Kilkenny ( , meaning 'church of

Cainnech Cainnech of Aghaboe (515/16–600), also known as Saint Canice in Ireland, Saint Kenneth in Scotland, Saint Kenny and in Latin Sanctus Canicus, was an Irish abbot, monastic founder, priest and missionary during the early medieval period. Cainn ...

'). is a city in

County Kilkenny County Kilkenny () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is named after the City status in Ir ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. It is located in the South-East Region and in the

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

Leinster Leinster ( ; or ) is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in the southeast of Ireland. The modern province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige, which existed during Gaelic Ireland. Following the 12th-century ...

. It is built on both banks of the

River Nore The River Nore ( ) is one of the principal rivers (along with the River Suir and River Barrow) in the South-East Region, Ireland, South-East Region of Ireland. The river drainage basin, drains approximately of Leinster and Munster, that encom ...

. The 2022 census gave the population of Kilkenny as 27,184, the thirteenth-largest urban centre in Ireland. Kilkenny is a tourist destination, and its environs include historic buildings such as

Kilkenny Castle Kilkenny Castle ( ) is a castle in Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, built in 1260 in Ireland, 1260 to control a fording-point of the River Nore and the junction of several routeways. It was a symbol of Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland, N ...

St Canice's Cathedral St Canice's Cathedral (, ), also known as Kilkenny Cathedral, is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Kilkenny city, Ireland. It is in the ecclesiastical province of Province of Dublin (Church of Ireland), Dublin. Previously the cathedral o ...

and round tower,

Rothe House Rothe House is a late 16th-century merchant's townhouse complex located in the city of Kilkenny, Ireland. The complex was built by John Rothe Fitz-Piers between 1594 and 1610 and is made up of three houses, three enclosed courtyards, and a larg ...

Shee Alms House Shee Alms House was founded by the Shee family in 1582 'to accommodate twelve poor persons' in the city of Kilkenny, Ireland. It is a nationally significant Tudor period almshouse. House Sir Richard Shee founded the alms house, originally call ...

Black Abbey The Black Abbey of Kilkenny, (an Mhainistir Dhubh in irish), Ireland, is a Catholic priory of the Dominican Order, dedicated to the Holy and Undivided Trinity. Black Abbey was established in 1225 as one of the first houses of the Dominican Order ...

, St. Mary's Cathedral, The Tholsel, St. Francis Abbey, Grace's Castle, and St. John's Priory. Kilkenny is also known for its craft and design workshops, the Watergate Theatre, public gardens and museums. Annual events include

Kilkenny Arts Festival The Kilkenny Arts Festival, formally known as Kilkenny Arts Week, was founded in Kilkenny, Ireland, in 1974. It covers a number of art forms, including classical music and performance. Playwright and poet Seamus Heaney gave a reading of some of ...

, the

Cat Laughs The Cat Laughs Comedy Festival is a comedy festival held over the first weekend in June each year in Kilkenny, County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It was founded in 1994. It has been referred to as the "Best Little Comedy Festival in ...

comedy festival and music at the Kilkenny Roots Festival. Kilkenny began with an early 6th-century ecclesiastical foundation within the

Kingdom of Ossory Osraige (Old Irish) or Osraighe (Classical Irish), Osraí (Modern Irish), anglicized as Ossory, was a medieval Irish kingdom comprising what is now County Kilkenny and western County Laois, corresponding to the Diocese of Ossory. The home of t ...

. Following the 12th-century

Norman invasion of Ireland The Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland took place during the late 12th century, when Anglo-Normans gradually conquered and acquired large swathes of land in Ireland over which the monarchs of England then claimed sovereignty. The Anglo-Normans ...

, Kilkenny Castle and a series of walls were built to protect the

burgh A burgh ( ) is an Autonomy, autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots language, Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when David I of Scotland, King David I created ...

ers of what became a

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norma ...

merchant town. William Marshall, Lord of Leinster, gave Kilkenny a charter as a town in 1207. By the late 13th century, Kilkenny was under

Hiberno-Norman Norman Irish or Hiberno-Normans (; ) is a modern term for the descendants of Norman settlers who arrived during the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century. Most came from England and Wales. They are distinguished from the native ...

control. The

Statutes of Kilkenny The Statutes of Kilkenny were a series of thirty-five acts enacted by the Parliament of Ireland at Kilkenny in 1366, aiming to curb the decline of the Hiberno-Norman Lordship of Ireland. Background to the statutes By the middle decades of the ...

, passed at Kilkenny in 1367, aimed to curb the decline of the Hiberno-Norman

Lordship of Ireland The Lordship of Ireland (), sometimes referred to retrospectively as Anglo-Norman Ireland, was the part of Ireland ruled by the King of England (styled as "Lord of Ireland") and controlled by loyal Anglo-Norman Lords between 1177 and 1542. T ...

. In 1609, King

James I of England James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 unti ...

granted Kilkenny a

Royal Charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but ...

, giving it the status of a city. Following the

Irish Rebellion of 1641 The Irish Rebellion of 1641 was an uprising in Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland, initiated on 23 October 1641 by Catholic gentry and military officers. Their demands included an end to anti-Catholic discrimination, greater Irish self-governance, and ...

