What does Kilkenny need?

Captain Havoc

With unemployment levels not getting much better and vacant jobs very limited, I was wondering what business' could an individual or group set up in Kilkenny. Is there any shops or services that we're missing. I'm not talking about Tescos but something people could set up themselves and successfully run with the right set of skills.

road_high

Captain Havoc wrote: »

With unemployment levels not getting much better and vacant jobs very limited, I was wondering what business' could an individual or group set up in Kilkenny. Is there any shops or services that we're missing. I'm not talking about Tescos but something people could set up themselves and successfully run with the right set of skills.

There's a good few financial service type offices in Kilkenny now, so perhaps some kind of services to these? What I don't really know as I don't work in this area myself. But I'd imagine this must present oppurtunities in itself?

votecounts

a decent hurling team:D

road_high

votecounts wrote: »

a decent hurling team:D

Have one (or many) ta...33 All Irelands and counting

ChristIsMurph

There was an idea a while ago where someone set up a website that allowed people to sign up and negotiate rates for ESB, gas, etc. on behalf of people. If someone was to set up this service locally it could be of huge benefit to people in the City. Go door to door asking people can you negotiate on behalf of say a housing estate? So you go to the ESB and say, "we have 100 people willing to use your service, what discount will you give?"

hi5

I was walking down Friary Street last night, and was disgusted at the state of all those unoccupied shops under the flats,the windows are covered in dust and they look terrible.
I dont know whose responsible now, but this is the centre of town.
Maybe there is scope for a cleaning business of some sort here.
It must be in someones interest to pay for it as it can't be doing the tourist industry any favours.

Arawn

An airsoft/go kart/paintballing place.

Outdoor activity center.

A new Dunne Stores

Tipsy McSwagger

A university

Captain Havoc

Arawn wrote: »

An airsoft/go kart/paintballing place.

Outdoor activity center.

A new Dunne Stores

Isn't there airsoft and paintballing out in Wallslough?

There is a void there alright since they closed the one on High Street.

Arawn

Captain Havoc wrote: »

Isn't there airsoft and paintballing out in Wallslough?

There is a void there alright since they closed the one on High Street.

Afaik thats only shooting at targets not an actual place where you can play war games, could be wrong though

christmas2012

a street party

Deliverance XXV

First they'd have to lower rents in and around the Kilkenny main shopping center as some prices are absolutely crazy. If you were a start-up you'd probably look at renting out in an industrial estate before you start making money.

Computers are going to be the future so it would be nice to see a proper internet cafe (with emphasis on the cafe) where people can relax and enjoy free internet. Or how about a free WIFI city like in a lot of places in America? With proper filtering procedures in place it could work but who foots the bill? Who maintains and manages the networks?

It's a shame that the arcade idea was turned down for the Kilkenny Arcade as that would have been a great attraction in the center of town. It would bring a lot more people to High St and would create jobs too*. It might attract a certain crowd (á la Tramore) but hey, beggars can't be choosers.

* Probably mostly bouncers/security

Dr.Sanchez

A decent running/triathlon shop, look at John Buckley's and The Edge down in Cork. Serious businesses.

Plus, I dont fancy traveling all the way down there every time to get kitted out!

foxcoverteddy

A proper street market, forget the so called farmers thing.
Have we got anything for motor homes and caravans, no one has to go to Blessington or mallow.
Yes a decent one way system that allows tables on the high st so one can have a coffee, I know the traders wouldn't like it, so hard luck if the town wallows in its own greed, if we are asking whose town is it?

cocoshovel

Better recreational use of the river

foxcoverteddy

As the major town in the county, a decent road, transport system.
To get to Cork why do I need to go up to Kildare, why not a light railway link to Thurles.
Thurles is a dire place to shop, wouldn't the people love to come to our beautiful town with it's plethora of shops etc.
Look what could be achieved, in any case I like trains.

catbear

Someone please correct me if I am wrong but I don't believe property owners are liable for council tax on unoccupied units. If true then there's no incentive to drop rents if the owner isn't reliant on the income. I believe taxing the unoccupied units would motivate competitive rents and reduce some of the risks for new business ventures. Otherwise these untaxed unproductive emptiy are space blockers and add nothing of benefit to the community.

