Kilkenny

Kilkenny Cill Chainnigh
Location
Coordinates: 52°38′52″N 7°15′22″W / 52.6477°N 7.2561°W / 52.6477; -7.2561
Irish grid reference S506563
Statistics
Province:	Leinster
County:	County Kilkenny
Area:	3.74 km²
Elevation:	60 m (196 ft)
Population (2006)	22,179
Website: www.kilkennycity.ie

Kilkenny Castle, the signature symbol of the Mediaeval city

Kilkenny (from the Irish: Cill Chainnigh meaning "Cell or church of Cainnech/Canice")^[1] is described as a city^[2] and is the traditional county town of County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore, at the centre of County Kilkenny in the province of Leinster in the south-east of Ireland. The 2006 Irish Census shows the Aggregate Town Area to have a population of 30,942.^[3]

Today, Kilkenny is recognised as a city but administered as a borough, with a twelve-person Borough Council with a Lord Mayor, as of 2009, Mayor Malcolm Noonan of the Green Party.^[4] In 2009 the City of Kilkenny or Kilkenny City celebrated its 400th since the granting of city status in 1609.^[5] The city has a lively cultural scene, with annual events including the Kilkenny Arts Week Festival in the last two weeks of August, and the Cat Laughs Comedy Festival at the beginning of June.

Kilkenny is famous for and attracts many tourists due to Kilkenny Castle and its many medieval buildings. Kilkenny began with an early ecclesiastical foundation. The area surrounding the cathedral, Irishtown, is the oldest part of the town and became the hub around which the town developed. The seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Ossory is at St. Mary's Cathedral and the Church of Ireland Bishop of Cashel and Ossory is at St. Canice's Cathedral.

The first stone castle on the castle site was completed in 1213. In early Norman times, up to the late 12th century, Kilkenny was the capital of the colony in Ireland. By the late thirteenth century Kilkenny was under Norman-Irish control. The Norman presence in the town is still very evident. The Statutes of Kilkenny passed at Kilkenny in 1367, aiming to curb the decline of the Hiberno-Norman Lordship of Ireland.

Nearby larger cities include Waterford 45 km (28miles) south-southeast, Limerick 93 km (58miles) west and Dublin 101 km (63miles) northeast.^[6]

History

The history of Kilkenny began with an early ecclesiastical foundation, with the building of church in honour of St. Canice, now St. Canice's Cathedral. Kilkenny is the anglicised version of the Irish Cill Chainnigh, meaning Cell or Church of Cainneach/Canice. Following Norman invasion Kilkenny Castle and a series of walls were built to protect the burghers. The original ecclesiastical centre at St. Canice's Cathedral became known as Irishtown and the Anglo-Norman borough inside the wall came to be known as Hightown. Kilkenny was the capital of the Norman colony in Ireland up to the late 12th century. A charter of 1207 from William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke confirmed privileges on the town. The Statutes of Kilkenny were passed at Kilkenny in 1367, aiming to curb the decline of the Hiberno-Norman Lordship of Ireland. Kilkenny was given the status of a city by Royal Charter in 1609 by King James I of England. Kilkenny was the capital of Confederate Ireland between 1642 and 1649.

Information on the history of Kilkenny can be found from newspapers, photographs, letters, drawings, manuscripts and archaeology. Kilkenny is documented in manuscripts from the 13th century onwards and one of the most important of these is Liber Primus Kilkenniensis.

The city has been referred to as the Marble City. People from Kilkenny are often referred to as Cats.

Cill Chainnigh

Signatures of the Four Masters.

Kilkenny is the anglicised version of the Irish Cill Chainnigh, meaning Cell or Church of Cainneach or Canice this seems to relate to the church, now St. Canice's Cathedral, which was built in honour of St. Canice. The Annals of the Four Masters recorded an entry for Cill Chainnigh in 1085.^[7] Prior to this time the early 6th century territory was known as Osraighe, referring to the whole district or the capital, the Four Masters entry was the first instance where the capital was called Ceall-Cainnigh (modernized Kilkenny).^[8]

St. Canice's Cathedral and round tower around which Kilkenny developed

The hill now containing St. Canice's Cathedral and the Round Tower seems to be the first major settlement. The early Christian origin of the round tower suggests an early ecclesiastical foundation at Kilkenny.^[10] The area surrounding the cathedral, Irishtown, is the oldest part of the town and became the hub around which the town developed. Though the religious origins of the town are well documented, it is not known how early secular structures were constructed.

There is no mention of Kilkenny in the lives of Cainnech of Aghaboe, Ciarán of Saighir or any of the early annals of Ireland suggesting that it was not of ancient or great civil importance.^[7] The 18th-century antiquary Ledwich (who was not fluent in Irish) suggested a different origin to the name Kilkenny:

Norman capital

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Kilkenny Castle

In early Norman times, up to the late 12th century, Kilkenny was the capital of the colony in Ireland. By the late thirteenth century Kilkenny was under Norman-Irish control. The Norman presence in the town is still very evident.