, the

Irish Catholic Confederation Confederate Ireland, also referred to as the Irish Catholic Confederation, was a period of Irish Catholic self-government between 1642 and 1652, during the Eleven Years' War. Formed by Catholic aristocrats, landed gentry, clergy and military ...

, also known as the "Confederation of Kilkenny", was based in Kilkenny and lasted until the

Cromwellian conquest of Ireland The Cromwellian conquest of Ireland (1649–1653) was the re-conquest of Ireland by the Commonwealth of England, initially led by Oliver Cromwell. It forms part of the 1641 to 1652 Irish Confederate Wars, and wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three ...

in 1649. From 1840 onwards, Kilkenny has not been administered as a city under local government law, but the

Local Government Reform Act 2014 The Local Government Reform Act 2014 (No. 1) is an Act of Parliament, act of the Oireachtas which provided for a major restructuring of local government in the Republic of Ireland, local government in Ireland with effect from the 2014 Irish loca ...

provides for "the continued use of the description city". Kilkenny was a brewing centre from the late 17th century, and still houses a number of breweries. The

Heritage Council The Heritage Council () is an organisation created by the Irish government to "engage, educate and advocate to develop a wider understanding of the vital contribution that our heritage makes to our social, environmental and economic well-being." ...

offices are at Church Lane in the former Bishop's Palace. The seat of the

Roman Catholic Bishop of Ossory The Diocese of Ossory (; ) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in eastern Ireland. It is one of three suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Archbishop of DublinSt Mary's Cathedral and the

Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland (, ; , ) is a Christian church in Ireland, and an autonomy, autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the Christianity in Ireland, second-largest Christian church on the ...

Bishop of Cashel and Ossory The Bishop of Cashel and Ossory (''Full title'': Bishop of Cashel, Waterford and Lismore with Ossory, Ferns and Leighlin) is the Ordinary of the United Diocese of Cashel, Waterford and Lismore with Ossory, Ferns and Leighlin in the Church of ...

is at

Toponymy

Kilkenny is the anglicised version of the Irish , meaning ''Cell/Church of Cainneach or Canice''. This relates to a church built in honour of St. Canice, an

Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...

man, on the hill now containing St. Canice's Cathedral and the

round tower A fortified tower (also defensive tower or castle tower or, in context, just tower) is one of the defensive structures used in fortifications, such as castles, along with defensive walls such as curtain wall (fortification), curtain walls. Castle ...

. This seems to be the first major settlement. The early Christian origin of the round tower suggests an early ecclesiastical foundation at Kilkenny. The ''

Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' () or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' () are chronicles of Middle Ages, medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Genesis flood narrative, Deluge, dated as 2,242 Anno Mundi, years after crea ...

'' recorded Kilkenny in 1085. 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'' (modernised Kilkenny). Cill Chainnigh was a major monastic centre from at least the eighth century. There is no mention of ''Cill Chainnigh'' in the lives of

Cainnech of Aghaboe Cainnech of Aghaboe (515/16–600), also known as Saint Canice in Ireland, Saint Kenneth in Scotland, Saint Kenny and in Latin Sanctus Canicus, was an Irish abbot, monastic founder, priest and missionary during the early medieval period. Cainn ...

Ciarán of Saighir Ciarán ( Irish spelling) or Ciaran (Scottish Gaelic spelling) is a traditionally male given name of Irish origin. It means "little dark one" or "little dark-haired one", produced by appending a diminutive suffix to ''ciar'' ("black", "dark") ...

or any of the early

annals of Ireland Annals (, from , "year") are a concise historical record in which events are arranged chronologically, year by year, although the term is also used loosely for any historical record. Scope The nature of the distinction between annals and histor ...

suggesting that Cill Chainnigh was not of ancient civil importance.

History

Kilkenny's foundation began with an early 6th-century ecclesiastical settlement, with a church built in honour of St. Canice. Now St. Canice's Cathedral, this was a major monastic centre from at least the 8th century. The ''

'' recorded the first reference ''Cill Chainnigh'' in 1085. Prehistoric activity has been recorded, suggesting intermittent settlement activity in the area in the

Mesolithic The Mesolithic (Ancient Greek language, Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic i ...

and

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

. Information on the history of Kilkenny can be found in 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 Kings of Ossory, O'Carrolls and Fitzpatricks, had residence around Cill Chainnigh. The seat of the diocese of

Kingdom of Osraige Osraige (Old Irish) or Osraighe (Classical Irish), Osraí (Modern Irish), anglicized as Ossory, was a medieval Irish kingdom comprising what is now County Kilkenny and western County Laois, corresponding to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ossory, ...

was moved from

Aghaboe Aghaboe () is a small village in County Laois, Ireland. It is located on the R434 regional road in the rural hinterland west of the town of Abbeyleix. It contains the ruins of the Abbey of Aghaboe which was founded by St. Canice in the Oss ...

to Cill Chainnigh. Following the

Richard Strongbow Richard de Clare (c. 1130 – 20 April 1176), the second Earl of Pembroke, also Lord of Leinster and Justiciar of Ireland (sometimes known as Richard FitzGilbert), was an Anglo-Norman nobleman notable for his leading role in the Anglo-Norman inv ...

