Kilkenny App
A mobile and digital platform providing local event, hospitality, attraction and visitor information to residents and visitors in Kilkenny.
Role: Product development and operation, event collection and processing, audience development, newsletter management, push notification strategy and platform maintenance.
Overview
The Kilkenny App is a local event and visitor information platform that combines a mobile app, a curated event calendar, a hospitality and attraction directory and a direct audience communication channel. It serves both residents who want to know what is happening locally and visitors planning time in Kilkenny.
The challenge
Local event and visitor platforms require a combination of reliable content collection, effective audience development and sustainable operation. Event information is often scattered across multiple sources and requires processing and normalisation before it can be presented clearly. Building a meaningful local audience takes time and consistent engagement across multiple channels.
My role
I have been responsible for developing and operating the Kilkenny App platform, including the event collection and processing system, the mobile app, the website, the newsletter and the push notification strategy. I handle both the technical operation and the audience and content side of the platform.
Work completed
Event collection and processing
The platform processes event data from a wide range of local sources. I developed the collection, normalisation and publishing pipeline that keeps the event calendar current and comprehensive without requiring significant manual intervention for each event.
Mobile app
The Kilkenny App is available on iOS and Android and provides event listings, venue and hospitality information, attraction guides and local news. Push notifications are used to highlight upcoming events and relevant local information.
Audience development
The platform has grown a direct audience through the app, a weekly newsletter and push notifications. The newsletter has approximately 1,100 subscribers and provides a regular channel for promoting local events and businesses.
Platform operations
I manage the hosting, deployment and maintenance of the Kilkenny App platform, including the Django backend, PostgreSQL database, DigitalOcean infrastructure and mobile app releases on the App Store and Google Play.
Results
The platform has processed more than 13,000 events and achieved approximately 40,000 monthly event views. More than 10,000 people have installed the app, and the newsletter reaches approximately 1,100 subscribers. Push notifications provide direct access to thousands of local users.
Figures are approximate and subject to verification.
Technologies
Flutter, Dart, Python, Django, PostgreSQL, Firebase (Authentication, Cloud Messaging), DigitalOcean, Nginx, Gunicorn, iOS, Android, App Store Connect, Google Play Console.
Let's discuss your project
Whether you have a clear brief or just an early idea, I'm happy to have an initial conversation about what you're trying to build.