Kilkenny formed part of the lordship of Leinster, which was granted to Richard fitz Gilbert de Clare, better known as Strongbow. Strongbow constructed the first castle, probably a wooden structure, in the 12th century to control a fording-point of the River Nore and the junction of several routeways. The castle was established 1173, possibly on the site of an earlier residence of the Mac Gilla Pátraic kings of Ossory.

Strongbow’s daughter and heiress married William Marshall in 1189. The Earl Marshall owned large estates in Ireland, England, Wales and France and managed them effectively. He appointed Geoffrey fitz Robert as seneschal of Leinster and so began a major phase of development in Kilkenny, including the construction of Kilkenny Castle and the agreement of rents and privileges with burgesses or citizens of the borough. The first stone castle on the site was completed in 1213; it was a symbol of Norman occupation and in its original thirteenth-century condition it would have formed an important element of the defences of the town. There were four large circular corner towers and a massive ditch, part of which can still be seen today on the Parade. This was a square-shaped castle with towers at each corner; three of these original four towers survive to this day.

Following the invasion the original ecclesiastical centre at St. Canice's Cathedral became known as Irishtown and was a possession of the bishop of Ossory The Anglo-Norman borough inside the wall came to be known as Hightown. A series of walls was built to protect the burghers. A charter of 1207 from William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke confirmed privileges on the town and the town was extended northwards as far as the River Breagagh by an exchange of lands with the bishop of Ossory. There were two townships: Irishtown and Hightown. Irishtown had its charter from the bishops of Ossory and Hightown which was established by William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke.

Black Death

Hiberno-Norman Kilkenny presence in Kilkenny was deeply shaken by the Black Death, which arrived in Kilkenny in 1348. Because most of the English and Norman inhabitants of Kilkenny lived in towns and villages, the plague hit them far harder than it did the native Irish, who lived in more dispersed rural settlements.

A celebrated account from a monastery in Cill Chainnigh (Kilkenny), by Friar John Clyn in 1348 chronicles the plague as the beginning of the extinction of humanity and the end of the world.

The plague was a catastrophe for the English habitations around the country and, after it had passed, Gaelic Irish language and customs came to dominate the country again. The English-controlled area shrunk back to the Pale, a fortified area around Dublin.

Statutes of Kilkenny

The city shield as carved on the Tholsel

The Statutes of Kilkenny were a series of thirty-five acts passed at Kilkenny in 1367, aiming to curb the decline of the Hiberno-Norman Lordship of Ireland. By the middle decades of the 13th century, the Hiberno-Norman presence in Ireland was perceived to be under threat, mostly due to the dissolution of English laws and customs among English settlers. These English settlers were described as "more Irish than the Irish themselves", referring to them taking up Irish law, custom, costume and language. The introduction to the text of the statutes claim^[13];

The statutes tried to prevent this "middle nation", which was neither true English nor (subjugated) Irish^[15], by reasserting English culture among the English settlers.

The statutes begin by recognising that the English settlers had been influenced by Irish culture and customs, as quoted above. They forebode the intermarriage between the native Irish and the native English, the English fostering of Irish children, the English adoption of Irish children and use of Irish names and dress^[16]. Those English colonists who did not know how to speak English were required to learn the language (on pain of losing their land and belongings), along with many other English customs. The Irish pastimes of "horling" and "coiting" were to be dropped and pursuits such as archery and lancing to be taken up, so that the English colonists would be more able to defend against Irish aggression, using English military tactics^[17].

Other statutes required that the English in Ireland be governed by English common law, instead of the Irish March law or Brehon law^[18] and ensured the separation of the Irish and English churches by requiring that "no Irishman of the nations of the Irish be admitted into any cathedral or collegiate church ... amongst the English of the land"^[19].

The mistrust the English had of the Irish is demonstrated by Statute XV, which forbade Irish minstrels or storytellers to come to English areas, guarding against "the Irish agents who come amongst the English, spy out the secrets, plans, and policies of the English, whereby great evils have often resulted"^[20].

While the Statutes were sweeping in scope and aim, the English never had the resources to fully implement them^[21]. Hiberno-Norman Ireland continued its long decline . Only at the beginning of the 17th century would another attempt to colonise Ireland begin to make appreciable gains. The Statutes of Kilkenny ultimately helped to create the complete estrangement of the two "races" in Ireland for almost three centuries^[22].

City of Kilkenny

Kilkenny Panorama with St Mary's Cathedral at the background

In 2009 Kilkenny City celebrated its 400th year as a city. William Marshall, Lord of Leinster, had given Kilkenny a charter setting out the rights of its burgesses and freemen in 1207. However it was King James I of England who granted Kilkenny a Royal Charter conferring on it the status of a city in 1609.

Its first Council was elected in 1231 and since then Kilkenny has had a continuous record of municipal government. From the 13th century to the end of the 16th the chief magistrate was known as the Sovereign, and since then as Mayor, for its chief citizen.

Old city map, c.1780.