, as Lord of Leinster, established a castle near modern-day

. William Marshall began the development of the town of Kilkenny and a series of walls to protect the burghers. By the late 13th century, Kilkenny was under

Norman-Irish Norman Irish or Hiberno-Normans (; ) is a modern term for the descendants of Norman settlers who arrived during the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century. Most came from England and Wales. They are distinguished from the native ...

control. 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 site of Ireland's earliest recorded witch trial. Occurring in 1324 and instigated by the then Bishop of

Ossory Osraige (Old Irish) or Osraighe (Classical Irish), Osraí (Modern Irish), anglicized as Ossory, was a medieval Irish kingdom comprising what is now County Kilkenny and western County Laois, corresponding to the Diocese of Ossory. The home of t ...

Richard de Ledrede Richard de Ledrede (died 1360/1361), also known as Richard Ledred, was a 14th-century churchman in Ireland who served as Bishop of Ossory. His long tenure as Bishop was marked by bitter controversies and repeated quarrels with his colleagues, bo ...

, the trial involved Dame Alice de Kyteler and her servant

Petronella de Meath Petronilla is a Late Latin feminine given name. The name is a diminutive form of Petronia, itself the feminine form of Petronius, a Roman family name. Saint Petronilla is an early Roman saint, later interpreted as the daughter of Saint Peter. Sh ...

. Petronella would be the first person recorded in Ireland to be burned alive at the stake for witchcraft, after Dame Alice presumably fled the country. This trial was also one of the earliest recorded witch burnings in Europe and inspires much folklore about the possibility of the ghosts of Alice and Petronella haunting downtown Kilkenny. Alice's house, Kyteler's Inn, still stands and is now a pub. The

presence in Kilkenny was deeply shaken by the

Black Death The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the list of epidemics, most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe's 14th century population. ...

, which arrived in 1348. The

passed at Kilkenny in 1367, aimed to curb the decline of the Hiberno-Norman

. In 1609,

King James I of England James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...

granted Kilkenny a

giving it the status of a city. Following the

Rebellion of 1641 The Irish Rebellion of 1641 was an uprising in Ireland, initiated on 23 October 1641 by Catholic gentry and military officers. Their demands included an end to anti-Catholic discrimination, greater Irish self-governance, and return of confiscat ...

, the

, also known as the "Confederation of Kilkenny", was based in Kilkenny and lasted until the

in 1649.

James II of England James II and VII (14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701) was King of England and Monarchy of Ireland, Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II of England, Charles II, on 6 February 1 ...

spent most of the winter months from November 1689 until January 1690 at Kilkenny, residing in the castle.

Stephens Barracks Stephens Barracks () is a military installation in Kilkenny, Ireland. History The barracks were built by James Switzer (then spelled Switser) on land provided by the Earl of Ormond as part of the response to the Irish Rebellion and completed ...

, built in the years following the

1798 Rebellion The Irish Rebellion of 1798 (; Ulster-Scots: ''The Turn out'', ''The Hurries'', 1798 Rebellion) was a popular insurrection against the British Crown in what was then the separate, but subordinate, Kingdom of Ireland. The main organising force ...

, was completed between 1800 and 1803. The

Kilkenny Design Workshops The Kilkenny Design Workshops (KDW) were a government-funded research and development centre of excellence for design (and design advocacy, research and promotion) which was established in Ireland in 1963. It was created to inspire, support and d ...

were opened in 1965 and in 1967 the

Marquess of Ormonde A marquess (; ) is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German-language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman with the rank of a marquess or the wife (or widow) ...

presented

to the people of Kilkenny. Today, it has a lively cultural scene, with annual events including the

Kilkenny Arts Week The Kilkenny Arts Festival, formally known as Kilkenny Arts Week, was founded in Kilkenny, Ireland, in 1974. It covers a number of art forms, including classical music and performance. Playwright and poet Seamus Heaney gave a reading of some of ...

Festival in the last two weeks of August, and the

Comedy Festival at the beginning of June. Kilkenny is also where the

Irish ale Pale ale is a golden to amber coloured beer style brewed with pale malt. The term first appeared in England around 1703 for beers made from malts dried with high-carbon coke, which resulted in a lighter colour than other beers popular at tha ...

Smithwick's Smithwick's () is an Irish red ale-style beer. Smithwick's brewery was founded in Kilkenny in 1710 by John Smithwick and run by the Smithwick family of Kilkenny until 1965, when it was acquired by Guinness, now part of Diageo. The Kilkenny brew ...

, was first brewed. Kilkenny is referred to as the ''Marble City'', and people from Kilkenny are often referred to as '

Cats The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...

'. The seat of the

is at St. Canice's Cathedral.

Geography

Location and topography

Kilkenny is situated in the Nore Valley on both banks of the

, at the centre of

in the

in the south-east of

. It is away the capital

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

and north from the nearest city

Waterford Waterford ( ) is a City status in Ireland, city in County Waterford in the South-East Region, Ireland, south-east of Ireland. It is located within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster. The city is situated at the head of Waterford H ...

Wexford Wexford ( ; archaic Yola dialect, Yola: ''Weiseforthe'') is the county town of County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the ...

is to the south-east and

Limerick Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...

is to the west. The elevation is above mean sea level. The area of Kilkenny borough is . The first edition of the Ordnance Survey map for Kilkenny was in 1837 and is held by the County Library.

