Kilkenny

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Kilkenny Cill Chainnigh
Location
WGS-84 (GPS) 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, (Irish: Cill Chainnigh, meaning "Cell or Church of Canice"), is a city and 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. In 2009 Kilkenny City celebrated its 400th year as a city. ^[1]

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^[2]. The 2006 Irish Census^[3] shows the Aggregate Town Area to have a population of 30,942^[4].

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. Kilkenny is famous for and attracts many tourists due to the Cathedral, Kilkenny Castle and its many medieval buildings. The town has been referred to as the "Marble City" for centuries and people from Kilkenny are often referred to as Cats.

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.

Now Kilkenny City is administered by a borough council and has a Lord Mayor.

The seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Ossory and the Church of Ireland Bishop of Cashel and Ossory are in Kilkenny.

Nearby larger cities include Waterford 45 km (28miles) south-southeast, Limerick 93 km (58miles) west and Dublin 101 km (63miles) northeast.^[5]

Contents 1 History 1.1 Kingdom of Osraige 1.2 Early ecclesiastical foundation 1.3 Norman capital 1.4 Black Death 1.5 Statutes of Kilkenny 1.6 City of Kilkenny 1.7 20th Century 2 Geography 2.1 Environment 2.1.1 Climate 2.2 Physical 2.3 Demographics 2.4 Governance 3 Landmarks 3.1 Architecture 3.1.1 Castles 3.1.2 St. Canice's Cathedral and tower 3.1.3 Kilkenny City Walls 4 Culture 4.1 Arts and Festivals 4.2 Music 4.3 Media 4.3.1 Radio 4.3.2 Print media 5 Infrastructure 5.1 Education 5.2 Roads 5.3 Railway 5.4 Industry 5.5 Hospitals 6 Sport 6.1 GAA 6.2 Soccer 6.3 Rugby 6.4 Golf 6.5 Ice Hockey 7 Community 7.1 Awards 7.2 Twinned cities 7.3 Cultural references 7.4 Panorama 8 See also 9 References 9.1 Footnotes 9.2 Further reading 10 External links 10.1 General 10.2 Sport 10.3 Tourism 10.4 Architecture

[edit] History

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.

[edit] Kingdom of Osraige

Cill Chainnigh was a stronghold of the kings of Ossory (historically Osraige), the Mac Giolla Phádraig family, and part of the Kingdom of Ossory which existed from at least the 2nd century until the 13th century A.D. The current ecclesiastical dioceses of that area is still known as Ossory.The medieval Diocese of Ossory ^[7] and was established in the year 549 AD.^[8] it territory corresponded to the medieval Kingdom of Ossory. In historic times Kilkenny replaced Aghaboe as the chief church in Osraige.

The original kingdom was bounded by two of the Three Sisters the rivers Barrow and Suir and the northern limit was, generally, the Slieve Bloom Mountains. The Kingdom of Ossory was on of the ancient Kingdoms of Ireland. The Osraige —their name means people of the Deer— inhabited much of modern County Kilkenny and parts of neighbouring County Laois. The Kings of Osraige reigned over Osraige. To the west and south, Osraige was bounded by the River Suir, to the east the watershed of the River Barrow marked the boundary with Leinster, and to the north it extended into and beyond the Slieve Bloom Mountains. The River Nore ran through the Kingdom.

Osraige was largely a buffer state between Leinster and Munster. Its most significant neighbours were the Loígsi, Uí Cheinnselaig and Uí Baircche of Leinster to the north and east and the Déisi Muman, Eóganacht Chaisil and Éile of Munster to the south and west.^[9]

The name Osraige is said to be from the Usdaie, a celtic tribe that Ptolemy's map of Ireland places in roughly the same area that Osraige would later occupy. The Osraighe themselves claimed to be descended from the Érainn people. Others propose that the Ivernic groups included the Osraige of the Kingdom of Osraige/Ossory^[10]. Osraige existed from at least the 2nd century until the 13th century A.D. It formed the easternmost part of the kingdom and province of Munster until the middle of the 9th century, after which it was attached to Leinster.

[edit] Early ecclesiastical foundation

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. ^[11] 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 entries for Cill Chainnigh in 1085 and again in 1114;^[11]

“	Ceall-Cainnigh was for the most part burned. ... Cill-Cainnigh, ... were all burned this year.	”
—- Four Masters, Annals of the Four Masters, 1085 and 1114.[12]

St. Canice's tower an excellent example of a well-preserved early Christian Round Tower. 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.^[13]

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.

