.
Later we wandered down the high street were met by an impressive view of the castle. And like proper tourists it was only after the photo op that we asked one of the locals to direct us to our hotel. But after being told it would be too far to walk carrying our bags we easily picked up a taxi. The aptly named Hotel Kilkenny offers contemporary and spacious accommodation with all the modern amenities you expect of a four-star hotel. The leisure centre including a 25-metre pool is a real selling point for the hotel.
We had tickets for a styling event organised as part of Fashion Week so we put our party dresses on and reapplied our in record time to make sure we didn’t miss any of the insider tips.
Top Irish models Yomiko, Karen and Sarah showcasing the boutique style that’s on offer in Kilkeeny
Now some clever clogs must have known that us fashionistas like a cocktail as we were met by a table of them on arrival at the Left Bank. The show consisted of hair demos by stylist Kieran O’Gorman, a master class with make-up artist Michael Brown and a styling lesson with stylist Karen Morrissey. This buzzy bar is the city’s hotspot and seems to be a keen favourite with locals and tourists alike. There are lots of smaller nooks and crannies off the larger rooms that are ideal to spend lazy Sunday afternoons relaxing after a night out.
Next stop was Café Sol, a small eatery on William Street, a member of the food trail. The décor is low key but the food more than exceeded our expectations. For an aperitif we each had a Kir before sharing a starter of courgette, mint and feta cheese salad with pea purée and crème fraîche. The portion was generous and the combo was something new we hadn’t tried before. We both opted for fish as the main course with Deirdre choosing the baked fillet of seabass, fine egg noodles, roast vine tomatoes and sesame oil dressing. I ordered the special which was fillet of hake served with spinach mash and asparagus. Both dishes were really tasty and again the hearty portions didn’t deter us from leaving clean plates. Talking to locals afterwards this bistro restaurant regularly came up as a firm favourite amongst resident foodies. For dessert only one of us (me!) caved and went for the Eton Mess which was yummy if a little heavy on the cream and light on fruit. Staff were friendly and efficient with waiter Mark giving us an insider tip before we left. After asking where we should head to for a nightcap he pointed us in the direction of the Hole in the Wall pub and told us to expect the unexpected!
Hidden away under an archway down a small lane and through a courtyard, once we walked into the building we were met by a handwritten note saying Bar. If this is all sounding a bit like falling down the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland that’s because it was! Pushing open the door we found ourselves in a tiny, cluttered, ramshackle room with a homemade bar and in the company of no more than 15 other punters including the two musicians and lone barman. This is a one-man band operation as Michael serves drinks, leads the singsongs and hand washes the glasses as he goes.
The charm lies in the randomness of it all as we left feeling like we’d had a fun and definitely one of the most memorable nights we’d enjoyed in a long time. And even though I swear this place exists and is first on my list of recommended places to check out the next time you’re in the area, if you came back and told me you couldn’t find any such pub or person I wouldn’t be at all surprised!
After a sound sleep and the full shebang at breakfast we walked (about ten minutes) into the city to meet milliner Rebekah Patterson at her studio at No. 1 on the Parade, first stop on the craft trail. Rebekah mostly does commissioned bridal and racing pieces but has recently started stocking her designs in the Loft Market at Powerscourt Townhouse Centre.
One of Rebekan Patterson’s beautiful hand-dyed creations in the key colour for autumn/winter
“Downton Abbey has been a big influence as 1920s style hats have grown in popularity. I’ve recently started doing a foldable trilby and the oversized look seen on the Louis Vuitton a/w catwalk has been a surprisingly popular one,” she told us. We spent an hour trying on different designs with her red bow hat coming out on top as the clear favourite.
She tipped us off that antique jewellers, Lorimot is a definite must-visit. This one-room shop is small but compact and has glass cabinets jam-packed with lots of lovely pieces. We were hard pressed to resist the sparklers but our bank balance thanked us for leaving empty handed.
Even if it’s only window shopping make sure and stop off to admire all the lovely jewellery
Definitely worth a visit is interiors haven, Gorgeous, which as it says on the tin, houses lovely albeit unusual items for your home. We picked up a quirky, patterned, make-it-yourself, indoor birdhouse as an early Christmas present. Of course kitsch has its place but if you’re looking for more than bric-a-brac, head here for owner Milo’s carefully edited selection of eclectic yet elegant homewares.
