What does a good session make?
Good company? Yes. Great pubs? It goes without saying. Some bad dancing? Sure. And it's obviously important to have enough drinking money as well. When it comes to visiting somewhere in Ireland for good weekend session, we've done the groundwork and Kilkenny has come up trumps. Clear some space in your schedule, set up a Whatsapp group and start organising a trip to this city ASAP. Here's why:
1. It has the best bar in the country
What better place to go for a session than Irelands best bar? Left Bank was crowned the Best Overall Bar earlier this year and its easy to see why. It has a great drinking menu including an excellent selection of cocktails, the atmosphere is lively and smokers will be happy to know the smoking area is pretty decent. This venue has lots of space as well to roam around. And its smack bang in the middle of town!
2. The accommodation is reasonable
Let's face it, beer money is the priority here. And why spend a fortune on accommodation when you're going to be out sessioning anyway? You can easily stay in Kilkenny for under €50 a night. At the time of writing, a quick google search told us that twin and double rooms are available in JBs Bar & Guest Accommodation at €40 a pop per person for the night and it's in the center of Kilkenny so no need to get taxis either. The bar itself is a good one for a few drinks, particularly if you fancy sampling a few whiskeys.
3. The pubs are within walking distance of each other
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There's not much point visiting somewhere for a session if you're going to be spending most of your time on transport. Kilkenny is like the soap Neighbourhood except with bars and restaurants. Do yourself a favour as well and book your stay in the city so you can just fall home if you've had one too many. We're thinking of all eventualities here!
4. There's plenty of places to get a decent feed
For lining the stomach before you start drinking and for when you have the munchies after, food is a staple part of any good sesh. However, with fine cuisine unlikely to be high on your agenda, you'll do fine with the pub grub. Check out Matt The Millers for some food and music.
5. It's not too far from Dublin
From a purely selfish point of view, going to Kilkenny for a session works well if you're travelling from Dublin. It takes roughly about an hour and a half to drive there so you're not going to need a nap once you've arrived! And there's nothing worse than spending hours upon hours travelling when your dying with a hangover, silently begging for someone to shoot you and put you out of your misery.
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6. It has all the pubs
Kilkenny especially comes alive at night and the there's a stream of bars, pubs and clubs sprawled around the city with many playing live music. Popular spots include Cleers, Biddy Earley's, and The Pumphouse and Langtons nightclub is good for the dancng!
7. The people are sound
The locals are the friendliest bunch of people going. In 2013, Kilkenny was the only European spot to make the top ten friendliest cities in Condé Nast’s Traveler Magazine. It's always nice to get a warm welcome wherever you go, session or no session!