However, Ledwich suggests a different origin to the name Kilkenny;

“	the first settlement of the Gael was along the margin of the Nore, the higher land extending from the site of the Cathedral to the Castle, was covered with wood, and from this circumstance had a Celtic name, Coil or Kyle-ken-ui, or the wooded head, or hill near the river; and by the natives, Cileanuigh, or Kilkenny.	”
—- Ledwich, Antiquities of Ireland[14]

[edit] Norman capital

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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.

[edit] 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 pestilence gathered strength in Kilkenny during Lent, for between Christmas day and 6 March, eight Friars Preachers died. There was scarcely a house in which only one died but commonly man and wife with their children and family going one way, namely, crossing to death.[15]

”

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.

[edit] Statutes of Kilkenny

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^[16];

“	"now many English of the said land, forsaking the English language, manners, mode of riding, laws and usages, live and govern themselves according to the manners, fashion, and language of the Irish enemies; and also have made divers marriages and alliances between themselves and the Irish enemies aforesaid; whereby the said land, and the liege people thereof, the English language, the allagiance due to our lord the king, and the English laws there, are put in subjection and decayed".	”
—- Introduction to the Statutes of Kilkenny[17]

The statutes tried to prevent this "middle nation", which was neither true English nor (subjugated) Irish^[18], 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^[19]. 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^[20].

Other statutes required that the English in Ireland be governed by English common law, instead of the Irish March law or Brehon law^[21] 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"^[22].

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"^[23].

While the Statutes were sweeping in scope and aim, the English never had the resources to fully implement them^[24]. 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^[25].

[edit] City of Kilkenny

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.

A 17th century description of city of Kilkenny lies in a manuscript called De Ossoriensi Dioescesi,^[26] which was a tract on the diocese of Ossary believed to be written by David Rothe the Roman Catholic Bishop of Ossary.^[27]

The manuscript translates from Latin as;

“	Seated on the river Nore, which flows beneath two marble bridges distant from each other about two furlongs, its greatest length is from north to south. On the north stands boldly forth the large and magnificent cathedral church sacred to St. Canice, the abbot; southwards, and verging towards the east, rises the castle, or rather fortress guarded by many castles and bulwarks. From this twofold source sprang the civic community -the temple and the fortress were the nurses of its infancy - the civil and ecclesiastical polities contributing equally to the growth of its buildings. To the inquirer as to the period of its foundation I reply that it is coeval with the English conquest of Ireland.	”
—- Anonymous, De Ossoriensi Dioescesi[28]

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 continued use of the description city in relation to Kilkenny, to the extent that that description was used before the establishment day".	”
—- Local Government Act 2001[29]

The qualities of County Kilkenny are said to be;

“	Fire without smoke, Air without fog, Water without mud, Land without bog.	”
—- Unknown, circa 17th Century.

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.

[edit] 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.^[30]

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.^[31] On 3 May the Dáil was informed that 18 men had been killed in the fighting in Kilkenny.^[32] 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. ^[33]

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.

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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] Environment

[edit] Climate

Climate chart for Kilkenny
J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
86   8 1	66   8 2	63   10 2	51   12 3	62   15 6	50   18 8	52   20 10	69   20 10	74   17 8	85   14 6	74   10 3	89   8 2
average temperatures in °C precipitation totals in mm source: MET ÉIREANN
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     3.4   46 35     2.6   46 35     2.5   50 36     2   54 38     2.4   59 42     2   65 47     2   68 51     2.7   67 50     2.9   63 46     3.3   57 43     2.9   50 37     3.5   47 36 average temperatures in °F precipitation totals in inches

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.^[34] The warmest recorded air temperature was 33.3 °C (91.9 °F) at Kilkenny Castle, County Kilkenny on 26 June 1887.^[35] 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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] Demographics

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%.^[36] 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,^[37] shows the Aggregate Town Area of Kilkenny to have a population of 30,942^[38]. 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.^[39]

Kilkenny is multilingual but predominantly English-speaking, with Irish being the second most commonly spoken language.^[40] 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.^[41]

[edit] Governance

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.