A 17th century description of city of Kilkenny lies in a manuscript called De Ossoriensi Dioescesi,^[23] which was a tract on the diocese of Ossary believed to be written by David Rothe the Roman Catholic Bishop of Ossary.^[24]

The manuscript translates from Latin as;

However, Kilkenny does not have a city council, as according to the Local Government Act 2001, but the act allows for the continued use city as a description for the City of Kilkenny or Kilkenny City.

The qualities of County Kilkenny are said to be;

These references are to the smokeless anthracite coal from Castlecomer and the minimal exposure of the county to salt water, the limestone paving of Kilkenny city which prevented mud on the streets but allowed access to the river, but also the small amount of bogland as well as the quality of the land.

Jacobite and Williamite City

James II and VII
King of England, Scotland, and Ireland, deposed by William in 1689, but supported by the mainly Catholic "Jacobites" in Ireland

In the late 17th century Kilkenny could be described as a Jacobite and a Williamite city^[27]. James II of England's pro-Catholic and Pro-France policies provoked a revolt in England and the king fled to France. With the assistance of French troops in March 1689 James landed he landed at Kinsale in Ireland^[28] and via Kilkenny went to Dublin. The Irish Parliament declared that James remained King and passed a massive bill of attainder against those who had rebelled against him.^[29] The Irish parliament declared the lands of Protestant supporters of William of Orange, such as James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde, to be forfeit.^[27]

James II of England spent most of the winter months from November 1689 until January 1690 at Kilkenny, residing in the castle^[30] James worked to build an army in Ireland, but was ultimately defeated at the Battle of the Boyne on 1 July 1690 when William arrived, personally leading an army to defeat James and reassert English control.^[31] After James's defeat at the Battle of the Boyne, his retreating army passed through Kilkenny on its way to Limerick and forced the citizens to pay protection money in order to save the city from looting^[32]. James fled to France once more, departing from Kinsale, never to return to any of his former kingdoms.^[31]

Kilkenny surrendered to the Williamites without firing a shot, and the propertied Old English families, who had supported James, lost everything.^[33] The Williamite army, commanded by General Godert de Ginkel, camped beside Kilkenny making the city the winter headquarters from October 1690 until May 1691 when it moved on to besiege Limerick. ^[30]

During the late 17th century James II had urged the Irish Parliament to pass an Act for Liberty of Conscience that granted religious freedom to all Catholics and Protestants in Ireland.^[34] He elevated the Catholic college into a university at the Royal College of St. Canice.^[35] It took over the premises of Ormonde's grammar school at Kilkenny College. Six months later, after James's defeat at the battle of the Boyne, the university was forced to close.^[27]

20th Century

In 1904, King Edward VII of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and his wife Queen Alexandra visited Kilkenny. The town was filled with thousands of people. The King spoke of his deep interest in the Irish people and his desire to promote their welfare.^[36]

Kilkenny won their first All-Ireland Hurling Title in 1904. W.T. Cosgrave won a by-election in Kilkenny in 1917 for the Sinn Féin Party.

In early May 1922 before the Irish Civil War there was a serious clash in Kilkenny, when anti-Treaty forces occupied the centre of the town and 200 pro-Treaty troops were sent from Dublin to disperse them.^[37] On 3 May the Dáil was informed that 18 men had been killed in the fighting in Kilkenny.^[38] In a bid to avoid an all-out civil war, both sides agreed to a truce on May 3, 1922. On December 15 1922, the Irish Free State Kilkenny Barracks were reported to have overrun and captured by irregulars. ^[39]

Kilkenny Castle was closed in 1935 and the Ormonde family left Ireland. The Kilkenny Design Workshops were opened in 1965 and in 1967 the Marquess of Ormonde presented Kilkenny Castle to the people of Kilkenny.

A new stamp marking the 400th anniversary of Kilkenny’s upgrade from town to city status was issued by An Post on June 16 2009. The stamp features an illustration of Kilkenny Castle, as viewed from the quays, with St. John's Bridge in the foreground.^[40]

Today, the city has a lively cultural scene, with annual events including the Kilkenny Arts Week Festival in the last two weeks of August, and the Cat Laughs Comedy Festival at the beginning of June.

Geography

Kilkenny it is situated in the Nore Valley on both banks of the River Nore, at the centre of County Kilkenny in the province of Leinster in the south-east of Ireland. The first edition of the Ordnance Survey map for Kilkenny was in 1837, is held the County Library.

Climate

Weatherwise, Kilkenny is generally representative of wide river valleys in the region with low temperatures on cloudless nights. Overall, Kilkenny has a mild, but changeable, oceanic climate with few extremes. Kilkenny is significant in that it records some of the highest summer and lowest winter temperatures in Ireland.

