This Irish County Has Been Named Foodie Destination Of The Year

Kilkenny has long been lauded as the country’s favourite destination for a hen or stag, but there’s a lot more to the Marble County than paintball and pub crawls.

In fact, it’s just been named Foodie Destination of the Year for 2018 by the Restaurants Association of Ireland in their annual ceremony.

The finalists included Irish hot spots such as Armagh’s Food Heartland and Galway Gastronomy and at an event in Lisnavagh House on Wednesday 29th of August – where judges were on the hunt for a winner that actively promotes itself through food festivals, gourmet trails or farmers’ markets, as well as great dining experiences for locals and visitors alike.

Judges noted that Kilkenny has developed an eclectic and diverse food and tourism offering which includes top quality gastro pub food, a wide range of Irish and international food offerings and even Michelin star restaurants.

Some of their enhanced food offerings include food trails, whiskey tasting nights, producer visits, cooking classes and distillery and brewery tours. Along with these attractions, Kilkenny has built on their new Dig a Little Deeper campaign which aims to encourage visitors to stay longer in the destination and highlights the restaurants which are considered the hidden gems of Kilkenny.

This in combination with the #TasteKilkenny brand has been pivotal in the development of the county’s online presence. Judges were particularly impressed with the installation of an interactive touch screen search facility in the city centre, aimed at assisting visitors and locals alike in discovering what Kilkenny has to offer.

Planning a trip to Kilkenny? Make sure you check out our Kilkenny Bucket List and to plan your trip head here.