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 Ireland East constituency of the European Parliament and elects 3 MEPs.

[edit] Landmarks

[edit] Architecture

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.

Points of interest within the city include Kilkenny Castle, St. Canice's Cathedral and Rothe House; as well as St. Mary's Cathedral, Kilkenny Town Hall, Dominican Black Abbey. Also in Kilkenny environs are Kells Priory and Jerpoint Abbey.

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. ^[42]

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]}.

[edit] Castles

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.

[edit] St. Canice's Cathedral and tower

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.

[edit] Kilkenny City Walls

Kilkenny City Walls protected the medieval city of Kilkenny.^[43] 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.^[44] 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. ^[45]

[edit] Culture

Also see: Culture of Ireland and Irish people

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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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. ^[46] 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.

[edit] Media

[edit] Radio

Kilkenny Community Radio began as pirate station and in 1988 Radio Kilkenny was licensed to broadcast to Kilkenny city and county on 96.0MHz,96.6MHz and 106.3MHz. In 2003 the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland changed the station's franchise area to include Carlow. Radio Kilkenny had 63% of the radio listeners in County Kilkenny and 16% in County Carlow but failed to secure the new franchise. The station ceased broadcasting at 2.10am on January 1st 2004. ^[47]

KCLR began broadcasting in May 2004 replacing Radio Kilkenny. KCLR radio station is located 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. It broadcasts to Carlow and Kilkenny.

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.

[edit] Print media

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.^[48] 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^[49] 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 5th 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.

[edit] Infrastructure

[edit] Education

Kilkenny is the only city in the Republic that has neither a Institute of Technology nor a university, 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.

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.

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).

[edit] Roads

	Ballyragget - N77	Castlecomer N78 N77		v • d • e
			N10 - N9 - Carlow
		Kilkenny
	Callan - N76	N10 Mooncoin Waterford

[edit] Railway

Also see Rail transport in Ireland

Kilkenny railway station opened on 12 May 1848.^[50] 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.

[edit] Industry

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.^[51]

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.

[edit] Hospitals

Kilkenny has three hospitals within its limits: a general hospital, St. Luke's General Hospital, a private hospital, Aut Even Private Hospital, and a psychiatric hospital, St. Canice's Psychiatric Hospital. The Lourdes Regional Orthopaedic Hospital Orthopaedic Hospital lies outside the city.^[52]

[edit] Sport

See also Sport in Ireland

[edit] 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.

[edit] Soccer

Kilkenny City AFC played in the first division of the Football 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”. 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.

[edit] 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).

[edit] 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.

[edit] Ice Hockey

Despite the city's lack of an ice rink, Kilkenny is home to the Kilkenny City Storm ice hockey team, who play in the Irish Ice Hockey Association Development League. The Storm are one of the top two teams in the league, which is currently in its inaugural year. The Storm consists of both local and foreign players, who travel to Dundalk Ice Dome every week for training and matches, with the players themselves footing transport and ice rental costs. The team also enjoys moderate success as an inline hockey team, playing in the Northern Inline Hockey League.

[edit] Community

[edit] Awards

Kilkenny was named as the Academy of Urbanism European Great Town for 2008.^[53] 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".

[edit] Twinned cities

• Moret-sur-Loing

[edit] 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!

[edit] Panorama

[edit] 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)

[edit] References

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] Further reading

[edit] External links

• Official Portal Site for Kilkenny
• Official Kilkenny Borough Council

[edit] General

• "Kilkenny." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 08 Sep. 2008

[edit] Sport

• Kilkenny GAA official site for hurling and football in the county

[edit] Tourism

• Kilkenny Tourism website
• Wikitravel has a Kilkenny guide.

[edit] Architecture

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

v • d • e Places in County Kilkenny, Ireland County seat: Kilkenny Cities1 Kilkenny Unincorporated towns2 Ballyragget · Callan · Castlecomer · Mooncoin · Thomastown Villages3 Aughamucky · Ballyhale · Bennettsbridge · Carigeen · Castlewarren · Freshford · Galmoy · Goresbridge · Gowran · Graiguenamanagh · 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 Cities in Ireland Republic of Ireland Dublin • Cork • Limerick • Galway • Waterford • Kilkenny Northern Ireland Belfast • Derry • Armagh • Newry • Lisburn

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