The highest air temperature ever recorded in Ireland, 33.3 °C (91.9 °F), was at Kilkenny Castle on 26 June 1887. The maximum daily rainfall recorded at Kilkenny station was 66.4 millimetres (2.61 in) on 17 July 1983. The highest wind gust, 77 knots (from a south-west direction, i.e. 200 degrees), was recorded on 12 January 1974. The maximum daily sunshine was 16.3 hours on 18 June 1978. The warmest and sunniest month on record at Kilkenny was August 1995 with a total of 274.9 hours sunshine and very high temperatures throughout. The maximum temperature recorded was 30.8 °C (87.4 °F) on 2 August 1995.^[41] The warmest recorded air temperature was 33.3 °C (91.9 °F) at Kilkenny Castle, County Kilkenny on 26 June 1887.^[42] Extremes recorded at the Kilkenny Met Station include the highest air temperature of 31.5 °C (88.7 °F) on 29 June 1976, the lowest air temperature of −14.1 °C (7 °F) on 2 January 1979 and the lowest ground temperature of −18.1 °C (−1 °F) on 12 January 1982.

Physical

The elevation is 60 m (196 ft) above mean sea level. The area of Kilkenny borough is 3.74 km². Kilkenny's description as a city makes it the smallest city in the Republic of Ireland and although all cities in Ireland are by the coast or along a river Kilkenny is the only city that is not tidal.

Kilkenny is 117 km (73 miles) from the capital Dublin and 48 km (30 miles) north from the nearest city Waterford. Wexford is 80 km (50 miles) to the south-east and Limerick is 122 km (70 miles) to the west.

Demographics

Kilkenny borough with a population of 8,591, however the majority of the population of Kilkenny live outside the borough boundary. Kilkenny City borough and its environs had a population of 22,179 in 2006^[3]. The 2006 Irish Census^[48] shows the Aggregate Town Area to have a population of 30,942^[3].

Changes as of the 2006 census, by the Central Statistics Office, Kilkenny City Borough had a population of 8,661 which was an increase of 70 persons over the 2002 figure of 8,591 or 0.8%. The City Environs had a population of 13,518 which was an increase of 1347 persons over the 2002 figure of 12,144 or 11.3%.^[49] Overall both the Borough & Environs had a population of 22,179 in 2006 which was an increase of 1444 persons over the 2002 figure of 20,735 or 6.96%. The 2006 census,^[50] shows the Aggregate Town Area of Kilkenny to have a population of 30,942^[3]. People from Kilkenny are often referred to as 'Cats'.

Disposable household income per person as of 2005 was 18,032 euros and the index of disposable household was 89.4.^[51]

Kilkenny is multilingual but predominantly English-speaking, with Irish being the second most commonly spoken language.^[52] In recent decades, with the increase of immigration on an all-Ireland basis, many more languages have been introduced into Kilkenny.

The main religion is Catholic, however there are Church of Ireland, Presbyterian, Methodist, Jewish and other religious traditions living in Kilkenny.^[53]

Governance

City of Kilkenny Shield

Local government bodies in Kilkenny have responsibility for such matters as planning, roads, sanitation and libraries. It is governed by the Local Government Acts, the most significant of which was in 2001, which established a two-tier structure of local government. The top tier of the structure consists of the Kilkenny County Council which has 26 elected councillors of which Kilkenny elects seven. The second tier of local government is the Kilkenny Borough Council, which is a "Town Council" but uses the title of "Borough Council" instead, but has no additional responsibilities.

Kilkenny's city status is derived from a Royal Charter in 1609 by King James I of England. This was recently given a legislative basis by Section 10(7) of the Local Government Act 2001, which allows for "the continued use of the description city", although it does not have a city council like the other Irish cities, but rather a borough council instead. Kilkenny Borough Council, Formerly Kilkenny Corporation used to have a Sovereign and Council of Twelve, but these have since been replaced by a Mayor, Alderman and Councillors.^[54]

County Kilkenny is in the South-East regional authority of Ireland and is part of the Carlow–Kilkenny Dáil Éireann constituency. Kilkenny has been represented through several parliamentary constituencies in the past. From 1918–1921 Kilkenny was part of the North Kilkenny United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. In 1921 the Carlow–Kilkenny Dáil Éireann constituency was created and has stayed apart from between 1937 and 1948 when there was just a Kilkenny constituency.

Kilkenny is in the East constituency of the European Parliament and elects 3 MEPs.

Landmarks

Visitor Attractions

Visitor Attractions in Kilkenny and its environs include Kilkenny Castle and Butler Gallery, St. Canice's Cathedral and round tower, Rothe House, St. Mary's Cathedral, Kilkenny City Hall and Dominican Black Abbey.

In the county other attractions include Kells Priory, Jerpoint Abbey, Ballykeeffe Amphitheatre, Dunmore Caves, Hoban Memorial, Kilfane Glen and waterfall, the watergarden in at camphill, Woodstock Estate.

Nature and wildlife can be seen at Newpark Fen, Jenkinstone Park.

Architecture

St Mary's Cathedral

The Architecture of Kilkenny shows Kilkenny's heritage through the historical buildings and other landmarks of the city. Kilkenny is a well preserved medieval city and is dominated by both Kilkenny Castle and St. Canice's Cathedral and round tower.

Kilkenny Castle and some important historical architecture of the medieval city survive, like parts of the Kilkenny City Walls. They define the extent, layout and status of the medieval city.

The city grew from a monastic settlement to a thriving Norman merchant town in the Middle Ages. Saint Canice's Cathedral and round tower are an example of the monastic settlement and Rothe House is an example of a Norman merchant townhouse.

