Lucinda O'Sullivan's Ireland

About The Hotel

Kilkenny as a City and as a County rocks as far as I am concerned, but I guess I am kind of biased as I have a Kilkenny background. Known as the Marble City, Kilkenny is filled with historic places to visit, restaurants and bars, lush hinterland, and to boot a magnificent Castle which glows goldenly over the City and its warm hearted people. I grew up on stories of the great and the good – Kilkenny Hunt, the shooting parties, the merchant princes of the City who lived in fine houses in the shadow of the Castle or on fine country estates….

One solid historic house which would have been a bastion of the “upstairs downstairs “era was No. 1 Ormonde Street, built in the mid 19th C., and lived in by the Hackett family – friends and supporters of the Liberator – Charles Stuart Parnell. In later years the building was bought by the Hibernian Bank. In 2000 it opened as a snazzy Boutique Hotel and immediately made its mark on all fronts – great rooms - great style- great restaurant – the destination of the discerning - and all under one roof. In 2009 the Hibernian has gone from strength to strength. It has been voted one of the Best Loved Hotels in the World. The bedrooms are lavishly and richly furnished and, if you really want to push out the boat, you can treat yourself to a Junior Suite or even look out over Kilkenny from the Penthouse Suite.

There are lots of restaurants in Kilkenny but the food in the Hibernian is considered by many to be one of the best around. The atmosphere and ambiance is modern brasserie bistro style and they specialize in seafood – so you can expect maybe to feast on delicious Duncannon chowder or mussels or prawns, followed maybe by whole roast sea-bass; grilled sole on the bone and lots more. However, whilst they specialize in fish there is also plenty for the man who likes his meat – delicious fillets of Angus beef, and plenty of game in season – I love their Marinated Haunch of Wild Venison which they serve with a root vegetable mash and a redcurrant and rosemary jus. Save space for their Warm Sticky Date Pudding… They also do bar food in their Hibernian Bar to the front of the hotel and, if you are a night owl, their fab subterranean Morrisson’s Bar, which is on two floors with lots of snugs and big cozy leather sofas, will welcome you into the night with entertainment and live music.

Get thee to the Kilkenny Hibernian - don’t miss out.

Enquire

Send to a friend

Member Comments

Please log in to add a comment. Click here to log in or sign up