The Kilkenny Celtic Festival closed on an exhilarating high on Sunday last, with the first Cot Race on the River Nore.
The Graiguenamanagh Cot Club provided the boats and the crews, with some members coming out of retirement to take part in the big event.
The race was sponsored by St Francis Abbey Brewery and prizes were presented later in Tynan’s Bridge house bar by Ian Hamilton, operations manager at Smithwick’s Brewery.
Peter Smithwick, former judge, gave a lecture on ‘300 years of Smithwick’s’ and this event was organised by Daonscoil Osarí.
On Saturday sean nós/Welsh dancing provided a very entertaining event with most of the visiting groups taking to the floor. There was also storytelling for the young ones with Michael Moylan.
The Parade of Nations had all the visiting groups, and the two camogie teams, Conahy and Slieverue under 14s, were led off with the Kilkenny City and District Pipe Band into the castle grounds where the first county final in camogie was played.
The highlight of this year’s festival was the Celtic Evening on Saturday in Springhill Hotel where a punch bowl reception was offered, followed by a traditional Irish stew.
All the visiting groups played and sang their way through the evening which was aptly followed by a ceilí.
Mayor Martin Brett made a heart warming speech complimenting the organisers for bringing many visitors to Kilkenny and promoting Kilkenny in far flung Celtic nations.