The black stone with decorative white fossils that forms the backbone of many of Kilkenny's fine buildings was quarried locally, particularly from the Black Quarry located 1.6 km south of the city on the R700. ^[55]

Kilkenny Marble or Black Marble was exported to all corners of the British Empire^{[citation needed]}. The city has been referred to as the "Marble City" for centuries^{[citation needed]}.

Castles

Kilkenny Castle

Kilkenny Castle in Kilkenny city was the seat of the Butler family. Formerly the family name was FitzWalter. The castle was sold to the local Castle Restoration Committee in the middle of the 20th century for £50. Shortly afterwards it was handed over to the State, and has since been refurbished and is open to visitors. Part of the National Art Gallery is on display in the castle. There are ornamental gardens on the city side of the castle, and extensive land and gardens to the front. It has become one of the most visited tourist sites in Ireland.

St. Canice's Cathedral and tower

St. Canice's Cathedral.

St. Canice's tower an excellent example of a well-preserved early Christian (9th century) Round Tower. It may once have been a watchtower and a refuge and it can be climbed to give an unsurpassed vantage point to view the city of Kilkenny and the surrounding countryside.

The architectural style of the cathedral is Early Gothic and it is built of limestone. The cathedral has been carefully preserved in its original style and form. It is richly endowed with many stained glass windows including the East window which is a replica of the original 13th century window.

The Church of Ireland Cathedral is named after Saint Canice, who also gave his name to the town. The 13th century cathedral of St. Canice is the second longest cathedral in Ireland. The site on which the cathedral stands has been a site of Christian worship since the 6th century. The earliest church on the site is presumed to have been made of wood, being replaced eventually in the later medieval period by a romanesque-style stone church. This was in turn replaced by the current imposing medieval cathedral.

The cathedral contains some of the finest 16th century monuments in Ireland. The memorials stretch right across the social spectrum from the great figures of the house of Ormonde to the humble shoemaker and carpenter. The baptismal font is original and the ancient stone of enthronement for bishops still exists under the seat of the medieval throne in the North Transept, where to this day the bishops of Ossory are enthroned. There are continental carvings on the choir stalls and a hammerbeam roof.

Dominican Black Abbey was founded in 1225, and lying just off Parliament Street.

Kilkenny City Walls

Kilkenny City Walls protected the medieval city of Kilkenny.^[56] The city was surrounded by walls with regular towers and gates. Remnants of the City Walls survive such as Talbot Tower (1207), which is also known as Talbot's Bastion or Castle. It is the larger of the two surviving towers of the defences of the medieval High town of Kilkenny. There are walls on Abbey Street and the adjoining Black Freren Gate is the only surviving gate/access remaining on the High town Circuit into the old city.^[57] A wall also runs through the brewery's grounds beside St. Francis Abbey.

The Kilkenny City Walls Conservation Plan is a plan by the inhabitants of Kilkenny, Kilkenny Borough Council, the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, An Taisce, The Kilkenny Archaeological Society and The Heritage Council to ensure the long-term survival of their city’s unique walls. ^[58]

Culture

Also see: Culture of Ireland and Irish people

Hot Air Balloon Festival in Kilkenny, 2006

Kilkenny is a popular tourist destination in Ireland. Well regarded for its cultural life, it has always tended to attract culturally aware visitors. Art galleries, historic buildings, craft and design workshops, theatre, comedy, public gardens and museums are some of main reasons Kilkenny has become one of Ireland's most visited towns and a popular base to explore the surrounding countryside.

Points of interest within the city and its environs include Kilkenny Castle, St. Canice's Cathedral and round tower, Rothe House, St. Mary's Cathedral, Kells Priory, Kilkenny Town Hall, Black Abbey and Jerpoint Abbey.

The recent rise in "stag" and "hen" parties in the city has seen attempts made at local level to discourage such activity, without impinging on the vibrant nightlife the city is known for.

Arts and Festivals

Kilkenny is encouraged as festival location throughout the year and especially during the summer months.

The Kilkenny Arts Festival established in the 1970s takes place in late August. During this time Kilkenny plays host to contemporary art with Theatre, Dance, Visual Art, Literature, Film, Paintings, Sculptures and live performances. Musical events including traditional, Classical, World, Jazz Music take place durning the festival.

Kilkenny holds the annual Cat Laughs Comedy festival every June bank holiday week.

The Kilkenny Rhythm and Roots Festival is held on the first weekend in May every year and features the Americana/Bluegrass/Folk/Rockabilly/AltCountry artists in various venues throughout the city.

Venues such as the Watergate Theatre host a range of home-produced and touring performances in dance, music and theatre year-round.

Music

Also see: Music of Ireland

Kilkenny has a rich and vibrant music scene.

The 'Source' annual concert in Nolan Park attracts mainstream musical performers such as Rod Stewart, Shania Twain, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and Andrea Bocelli. Dolly Parton headlined at the 2008 event.

Rhythm & Roots music festival is on each May. ^[59] The Kilkenny Arts Festival held every August embraces musical acts of all ages and styles.