Climate

The climate of Kilkenny, like the

climate of Ireland The climate of Ireland is mild, humid and changeable with abundant rainfall and a lack of temperature extremes. Ireland's climate is defined as a temperate oceanic climate, or ''Cfb'' on the Köppen climate classification system, a classificat ...

, is a changeable

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

with few extremes. It is defined as a

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (approximately 23.5° to 66.5° N/S of the Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ran ...

, or ''Cfb'' on the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system. Kilkenny lies in plant . At the centre of the county, Kilkenny is in a sheltered location, inland and is surrounded by hills over , which ensures that it is not a

wind Wind is the natural movement of atmosphere of Earth, air or other gases relative to a planetary surface, planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heatin ...

y location. The highest wind gust of , from a south-west direction, was recorded on . Kilkenny is generally representative of wide river valleys in the region with low temperatures on cloudless nights, and 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 was , at

on . The

Met Éireann Met Éireann (; meaning "Meteorology, Met of Ireland") is the state meteorology, meteorological service of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, part of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. History The history of modern meteorolog ...

Kilkenny Weather Observing Station, north-west of the centre of Kilkenny, on the Duningstown Road, opened in , and observations ceased in . A climatological station is currently in operation within of the old site, and as of , was providing live weather data to the general public and climate data to

. Extremes recorded at the station include the highest air

temperature Temperature is a physical quantity that quantitatively expresses the attribute of hotness or coldness. Temperature is measurement, measured with a thermometer. It reflects the average kinetic energy of the vibrating and colliding atoms making ...

of on , the lowest air temperature of on and the lowest ground temperature of on . The warmest and sunniest month on record in Kilkenny was with a total of

sunshine Sunlight is the portion of the electromagnetic radiation which is emitted by the Sun (i.e. solar radiation) and received by the Earth, in particular the visible light perceptible to the human eye as well as invisible infrared (typically per ...

and very high temperatures throughout. The maximum daily sunshine was on . The overall trend in temperatures has been on the rise with a marked increase from 1988 onwards. Annual temperatures are running over or above 20th century levels. The maximum daily

rain Rain is a form of precipitation where water drop (liquid), droplets that have condensation, condensed from Water vapor#In Earth's atmosphere, atmospheric water vapor fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is res ...

fall recorded at Kilkenny station was on . The late 1950s and early 1960s were wet but rainfall had been steady throughout the century. 2002 was a very wet year and since 2005 annual rainfall has been increasing steadily, with 2009 being the wettest year since records commenced in 1958.

Demographics

Population

The majority of the population of Kilkenny live outside the borough's boundary. The urban centre of Kilkenny, as defined by the census, had a population of 27,184 in 2022. Changes as of the 2006 census, by the Central Statistics Office, Kilkenny Town 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 Town Environs had a population of 13,518 which was an increase of 1347 persons over the 2002 figure of 12,144 or 11.3%. 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 7.0%. People from Kilkenny are often referred to as 'Cats'. Disposable household income per person as of 2005 was €18,032 and the index of disposable household was 89.4.

Languages and religions

Kilkenny is

multilingual Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. When the languages are just two, it is usually called bilingualism. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolin ...

but predominantly

English-speaking The English-speaking world comprises the 88 countries and territories in which English is an official, administrative, or cultural language. In the early 2000s, between one and two billion people spoke English, making it the largest language ...

, with Irish being the second most commonly spoken language. 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 Catholicism, however, there are Church of Ireland, Presbyterian, Methodist, Jewish and other religious traditions living in Kilkenny.

Administration

Kilkenny is now administered as part of

. The

local electoral area A local electoral area (LEA; ) is an electoral area for elections to Local government in the Republic of Ireland, local authorities in Ireland. All elections in the Republic of Ireland, elections use the single transferable vote. Republic of Ir ...

of Kilkenny contains the

electoral division An electoral (congressional, legislative, etc.) district, sometimes called a constituency, riding, or ward, is a geographical portion of a political unit, such as a country, state or province, city, or administrative region, created to provid ...

s of Dunmore, Kilkenny No. 1 Urban, Kilkenny No. 2 Urban, Kilkenny Rural and St. Canice, and elects 7 of the 24 members of

Kilkenny County Council Kilkenny County Council () is the local authority of County Kilkenny, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning ...

. This area is defined as the Municipal District of Kilkenny City.

Local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state. Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of a higher-level political or administrative unit, such a ...

bodies in Kilkenny have responsibility for such matters as planning, roads, sanitation and libraries and are governed by the Local Government Acts 1925 to 2019, the principal Act being the

Local Government Act 2001 The Local Government Act 2001 (No. 37) was enacted by the Oireachtas on 21 July 2001 to reform local government in Ireland. Most of the provisions of the Act came into operation on 1 January 2002. The act was a restatement and amendment of pr ...

