We were delighted to bring the Annual AVEA Conference to Kilkenny in October 2024.

Kilkenny is a city steeped in medieval history, and rich in cultural, heritage and immersive experiences for visitors to enjoy. Kilkenny is long-established as one of the most popular destinations for holiday-makers, with its pretty setting and compact city footprint making it a particularly easy and engaging place to navigate, with excellent accommodation offerings, food and beverage offerings, and transport connectivity to round out the visitor experience.

Thanks to the wonderfully enthusiasm of AVEA’s city members, and the support of Kilkenny County Council, we were thrilled to share the delights of Kilkenny with our delegates. We planned an itinerary packed with opportunities to enjoy everything Kilkenny has to offer – including some hidden gems! – and the programme included some ‘after dark’ experiences that showcased Kilkenny’s lively nighttime visitor economy.

Our host venue The Kilkenny Ormonde Hotel, under the management of Colin Ahern, is a premium hotel located centrally, with extensive conference and banqueting spaces, and a leisure centre. Colin and his team ensured that the needs of delegates were met with warm and professional hospitality at all times, and were available to ensure the smooth running of all elements of our stay. AVEA thanks the team for their tremendous assistance in the planning and delivery of this marquee event in our annual association calendar.

We were also very excited to host our Gala Dinner in Saint Canice’s Cathedral. Sincere thanks to Anne-Marie Hallinan, General Manager, and Dean Stephen Farrell for enabling this to happen, and to Eddie Langton who provided the outside catering, Lanigan’s for the staging, and Alchemy Vox for the entertainment.