Cleere's pub and theatre in Parliament Street is well-known for touring Irish and international bands including indie, jazz and blues. They also have a traditional music session every Monday night, as does Ryan's on Friary Street on Thursdays. The Zoo nightclub hosts up and coming local acts.

Classical tastes are catered for in St. Canice's Cathedral, where classical musicians and choirs often perform. The Kilkenny Choir and a Gospel Choir frequently perform in churches throughout the city.

Media

Radio

KCLR is a radio station which servers both Carlow and Kilkenny.^[60] It is based at both the Broadcast Centre on the Carlow Road, Kilkenny and Exchequer House, Potato Market, Carlow. KCLR is available on 96FM and is an independent local radio station. As of 2009, KCLR had 60% weekly reach and 33% weekday share. ^[61] KCLR 96FM began broadcasting in May 2004 replacing Radio Kilkenny.

Radio Kilkenny, which began as a pirate station Kilkenny Community Radio,^[62] received a licensed to broadcast to Kilkenny city and county on 96.0MHz,96.6MHz and 106.3MHz in 1988. Radio Kilkenny had 63% of the radio listeners in County Kilkenny and 16% in County Carlow but failed to secure a franchise in 2003 when the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland changed the station's franchise area to include Carlow. The station ceased broadcasting at 2.10am on January 1 2004. ^[63]

Beat 102-103 is a regional youth radio station broadcasting across the South East of Ireland. It serves a population of about 450,000, and in August 2006 it had a 49% share of the south east market.

Print media

Finn's Leinster Journal

Newspapers have been have been produced in Kilkenny for centuries. Kilkenny produced some of the eighteenth and nineteenth century's most important papers. The papers cover over 220 years, and includes the Finns Leinster Journal (later the Kilkenny Journal) from 1786 to 1965, the Kilkenny People from 1916 to 1992, and the Kilkenny Moderator from 1814 to 1916.^[64] Also the Leinster Independent from 1872; the Kilkenny Chronicle from 1813. Other importatant papers included, the Kilkenny Courier; Tipperary Examiner from 1858; the Kilkenny Express and the Wexford Express from 1875; The Post (a sister paper to Kilkenny People) from 1926; the Kilkenny Standard from 1979, the Kilkenny People in 1895, the Kilkenny Voice 2005 and also the Kilkenny Advertiser.

Finn's Leinster Journal(1767-1801) was founded by Edmund Finn in 1767 and published on Wednesdays and Saturdays and was brought to such places as Carlow and Castledermot. The paper brought prosperity to the Finn family but Edmund Finn died in 1777. Edmund's wife Catherine Finn took on the task of running the paper while raising seven children. Catherine became famous by the death of her husband and the fact that during the 18th and 19th century no other woman played such a role. It was published in Kilkenny but some content was relevant to Carlow. It was continued as Leinster Journal (1801-1830) and the Kilkenny Journal from 1832.

The Moderator (1814-1822) changed its name to Kilkenny Moderator 1822-1919 and reverted to Moderator from 1920-1925.

The modern Kilkenny People was first published in 1895. It is a weekly paper. The paper has the highest readership in the southeast. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, the Kilkenny People had an average weekly circulation of 17,578 for the first six months of 2006^[65] One of the senior journalists, Sean Keane is a son of John B.Keane the novelist and playwright. It is printed by the Kilkenny People Group at Purcellsinch and the group also publishes a number of other regional papers.

The Kilkenny Voice was first published on September 5 2005. It achieved an average weekly sales of 8,500 copies, and had in excess of 30,000 readers. It ceased publication on December 18, 2008.

Photography

Photographic Collections of Kilkenny include the Lawrence Collection c.1900, the Crawford Collection c. 1940, the Valentine Collection c. 1950, the Bolton Street Students' Survey c. 1970, the Industrial Archaeologica Survey c. 1989, the Carrigan Collection and the St. John's Parish Collection, as well as many historical postcards.^[66]

Panorama of Kilkenny city.

Community

Awards

Kilkenny was named as the Academy of Urbanism European Great Town for 2008.^[67] The Academy Chairman, John Thompson, said "it is great to have an Irish town coming through in this year's awards, especially Kilkenny which is coming to terms with economic growth without losing its wonderful character and humour". Kilkenny won the Irish Tidy Towns Competition in 1985 and is the only city to have won the competition^[68].

Twinned cities

• Moret-sur-Loing

Cultural references

There is a limerick (with optional added couplet) about the two cats from Kilkenny:

There once were two cats of Kilkenny

Each thought there was one cat too many

So they fought and they hit

And they scratched and they bit

Till (excepting their nails

And the tips of their tails)

Instead of two cats there weren't any!

Infrastructure

Education

George Berkeley who attended Kilkenny College

Education in Kilkenny only goes as far as secondary school, although the National University of Ireland, Maynooth maintains an outreach centre at St. Kieran's College. Kilkenny is the home of many noted secondary schools. One is the Church of Ireland Kilkenny College, founded in 1538, which is one of the oldest schools in the country. This school has had several notable students, including Jonathan Swift and George Berkeley. St. Kieran's College was founded in 1782 and was the first Roman Catholic secondary school in Ireland. It was created after Grattan's Parliament which caused some relaxation of the Penal Laws in the country. The city also has a number of other second level schools, including the Christian Brothers School (CBS), Loreto Kilkenny and the Kilkenny Technical School.