. Kilkenny's first council was elected in 1231. From the 13th century to the end of the 16th, the chief magistrate was known as the sovereign, and since then as the mayor. It was granted a

royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but ...

as a city in 1609 by James I of England and Ireland. This was a

county corporate A county corporate or corporate county was a type of subnational division used for the administration of justice in certain towns and cities in England, Wales, and Ireland. They arose when the monarch gave a borough corporation the right to appoi ...

which included the borough of Irishtown, which fell within the city. The borough corporation established under the

Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840 The Municipal Corporations Act (Ireland) 1840 ( 3 & 4 Vict. c. 108), ''An Act for the Regulation of Municipal Corporations in Ireland'', was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom on 10 August 1840. It was one of the Municipal Corporat ...

is a successor to both the corporation established under this charter and of the borough of Irishtown. In 1899, under the

Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 ( 61 & 62 Vict. c. 37) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland that established a system of local government in Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots diale ...

, the area became an

urban district An urban district is a division generally managed by a local government. It may also refer to a city district, district, urban area or quarter Specific urban districts in some countries include: * Urban districts of Denmark * Districts of Germa ...

, but its council retained the style of a borough corporation. In 2002, under the Local Government Act 2001, Kilkenny Borough Corporation became a borough council. On 1 June 2014, under the

, the borough council was dissolved and administration of the town was amalgamated with Kilkenny County Council. County Kilkenny is part of the Southern Region. It is part of the Carlow–Kilkenny Dáil constituency and the

South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

European Parliament constituency Member of the European Parliament, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are Elections in the European Union, elected by the population of the Member state of the European Union, member states of the European Union (EU). The European Elect ...

. In the

Irish House of Commons The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from 1297 until the end of 1800. The upper house was the Irish House of Lords, House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, ...

, both Kilkenny City and the

bishop's borough A bishop's borough or bishop borough was a pocket borough in the Irish House of Commons where the patron who controlled the borough was the bishop for the time being of the diocese of the Church of Ireland whose cathedral was within the borough. A ...

of St Canice (or Irishtown) were represented with two MPs each. From 1801, following the

Acts of Union 1800 The Acts of Union 1800 were parallel acts of the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of Ireland which united the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland (previously in personal union) to create the United Kingdom of G ...

, Kilkenny City was represented in the

United Kingdom House of Commons The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 memb ...

by one MP from 1801 to 1918, and as part of

North Kilkenny North Kilkenny was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) from 1885 to 1922. Boundaries and Boundary Changes This constit ...

from 1918 to 1922. In 1921, the Carlow–Kilkenny Dáil constituency was created. This continued until 1937, when there was a separate

Kilkenny Kilkenny ( , meaning 'church of Cainnech of Aghaboe, Cainnech'). is a city in County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region, Ireland, South-East Region and in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinst ...

constituency, but from 1948 there has been a continuous constituency of Carlow–Kilkenny.

City status

While the present-day settlement is administered as a

municipal district A municipal district is an administrative entity comprising a clearly-defined territory and its population. It may be a city, a town, a village, a small grouping of them, or a rural area. Brazil In Brazil, municipal districts are, in general, su ...

, the appellation "city" is an emotive subject in Kilkenny. Historically,

city status in the United Kingdom City status in the United Kingdom is granted by the the Crown, monarch of the United Kingdom to specific centres of population, which might or might not meet the generally accepted definition of city, cities. , there are List of cities in the Un ...

, and before that in the

Kingdom of Ireland The Kingdom of Ireland (; , ) was a dependent territory of Kingdom of England, England and then of Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain from 1542 to the end of 1800. It was ruled by the monarchs of England and then List of British monarchs ...

, was a ceremonial designation awarded by the

crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, parti ...

. It carried more prestige than the alternative municipal titles "

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

" or "

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

", but gave no additional legal powers (the qualifying factor was the presence of a

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

, resulting in some very small cities such as Wells, with a population 12,000 as of 2018 and

St Davids St Davids or St David's (, , "David's house”) is a cathedral city in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It lies on the River Alun and is part of the community of St Davids and the Cathedral Close. It is the resting place of Saint David, Wales's ...

, with a population of 1,841 as of 2011). A city in Irish law has special legal meaning with corresponding powers for local government. From a local government perspective, Kilkenny has not been administered as a city since at least 1840. The present-day legal, political and administrative jurisdictions in Ireland are set out in the

, as amended by the

. In 2002, under the Local Government Act 2001, the former five county boroughs were redesignated as cities. At the same time, the historic city status of Kilkenny was acknowledged in law. When this legislation was being debated, local TDs

Phil Hogan Philip Hogan (born 4 July 1960) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as European Commissioner for Trade between 2019 and 2020, and previously European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development between 2014 and 2019. He p ...

and John McGuinness successfully lobbied that Kilkenny could continue to be referred to as a "city". Accordingly, a clause was added to the 2001 bill: It remains both common and permissible in law to describe Kilkenny as a city; section 10(6) of the 2001 Act, as amended by the 2014 Act, provides that "the continued use of the description city in relation to Kilkenny, to the extent that that description was used before 1 January 2002 and is not otherwise inconsistent with this Act". As of 2014, Kilkenny does not have an administration separate from the county. However, under

, the municipal district is distinctly acknowledged as "the Municipal District of Kilkenny City".