1984baby

I agree the unoccupied units in Kilkenny look bad. There are plenty of places empty on every street in the city. Maybe the council should approach the owners of the units and offer to clean up the windows and paint something on the inside of them to improve the look. Off the top of my head, I can think of Greenwood Furniture on John Street, old Lifestyle Soprts and the Knick Knack shop on High St, the units on the comer road where Ladbrokes and the Polish shop are. If all these empty shops had there fronts cleaned up and something visual in their windows the centre of Kilkenny would look alot better IMO.

sunflower27

I think the arcade idea was trashy to say the least. Those sort of places look so dated and would not add anything to High Street at all.

Kilkenny360

An University would bring Kilkenny to life with new people.

A Skatepark would also bring people to Kilkenny, along with Skate shops.

An Arts Centre would be amazing!

catbear

1984baby wrote: »

I agree the unoccupied units in Kilkenny look bad. There are plenty of places empty on every street in the city. Maybe the council should approach the owners of the units and offer to clean up the windows and paint something on the inside of them to improve the look. Off the top of my head, I can think of Greenwood Furniture on John Street, old Lifestyle Soprts and the Knick Knack shop on High St, the units on the comer road where Ladbrokes and the Polish shop are. If all these empty shops had there fronts cleaned up and something visual in their windows the centre of Kilkenny would look alot better IMO.

The council should be taxing the empty units, not giving the owners more freebies from the tax payer via free makeovers. If they were forced to rent these units to cover property taxes then then they may not be an eyesore.

S28382

A proper park would be great, there is a park in fenor in Waterford and it has the usual slides/roundabouts but also has a zipline, a caged artificial football pitch its great out there and if there was the same thing here in KK it would be brilliant. The park in the castle is grand for young kids but mine are 9/11 and it would be great to be able to bring them to a place like down in fenor.

foxcoverteddy

Why not run a schools competition, ask the children of today what Kilkenny wants. It is fine for us to pontificate on things we would like to see or have, by the time they arrive we will be far too old to enjoy them.
No one has mentioned a zimmer frame park, or even a wheelchair hazard course.
I doubt we have a large child readership, so why not go out to the schools, an obligatory prize for the best suggestion.
My 11 year old would no doubt go for a zoo, but it is their future.

Dozen Wicked Words

A proper functioning day ward in St Lukes and a Hospice would be an addition to Kilkenny worth having. The hospice would also create jobs.

foxcoverteddy

gi ven that approximately 20% of the population are left handed, try buying anything designed for such people, scissors, even books, can openers, the list might be endless.
The 20% is a result of a poll of somewhere around 1000 people.

S28382

foxcoverteddy wrote: »

gi ven that approximately 20% of the population are left handed, try buying anything designed for such people, scissors, even books, can openers, the list might be endless.
The 20% is a result of a poll of somewhere around 1000 people.

Haha your funny, im left handed but i get on in life just fine even tho the world is full of right handed things:pac:

christmas2012

kilkenny needs disneyland..

Captain Havoc

foxcoverteddy wrote: »

gi ven that approximately 20% of the population are left handed, try buying anything designed for such people, scissors, even books, can openers, the list might be endless.
The 20% is a result of a poll of somewhere around 1000 people.

I kind of set up the post so people could throw out business opportunities in Kilkenny.

Anyone who would like to assist in getting a hospice here, cough, cough

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fabbydabby

Captain Havoc wrote: »

Anyone who would like to assist in getting a hospice here, cough, cough

That's a bad cough, hopefully it will be open in time

foxcoverteddy

I thought the Leftorium was really brilliant, however just for fun go into Google and type in "Left Handed Shops".
The business is so good there are shops all over the world who specialise in left handed goods.
Apart from scissors, knives for left handed people really do help, pens, yep even them, books, corkscrews, gardening tools etc.
The shop in Brewer st in the West end closed due to high rents etc but they run a world-wide internet service.
The one thing they don't supply are left hand cars.
Have a great day, and as they say they do not have much left sometimes.
Foxy