This unique decorative object, €22, will take pride of place in the recipient’s hallway
Another shop worth popping into is Kwilla. Small and compact it stocks a selection of funny cards, general bits and bobs like mugs and magnets as well as well-known jewellery brands like Tatty Devine. Everything is really well priced and if you’re able to leave without buying at least one thing you clearly have more willpower than we do!
After our time spent checking out the boutiques we stopped at Mocha for lunch. Despite not calling in until after 2pm this well-known café was hopping. We found it hard to pass by the shelves of vintage china without fawning over them and the next temptation to be avoided was the trays of homemade artisan chocolates. Well, at least until after we’d eaten our lunch! Think similar to Avoca and you’re on the right track.
Deirdre went for a chicken sandwich that came with side salad and I had the salad plate. Afterwards we had coffees and you guessed it, some of those tasty treats eyed up on the way in. Overall the lunch was very nice but the prices are on the steep side however since it came recommended by a friend it seemed like the smart option.
We were keen to see Shutterbug set up by stylist, blogger and all-round fashion fan Blainaid Hennessey, up close and personal as we’d never been in the vintage treasure trove before. And we weren’t disappointed as we left with a black, leather mini-skirt – a much hunted for item that was finally found and bought for €30… bargain!
The Kilkenny Design Centre has only recently opened their upstairs restaurant in the evenings and this was where we headed for dinner. The whitewashed stonewalls, wooden beams and linen drops all give the space a homely, rustic feel. The food is served on specially commissioned Castle Arch Pottery stoneware that you’ll find on the craft trail map and the walls display paintings by renowned artist Jane O’Malley. The focus of the menu is to offer diners modern Irish cuisine using the best local produce.
The mini loaves that arrived to the table before our starters, proved impossible to resist as we scoffed the red onion and fennel one quick smart. The service was really friendly and we were given plenty of time between each course. I had the Knockdrinna goats cheese parcels with beetroot risotto to start while Deirdre had Thai carrot soup. Both were enthusiastically gobbled down and the tasty beetroot risotto has since been added to the must-try-at-home recipe book. The restaurant, another member of the food trail, was busy and there were a number of bigger parties so understandably two of the most popular dishes – slowcooked beef and pork belly – had run out by the time we chose our main courses. However, I wasn’t disappointed with my steak, garlic potatoes, asparagus and peppercorn sauce. Simply yum! Having decided early on that she’d be indulging in dessert, Deirdre opted for the starter of roasted duck confit with wild blackberry and red onion marmalade for her main course. Again, plates were cleared and all but licked clean before being sent back to the kitchen. I had strawberry macaroons to finish while Deirdre went for the apple pudding and amaretto custard. Hers was the clear winner in the flavour stakes and trust us we’re not exaggerating when we say the sauce was one of the most delicious things we’ve ever tasted. We both opted for a glass of the house wine with the meal – one red and one white – which were both very pleasant.
We’d been given a couple of tips on where to go so we headed to Tynan’s pub beside the river for another drink. It was packed with locals and initially we struggled to get seats. The atmosphere was great and the décor looked like it hadn’t been changed (in a good way) since the Fifties. Next up was Bridie’s, a green fronted shop that during the day operates as an upmarket grocer selling fancy lemonade, preserves and jars of porridge oats as well as random gift items. Bizarrely you make your way through the shop and the wooden swing doors to find the old-style, saloon bar that runs the length of the room with booths facing it. This elegant sliver of a drinking den is part of the bigger Langton’s establishment. We did venture next door briefly just to have a goo but found we were happier staying put.
This pretty exterior is often used as a backdrop in photographs by brides and grooms who get hitched in the area
The next day after checking out, we took a short stroll around the castle grounds before making our way towards the train station, chatting about our stay and already planning our next visit.
For more information on Kilkenny’s food and craft trails visit www.trailkilkenny.ie and for more great value breaks in Ireland check out Discover Ireland’s new autumn/winter brochure available in Discover Ireland centres nationwide and to download from www.discoverireland.ie/specialoffers