Landmarks

Kilkenny's architectural heritage is represented through a number of historical buildings and landmarks. Kilkenny is a well-preserved medieval town and is dominated by both

and St. Canice's Cathedral and round tower. Surviving examples of the city's medieval architecture include Kilkenny Castle and parts of the Kilkenny City Walls. These walls define the extent, layout and status of the medieval town. The town grew from a monastic settlement to a thriving Norman merchant town in the Middle Ages. St. Canice's Cathedral and round tower are an example of the monastic settlement.

on Parliament Street is an example of an Elizabethan merchant townhouse located on the only completely surviving

burgage plot Burgage is a medieval land term used in Great Britain and Ireland, well established by the 13th century. A burgage was a town ("borough" or "burgh") rental property (to use modern terms), owned by a king or lord. The property ("burgage tenement ...

in Ireland. It also features a restored 17th-century garden on an area of half an acre behind the house, complete with herbs, vegetables and an orchard. The black stone with decorative white fossils that forms the backbone of many of Kilkenny's fine buildings was quarried locally, particularly from the quarry located 1.6 km south of the town on the R700. Kilkenny marble was used for the plinth of the new tomb of

Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

Leicester Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Saint Martin, Leicester, commonly known as Leicester Cathedral, is a Church of England cathedral in Leicester, England, and the seat of the Bishop of Leicester. One of the city centre's five surviving medieval ch ...

in England. Visitor attractions in Kilkenny and its environs include

and Gardens including the Butler Gallery, St. Canice's Cathedral and round tower,

and Garden,

Kilkenny Courthouse Kilkenny Courthouse, also known as Grace's Castle, is a judicial facility in Parliament Street, Kilkenny, County Kilkenny, Ireland. History The site was previously occupied by Grace's Castle, a structure dating back to the 13th century. It was u ...

, St. Mary's Cathedral, The Tholsel, the Dominican

, St. John's Church, Butler House, Kilkenny 'Slips' and St. Francis Abbey Brewery. Gardens include the Castle Rose Garden, Rothe House Garden, the Famine Memorial Garden and the garden of Butler House. In the county other attractions include

Kells Priory Kells Priory () is one of the largest medieval monuments in Ireland. The Augustine priory is situated alongside King's River beside the village of Kells, County Kilkenny, Kells in the townland of Rathduff (Madden), about 15 km south of th ...

Jerpoint Abbey Jerpoint Abbey () is a ruined Cistercian abbey, founded in the second half of the 12th century in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located 2.5 km south west of Thomastown on the R448 regional road. There is a visitor centre with an exhibi ...

, Dunmore Caves,

Woodstock Estate Woodstock House and Estate is a derelict Georgian house and estate located near Inistioge, County Kilkenny, Ireland, on the west bank of the River Nore. The Ladies of Llangollen story began here and Mary Tighe died here. The house was destroyed ...

and

Jenkinstown Park Jenkinstown Park is a park in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is situated off the N78 road about 10 km north of the city of Kilkenny and 11 km south of Castlecomer. The Dunmore Caves are nearby. History The park was formerly part of the old Br ...

. Local Kilkenny marble or black marble was used to decorate many of the city's buildings, and Kilkenny referred to the "Marble City" for this reason.

Kilkenny Castle and city walls

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 collection of the National Art Gallery is on display in the castle. There are ornamental gardens on the northwest side of the castle, and extensive land and gardens to the front. It has become one of the most visited tourist sites in Ireland. The first stone castle was begun in 1204 by William Marshall 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. ''Kilkenny Walls'' protected the medieval town of Kilkenny. The town was surrounded by walls with regular towers and gates. Remnants of the Town 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. 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 the city's walls.

St. Canice's Cathedral and tower

Kilkenny St Canice Cathedral SW 2007 08 28

, also known as Kilkenny Cathedral, present building dates from the 13th century and is the second longest cathedral in Ireland. The cathedral is named after Saint Canice, who also gave his name to the town.Cathedral of St. Canice
, extract from ''A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland'' (1837)

Cruciform A cruciform is a physical manifestation resembling a common cross or Christian cross. These include architectural shapes, biology, art, and design. Cruciform architectural plan Christian churches are commonly described as having a cruciform ...

, the cathedral was built in the Early English, or English Gothic, style of

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

, of

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

, with a low central tower supported on black marble columns. The exterior walls, apart from the gables, are

embattled A battlement, in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at intervals t ...

, and there are two small

spire A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spire ...

s at the west end. The cathedral is seventy-five yards long, and its width along the transepts is forty-one yards. Beside the cathedral stands a 100 ft 9th century round tower. St. Canice's tower is an excellent example of a well-preserved early Christian (9th century)

Round Tower A fortified tower (also defensive tower or castle tower or, in context, just tower) is one of the defensive structures used in fortifications, such as castles, along with defensive walls such as curtain wall (fortification), curtain walls. Castle ...

. Accessible only by a steep set of internal ladders, it may once have been both a watchtower and a refuge, and the summit gives a good view of Kilkenny and the countryside around. The hill on which the cathedral stands is believed to be the centre of the first major settlement at Kilkenny, and the round tower suggests an early ecclesiastical foundation. Dominican

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

Bridges

Kilkenny has four main bridges —

Green's Bridge Green's Bridge, or ''Greensbridge'', is an elegant, Palladian-style, limestone arch bridge that crosses the river Nore in Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The bridge is a series of five elliptical arches of high-quality carved Carbonif ...

