Why Kilkenny

WHY KILKENNY?

A unique location in the heart of Ireland mixing medieval and modern with the capacity to attract exceptional talent.

A vibrant place to live and work, steeped in history and rich in culture yet 70 minutes from Dublin.

Kilkenny – where people come to make a life

1. Exceptional Location

If your business success depends on international connectivity, Kilkenny is the location for you.

Kilkenny is…

  • A cosmopolitan city with a rich medieval heritage and National award winners in Tidy Towns, Entante Florale and National Enterprise Towns.
  • A creative hotspot and home to the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland, Heritage Council, Cartoon Saloon, Lighthouse Studios and Grennan Mill Craft School with plans afoot for a new school of jewellery in Thomastown.
  • Home to a thriving food culture with an abundance of gourmet eateries including Michelin Star restaurants.
  • One of only five regions worldwide designated as a World Craft City and Region and home to the Made in Kilkenny Group – http://madeinkilkenny.ie/
  • The City of Festivals with world-renowned festivals such as the Kilkenny Arts Festival, the Cat Laughs Comedy Festival and Kilkenomics.
  • Kilkenny’s reputation in the commercial, civic, social, design and sporting arena has been achieved through hard work, determination and a respect for history, heritage and tradition.

2. Talent

Great people are hard to find and harder to keep. Great people are what make businesses successful and Kilkenny attracts great people.

Kilkenny has…

  • The new South East Technological University within 40 minutes with a population of more than 17,000 students.
  • A buzzing entrepreneurial culture with numerous start-ups making Kilkenny their home.
  • A dedicated Local Enterprise Office whose aim is to support job creation, foster innovation and address the needs of existing and new investment from SMEs and multinationals.
  • A culture and eco-system of innovation in the region with numerous industry led clusters.
  • A lifestyle that encourages people to put down roots to live and work.
  • A population of 456,000 within the South East Region.

3. A History of Success

Success breeds Success!!

Kilkenny is…

  • Home to a large number of Global Businesses that are leaders in the Financial Services, Life Sciences and Manufacturing industries (to name a few) such as State Street, UPMC and Abbott.
  • Headquarters of Irish companies such as Glanbia, CluneTech and FBD Insurance.
  • The birthplace of our own start-ups such as Oscar nominated Cartoon Saloon, Ireland’s largest financial intermediary LoanItt, and Lighthouse Studios.

4. Connectivity

If your business success depends on international connectivity and short commutes for your staff, Kilkenny is the location for you.

Kilkenny is…

  • The closest Irish city to Dublin and just 90 minutes from Dublin Airport via the national motorway system.
  • Well connected to Dublin with 7 daily commuter rail services and 9 daily Bus Express Services.
  • A gateway to Ireland’s four other cities – Waterford, Cork, Limerick and Galway, thanks to quality infrastructure via road and rail.
  • Home to Ireland’s closest multi-modal port to Europe at Belview.
  • Kilkenny people have some of the shortest commutes in Ireland, with 64% of people who live there travelling 30 minutes or less to work versus 48% of people in Dublin.

5. Competitiveness

Location, Location, Location!!!

Kilkenny has…

  • Substantially lower business costs than Dublin.
  • High capacity fibre optic networks.
  • Excellent amenities and corporate entertainment facilities.
  • Average house prices approximately 20% lower than Dublin City Centre.