St. Kieran's is a noted centre of the ancient Irish sport of hurling and has seen many famous hurling stars wearing the school's colours, though its influence has waned in the city in recent years with the success of the largest boys' school in the city, the Christian Brothers School (CBS).

As many children from Catholic families were sent to Europe to be educated as priests, in Louvain, Salamanca & Rome etc. these returned with the new liberal ideas emerging on the mainland at this time^{[citation needed]}. To prevent further spread of European liberalism, the establishment in Ireland decided to allow the Catholics to be educated in Ireland, where they could be monitored^{[citation needed]}. Thus the emergence of such colleges as St. Kierans and Maynooth.

Roads

	Ballyragget - N77	Castlecomer N78 N77
			N10 - N9 - Carlow
		Kilkenny
	Callan - N76	N10 Mooncoin Waterford

Railway

Also see Rail transport in Ireland

Kilkenny railway station opened on 12 May 1848.^[69] Kilkenny acquired railway links to Dublin in 1850, Waterford in 1854, Portlaoise in 1876 and Castlecomer in 1919. Córas Iompair Éireann closed the Castlecomer and Kilkenny Junction lines in 1962. Kilkenny railway station was renamed McDonagh Station in 1966 after Irish nationalist, poet and playwright Thomas MacDonagh. Kilkenny remains an important stop on Iarnród Éireann's Intercity route between Dublin and Waterford.

Unlike other countries, the location of railway stations in Ireland was closely related to military matters rather than trade or public transport^{[citation needed]}. Kilkenny railway station is a fine example of this peculiarity, with the military barracks being closely positioned to the railway station.

Industry

View of Kilkenny in 2001

The town has a history of brewing and is home to St. Francis Abbey Brewery which was founded in the early 18th century by Messrs Cole and Smithwick. The Guinness Ireland Group had owned this brewery since the 1960s. At the beginning of the 21st century, Guinness merged with Grand Metropolitan plc to form Diageo, the world's largest alcoholic beverage business, and the brewery is now a part of Diageo Global Supply. Smithwick's Ale now forms only a small percentage of production there. Another product is Kilkenny ale , a close relation of Smithwicks ale. Some 80% of beer produced at the brewery is Budweiser, a brand not owned by Diageo, but produced under licence. Diageo announced in May 2008 that it will close the St Francis Abbey Brewery in 2013 and move production to a new brewery on the outskirts of Dublin.^[70]

Kilkenny is also home to the head offices of Glanbia foods, one of the world's top dairy companies. Glanbia was formed by the merger of two dairy businesses: Avonmore and Waterford foods, it employs a total of around 4,000 people and has interests in Ireland, Britain and the USA.

Recent developments in Kilkenny have attracted further investment from local businesses as well as attracting new industry. Leggetsrath Business Park was opened in 2003. There are two retail warehouse parks in Kilkenny; Kilkenny Retail Park and Ormonde Retail Park. Hebron Business Park was constructed in 2002 and is a privately owned extension to the Hebron Industrial Estate, the main centre for industry in Kilkenny.

Hospitals

Hospitals in Kilkenny include three public hospitals and one private hospital.^[71] St. Luke's is a general medical and surgical hospital built in 1942.^[72] It is based on the freshford road and provides a range of local and regional services. Local services include medical, general surgery, obstetrics, gynaecology and paediatrics. St. Canice's is a psychiatric hospital, opened in 1852 and located on the dublin road.^[73] It provides a range of mental health services including acute and long stay care, out-patient services throughout the county, addiction counselling services, respite care community hostel facilities and day care facilities. Lourdes is the regional orthopaedic hospital outside the town in Kilcreene. Aut Even is a private hospital based outside Kilkenny City.^[74]

Sport

See also Sport in Ireland

GAA

Main article Kilkenny GAA

In hurling, the dominant sport in the county, the Kilkenny GAA Club or Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association (Irish: Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Coiste Cill Channaigh) has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park in the city. The Kilkenny branch of the Gaelic Athletic Association was founded in 1887. Kilkenny is home to prominent hurling secondary schools St. Kieran's College and Christian Brothers School (CBS). Many famous current and past players have played for St. Kieran's, including Eddie Keher, Brian Cody, Eoin Kelly and DJ Carey. As well as the famous inter-county team, Kilkenny has many local hurling clubs including O'Loughlin Gaels, James Stephens and the 2007 All-Ireland club champions, Ballyhale Shamrocks.

Gaelic football is also played in Kilkenny, although it is not as popular as it is in most Irish counties. It lags well behind the other traditional GAA game of hurling. Indeed, Kilkenny GAA's county football team is not considered good enough at present to compete in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, although they have recently been promoted to play in Division Four of the National Football League.