, John's Bridge, the Ossory Bridge and the St Francis Bridge — and two pedestrian/cycle bridges — the Lady Desart Bridge and the Ossory Pedestrian Bridge. Each of the bridges spans the

. Green's Bridge, also known as the 'Great Bridge of Kilkenny', crosses the River Nore in St. Canices Parish in the townland of Gardens, and is an important element of the architectural heritage of Kilkenny City. First built before 1200, the bridge has been rebuilt several times since the twelfth century due to flooding, including the great floods of 1487 and 1763. The present-day bridge was built in 1766 after the 'Great Flood of 1763'. It was built by William Colles (c. 1710–70) to designs prepared by George Smith (1763–67), a pupil of

George Semple George Semple (c. 1700 – 13 April 1782) was a notable Irish builder and architect. Life His earliest known work is the steeple, in height, of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, which he designed and erected in 1749. He also built St Patr ...

(c. 1700–82). John's Bridge connects John Street to Rose Inn Street in Kilkenny City. It was first built after 1200, and has been called 'John's Bridge' since the Middle Ages. It has also been rebuilt many times since the twelfth century due to flooding. During the flood of 1763, people gathered on John's Bridge after Green's Bridge collapsed. John's Bridge also collapsed, and sixteen people died. The present-day John's Bridge was completed in 1910 and spans across the River Nore. It was reputedly, at the time it was completed, the longest single-span reinforced bridge in Ireland or Britain. The design was by Mouchel & Partners using the Hennebique system of reinforcement. The arch consists of three ribs, tapering from to deep. The traverse deck beams are each deep. The Ossory Bridge, linking the ring road, was completed in 1984 and features an inlaid sculpture. St Francis Bridge was opened in May 2017, and forms part of the

Kilkenny Central Access Scheme Kilkenny Central Access Scheme (CAS), previously Kilkenny Inner Relief Road Scheme is a controversial new road, improvement of existing roads and junctions and a new concrete bridge over the River Nore later named St. Francis Bridge, with provisi ...

. The scheme and the proposed building of the new bridge was the subject of some debate and protest in Kilkenny in 2014. Lady Desart Bridge and Ossory Pedestrian bridge are the city's two pedestrian/cycle bridges. Lady Desart Bridge was opened in January 2014 and links John's Quay and Bateman Quay and is located between John's Bridge and Green's Bridge. The Ossory Pedestrian bridge, located underneath the main Ossory bridge, links the Canal Walk on one side of the River Nore to the Lacken Walk on the other side.

Old Woollen Mills

The Old Woollen Mills was built in the 1800s and is located on the north side of the city, on Bleach Road. It was one of the largest employers in the area; the site covers and has more than a mile of river frontage onto the Nore. Among its many features is a freestanding red brick chimney, erected in 1905. An architectural salvage and antique yard, Kilkenny Architectural Salvage, is currently located on the site.

Culture

Kilkenny is a popular tourist destination in the South-East Region of Ireland. Its art galleries, historic buildings, craft and design workshops, theatre, comedy, public gardens and museums are some of the main reasons Kilkenny has become one of Ireland's most visited towns and a base from which to explore the surrounding countryside. Points of cultural interest in the area include

, St. Canice's Cathedral and round tower,

, St. Mary's Cathedral,

, Kilkenny Town Hall,

and Butler Gallery. The latter re-opened in August 2020, having moved to a new location in Evan's Home from the former basement kitchen of Kilkenny Castle.

Arts and festivals

Kilkenny is a festival location throughout the year. Kilkenny Tradfest takes place over the St. Patrick's Day weekend in March and includes the St. Patrick's Day festivities, the parade and the Tradfest music festival, which highlights Irish traditional and folk music. The Kilkenny Roots Festival is held on the first weekend of May and features Americana/Bluegrass/Folk/Rockabilly/AltCountry artists in various indoor venues throughout the city. Since 1998 the festival has attracted musicians from the Americana/Roots genre, including

Calexico Calexico () is a city in southern Imperial County, California. Situated on the Mexican border, it is linked economically with the much larger city of Mexicali, the capital of the Mexican state of Baja California. It is about east of San Dieg ...

Giant Sand Giant Sand (formerly Giant Sandworms) is an American musical group from Tucson, Arizona, United States. Its most constant member is singer-songwriter Howe Gelb. The groups have developed idiosyncratic sound rooted in alternative country, but t ...

Ryan Adams David Ryan Adams (born November 5, 1974) is an American Rock music, rock and Country music, country singer-songwriter. He has released 30 studio albums and three as a former member of Whiskeytown. In 2000, Adams left Whiskeytown and released ...

Alejandro Escovedo Pedro Alejandro Escovedo (born January 10, 1951) is an American rock musician, songwriter, and singer, who has been recording and touring since the late 1970s. His primary instrument is the guitar. He has played in various rock genres, includin ...

Guy Clark Guy Charles Clark (November 6, 1941 – May 17, 2016) was an American folk and country singer-songwriter and luthier. He released more than 20 albums, and his songs have been recorded by other artists, including Townes Van Zandt, Jerry Jeff ...

Chuck Prophet Charles William Prophet (born June 28, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer. A Californian, Prophet first achieved notice in the American psychedelic/desert rock group Green on Red, with whom he toured and reco ...

Ray LaMontagne Raymond Charles Jack LaMontagne (; born June 18, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. LaMontagne has released nine studio albums: '' Trouble'', ''Till the Sun Turns Black'', '' Gossip in the Grain'', '' God Willin' & the Creek Don ...

