No room at the Plough-Inn! RTÉ star Ryan Tubridy takes refuge in Kilkenny

By COLIN BARTLEY

Kilkenny tourism sectors has received an unexpected boost from this year’s ploughing championship, with most hotels and B&Bs booked out, with those remaining charging up to 60% more than normal for a mid-week room.

So hard to find is accommodation close to the ploughing site in Carlow that Ryan Tubridy and his radio team have set-up base in Kilkenny city for the week.

And RTÉ’s biggest star gave the Marble City a glowing recommendation on his Radio 1 show this morning when he said; “Kilkenny is one of my favourite places to be in Ireland. A beautiful, beautiful city.”

He told listeners of his pleasure in having a beautiful pint in Tynan’s on the Bridge and his chance encounters.

He first bumped into the granddaughter of Robert Shaw, who famously played the shark hunter Quint in Jaws. Tubridy recalled having the Shaw’s as guests on The Late Late Show four years ago when actor Richard Dreyfuss appeared.

Immediately after bidding adieu to the Shaw’s Tubridy bumped into another Kilkenny hero and her family.

Garda Caroline O’Brien had just received a Hero’s Award for saving a young man’s life during the early hours of Sunday, July 7 morning after he was spotted struggling in the River Nore. Tubridy was delighted to hear the story and took pictures with Garda O’Brien and her family.

Meanwhile, due to its proximity to the ploughing championship this year, Kilkenny has seen a beneficial knock-on effect in terms of rooms.

Many of Kilkenny’s best-known hotels are completely booked out for the week. An extensive search online shows there is not a lot of accommodation remaining in the county for the week.

Of the remaining rooms, accommodation businesses are in some cases charging up to 66% more for a room this week, as is the norm for a mid-week booking.