Bob Dylan and Neil Young were serenading an amped-up crowd in Nowlan Park the last time I was in Kilkenny. Then, we had left it too late to find accommodation and there wasn’t a bed to be had in the county. A mutual friend sprang to the rescue and introduced us to Anna O’Sullivan, who very kindly put two complete strangers up.
Six years later, I’m back in the Marble City (so named for its production back in the day of black marble) for a short spring break with my daughter Julia. On the last day of meteorological winter and after what feels like the longest January and February in living memory, we drive from my home in Killiney to the centre of Kilkenny in 90 minutes of dazzling sunshine. So, the Ides of March are promising before the month even starts.
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