KCLR News interviews Seamus O'Shea at Piltown's Ink Bottle Bug Hotel (28th April 2026)

The South Kilkenny village of Piltown is known for its distinctive architecture, community drive and the philanthropic spirit of the O'Shea family, whose fruit and vegetable business is among the most successful in the country. The three-storey Belline House, located adjacent to the Iverk Showgrounds, was built with an octagonal centre back in 1785, along with an accompanying two-storey, eight-sided gate lodge known locally as the 'Ink Bottle.' At the opposite end of the village on approach from Fiddown, a new octagonal structure now stands as a proud new local landmark, providing a new haven for local birdlife and insects thanks to the generosity of the John O'Shea Trust, Hickson's Centra and the people of Piltown and its environs who contributed to its construction. KCLR's Dermot Keyes recently visited the 'Ink Bottle Bug Hotel', where he spoke to Seamus O'Shea, who was the principal driving force behind the project.