Soccer

Kilkenny City AFC played in the League of Ireland until January 2008. It entered the league as EMFA in 1986, but resigned their position in the league after 22 years citing “lack of finance, poor results and paltry attendances”. The club had spent all but two seasons in the League of Ireland's second tier. Kilkenny and District Soccer League run leagues at schoolboy, youths and junior level throughout the county. It is affiliated to Leinster Football Association, Football Association of Ireland and the Schoolboy’s Football Association of Ireland.

Rugby

Kilkenny Rugby Football Club has a very strong and successful Rugby Union club based at Foulkstown on the Waterford Road. The club has provided many players for the Ireland team including Ernie Ridgeway, Bill Tector, Jack Notley, Willie Duggan, Ned Byrne, Ronan Kearney and Gary Halpin. Ian Dowling plays for the Munster Rugby team and is a two time winner of the European Rugby Cup in 2006 and 2008.

Rugby is played at schools level by Kilkenny College and the Christian Brothers School (CBS).

Golf

Kilkenny Golf Club is 18 hole championship parkland course within the city to the North West, close to city centre. It hosted several Professional Championship events. In 1984 and 1996, it was the venue for the All Ireland Mixed Foursome Finals and in 1985 hosted the All Ireland Cups and Shields Finals. It is playable all year round due to sand based greens. The course is mostly flat terrain with an abundance of trees.

Around Kilkenny City there is also a Driving Range in Newpark and a nice 18 hole all weather Par 3 golf course in Pocoke.

Mount Juliet Golf Course is a golf resort situated near Kilkenny in Thomastown. Jack Nicklaus designed the course and it is considered to be one of Ireland's best courses.

Ice Hockey

Kilkenny City Storm is a mixed ice hockey team formed in 2007 in Kilkenny.^[75] They play in the Irish Ice Hockey Association Recreational Division League.^[76] The Storm were one of the top two teams in the league in 2007, its inaugural year.

The team also enjoys moderate success as an inline hockey team, playing in the Northern Inline Hockey League and the Irish inline hockey (roller hockey) league.

The team consists of both local and foreign players who travel to Dundalk Ice Dome, the only permanent ice rink in the Republic, each week for training and matches. The players themselves fund the transport and ice rental costs.

See also

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Kilkenny

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kilkenny

• List of towns and villages in Ireland
• List of abbeys and priories in County Kilkenny
• Kilkenny GAA, Irish county hurling and football teams
• Kilkenny City A.F.C., Irish association football club
• Kilkenny (beer), a brand of beer produced by Guinness
• Kilkenny cat, nickname for a tenacious fighter
• Kilkenny (surname)

References

Footnotes

Further reading

External links

• Official Portal Site for Kilkenny
• Official Kilkenny Borough Council

General

• "Kilkenny." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 08 Sep. 2008
• The Tidy Towns of Ireland "Celebrating 50 years"

Sport

• Kilkenny Hurling news and information
• Kilkenny GAA official site for GAA in the county

Tourism

• Kilkenny Tourism website
• Wikitravel has a Kilkenny guide.

Architecture

• Irish Architecture Online - Kilkenny City
• Kilkenny's architectural highlights on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage website
• Kilkenny Archaeological Project

v • d • e Places in County Kilkenny, Ireland County seat: Kilkenny Cities1 Kilkenny Unincorporated towns2 Ballyragget · Callan · Castlecomer · Graiguenamanagh · Mooncoin · Thomastown Villages3 Aughamucky · Ballyhale · Bennettsbridge · Carigeen · Castlewarren · Freshford · Galmoy · Goresbridge · Gowran · Hugginstown · Inistioge · Jenkinstown · Johnstown · Johnswell · Kells · Killamery · Killinaspick · Kilmacow · Kilmoganny · Knocktopher · Mullinavat · Paulstown · Piltown · Redhouse · The Rower · Slieverue · Stoneyford · Tullaroan · Urlingford · Windgap Townlands Ballyda · Cantwell's Court · Flagmount · Hoodsgrove · Jeanville · Loughcullen · See List of townlands in County Kilkenny 1 A C.D.P. with defined boundaries.  2 A C.D.P. with undefined boundaries and a population above 1,000.  3 A C.D.P. with undefined boundaries and a population below 1,000.

v • d • e Counties of Ireland Connacht Galway (Galway City) · Leitrim · Mayo · Roscommon · Sligo Munster Clare · Cork (Cork City) · Kerry · Limerick (Limerick City) · Tipperary (North Tipperary • South Tipperary) · Waterford (Waterford City) Leinster Carlow · Dublin (Dublin City • Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown • Fingal • South Dublin) · Kildare · Kilkenny · Laois · Longford · Louth · Meath · Offaly · Westmeath · Wexford · Wicklow Ulster Cavan · Donegal · Monaghan · Antrim · Armagh · Down · Fermanagh · Londonderry · Tyrone Italics denote non-administrative counties. Parentheses () denote eponymous cities or non-traditional counties.

Coordinates: 52°38′52″N 7°15′22″W / 52.6477°N 7.2561°W / 52.6477; -7.2561