station (14 kilometres), Muine Bheag railway station (13 kilometres) and Thomastown railway station (14 kilometres distant). Kilkenny railway station has a Park and ride facility. There is a charge for parking. Muine Bheag also has a Park and Ride facility. Parking was free up to 2015. Parking charges were introduced in 2015. Train tickets are not always available at the stations. However, they may be purchased on the Iarnród Éireann – Irish Rail website online or on board the trains. If purchased online, proof of purchase (printout from the website) must be shown when on board the trains. Bus Gowran is served several times daily by Bus Éireann route 4 which operates from Waterford to Dublin and Dublin Airport serving several locations en route such as Thomastown and Carlow. Journeys on this route use the M9 and M7 motorways between Carlow and the Dublin outskirts. Bus connections to Rosslare Europort are available at Waterford. Gowran is also served by the Graiguenamanagh – Goresbridge – Kilkenny Kilbride Coaches route with two journeys each way daily except Sundays. The northbound Bus Éireann stop has a shelter and seat. Gowran Park and Annaly Estate Gowran Park horse racing course and golf course is located near the village. In 2014, Gowran Park celebrated a century of racing at the venue, the first race meeting having been held there on 16 June 1914. In 1914, the Gowran Park racecourse was part of the Annaly Estate Gowran. At that time the Gowran Castle estate was owned by Lady Annaly who was a keen follower of sport. She attended cricket matches in Gowran. In 1900 she presented a silver cup to the Gowran cricket club which is still kept in Gowran. The Lady Annaly Cup was played annually. In 1930 she presented the County Championship Trophy at Northamptonshire Golf Club. Lady Annaly's father, Henry Agar-Ellis 3rd Viscount Clifden owned a number of horses the most successful of which were Crucifix and Surplice who won many classics. Surplice won the Epsom Derby and the St. Ledger in 1848. Her husband, Lord Annaly was one of the first stewards at Gowran Park. The Annaly estate in Gowran was a walled estate of 774 acres set amidst a historic landscape of Norman castles and the historic St. Mary's Church, with woodlands, lakes, deer park, a home farm, out farms, stables, coach house orchards, walled gardens and walking trails. The Gowran