24 Hours in Kilkenny with The Foxy Hen*

Hen Party Antics.

I really love to explore Ireland when I can, and County Kilkenny is easily in my top favourites. Only a few hours from Dublin, I’ve visited a couple of times and my recent trip down with the girls sure was a special one! The Foxy Hen organised a fun 24 hours for us, to experience what Hen Parties can receive when booking with them.

Arriving into Kilkenny Town on a Friday evening, we stayed at the Kilkenny Hibernian Hotel, where check in was a breeze and our rooms were super spacious. A twin room with plenty of natural light, it had a wonderful classy feel that looked out onto the main cross and the famous Left Bank. The bathroom featured a shower-bath with the usual facilities and complimentary toiletries, by Paul Costelloe Linen.

To kickstart the hen’s, we dined at Harper’s Restaurant, the adjoining hotel restaurant. A lovely lively spot, their evening A La Carte has an excellent choice of dishes, from which we opted for a two-course meal. I ordered the Harper’s Beef Burger and Skinny Fries sans bun for my main course, and the Baileys Cheesecake for dessert. The former was tasty with a generous amount of melted cheese, bacon and fries too; while the latter was a good dessert but could do with more Baileys flavour. We shared a lovely bottle of Montepulciano red wine, and had many laughs throughout the night. The staff at Harper’s was friendly and as a restaurant, it’s a good spot in the centre of Kilkenny Town.

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The next morning after breakfast, we headed off to Kilkenny Activity Centre for some more hen party experiences. Only a 10-minute drive from the centre, The Foxy Hen organised for us to do Bubble Soccer and Paintballing, while other available activities include the Assault Course, Archery Darts, Splatball, Body Bowling and more. Owner Eddie welcomed us inside their reception area, where we signed the safety waiver before heading out to the field opposite to take on our first activity.

I’ve never done Bubble Soccer before, and admittedly I was nervous of being “stuck” inside an inflated bubble ball, but Eddie helped us all feel at ease and comfortable. The easiest way to describe how you get into a bubble is by sliding in and wearing it as a backpack! Once all four of us were ready, we ran and tackled each other (rather gently still!) and then played a 10-minute match of Bubble Soccer. It was a lot of fun, though slightly claustrophobic.

Next we moved onto Paintballing. Another activity I’ve not done before, the back room had camouflage and army green overalls aplenty, alongside safety helmets. Eddie went over the safety rules and ensured we understood how to use the paintball guns before taking us out to join a Stag Party of sixteen men. Altogether, we were split into two teams, Blacks VS Reds, and played a couple of different games under supervision of Josh. FYI paintballs hurt! Using the guns is easy enough, while hiding from your “enemy” can be tricky. The fields have tyres and pallets, as well as a destroyed van and car to manoeuvre around. I got hit numerous times, but thankfully no major injuries. We did have a good laugh, and Paintballing sure is an experience, best enjoyed with your own group of friends.

Returning to the River Court Hotel in Kilkenny Town, The Foxy Hen booked us in for Afternoon Tea. We sure built up an appetite, and were seated by the window looking out to Kilkenny Castle and River Nore. The decor was very pretty indeed, with cute teacups, saucers and plates and matching sugar bowls and milk jugs. Alongside two-tiered cake stands were plates of sandwiches, glasses of Prosecco as well as teas and coffees.

The sweet half consisted of Scones, Fruit Cake, Lemon Drizzle Cake on one tier, then a slice of Dark Chocolate Tart, Macarons, mini Lemon Curd Tart, Strawberry Cheesecake and Profiteroles on the second tier. While the savoury included Ham & Cheese and Tuna & Spring Onion Sandwiches as well as Smoked Salmon on Brown Bread.

The sweets were nicely presented, although we missed the traditional cream and jam for the scones; and I do feel that the presentation and flavours of the savoury could be improved. Overall an enjoyable and relaxed Afternoon Tea with picturesque views. There was also a Hen Party of twenty ladies enjoying Afternoon Tea at the River Court Hotel.

Afternoon Tea is available daily from 1pm // €19.95 per person // Enhancements from €5.20

The Foxy Hen sure organised a fun jam-packed Hen Party for us, with plenty of activities and many memories too. Their Managing Director Daragh also introduced himself at dinner, which was a lovely touch to our experience.