Richmond Fontaine Richmond Fontaine was an American four-piece rock and alternative country band, based in Portland, Oregon. They were active between 1994 and 2016 and recorded eleven studio albums, four live albums and two EPs. Underpinned by lead singer and so ...

Rodney Crowell Rodney Crowell (born August 7, 1950) is an American musician, known primarily for his work as a singer and songwriter in country music. Crowell has had five number one singles on Hot Country Songs, all from his 1988 album '' Diamonds & Dirt''. ...

, Phosphorescent,

Sturgill Simpson John Sturgill Simpson (born June 8, 1978) is an American country music singer-songwriter and actor. As of June 2024, he has released eight albums as a solo artist. Simpson's style has been met with critical favor and frequent comparisons to ou ...

and

Alabama Shakes Alabama Shakes are an American rock band formed in Athens, Alabama, in 2009. The band currently consists of lead singer and guitarist Brittany Howard, guitarist Heath Fogg, and bassist Zac Cockrell. The band began its career touring and perfor ...

. Kilkenny hosts the annual

comedy festival every June bank holiday week. The

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, painting, sculptures and live performances. Musical events, including traditional, classical, world music and jazz, take place during the festival. Savour Kilkenny is a food festival which happens in October every year. In November, Kilkenny stages Kilkenomics, the world's first economics and comedy festival. Venues such as the Watergate Theatre host a range of home-produced and touring performances in dance, music and theatre.

Music

Music groups from the Kilkenny area include

traditional musicians A tradition is a system of beliefs or behaviors (folk custom) passed down within a group of people or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examp ...

as well as bands like

Kerbdog Kerbdog were an alternative metal band from Kilkenny, Ireland, formed in 1991. Following two albums released on Mercury Records, the band split up in 1998. Since 2005, they have reformed for a series of occasional one-off performances. In 2012 ...

, Engine Alley and My Little Funhouse. Other groups include

R.S.A.G. Jeremy Hickey (also known as Rarely Seen Above Ground—abbreviated as R.S.A.G.—) is an Irish multi-instrumentalist and producer from Kilkenny. He has released four albums and one EP. ''Rarely Seen Above Ground'' (2007) ''Organic Sampler'' (20 ...

, whose double album ''Organic Sampler'' received a

Choice Music Prize The Choice Music Prize (), known for sponsorship reasons as the RTÉ Choice Music Prize is an annual music prize awarded to music from a band or solo musician who is born in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland or holds an Irish passport. ...

nomination for Irish Album of the Year 2008. Some pubs have

Irish traditional music session Irish commonly refers to: * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the island and the sovereign state *** Erse (disambiguati ...

s. The Kilkenny Roots Festival takes place each May Bank Holiday weekend. Kilkenny is mentioned in several songs, including in "When You Danced With Me" on

ABBA ABBA ( ) were a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the List ...

's 2021 album ''

Voyage Voyage(s) or The Voyage may refer to: Literature *''Voyage : A Novel of 1896'', Sterling Hayden * ''Voyage'' (novel), a 1996 science fiction novel by Stephen Baxter *''The Voyage'', Murray Bail * "The Voyage" (short story), a 1921 story by ...

''. The

is held every August. A concert, 'Source', is held in

Nowlan Park Nowlan Park (; ), known for sponsorship reasons as UPMC Nowlan Park, is the principal Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Kilkenny, Ireland. Named after James Nowlan, the longest serving President of the GAA, the stadium hosts major hurling ...

and has attracted musical performers such as

Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British singer and songwriter. Known for his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists of all time, having sold ...

Shania Twain Eilleen Regina "Shania" Twain ( ; born August 28, 1965) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She has sold over 100 million records, making her one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists of all time and the best-sel ...

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Sim ...

and

Andrea Bocelli Andrea Bocelli (; born 22 September 1958) is an Italian tenor. He rose to fame in 1994 after winning the newcomers' section of the 44th Sanremo Music Festival performing " Il mare calmo della sera". Since 1994, Bocelli has recorded 15 solo st ...

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily as a country music, country musician. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton's debut album ...

headlined at the 2008 event.

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...

played 2 consecutive nights in July 2013 to finish the European leg of his World tour.

sometimes hosts classical musicians and choirs. The Kilkenny Choir and a gospel choir have performed in churches throughout the town. Groups like

Ex Cathedra Papal infallibility is a Dogma in the Catholic Church, dogma of the Catholic Church which states that, in virtue of the promise of Jesus to Saint Peter, Peter, the Pope when he speaks is preserved from the possibility of error on doctrine "in ...

have played during the Kilkenny Arts Festival. Cleere's pub and theatre on Parliament Street are 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.

Theatre

Kilkenny had a tradition of dramatic performance going back to 1366 when the Dublin company set up in Kilkenny. Henry Burkhead printed a play in Kilkenny, ''Cola's Fury, or Lirenda's Misery'' (1645), dealing with events of the Irish

from an English standpoint. It was a blatantly political work with the Lirenda of the title being an anagram of Ireland. In 1642, as a result of the

English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...

, Dublin

Royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gove ...

s were forced to flee the city. Many of them went to Kilkenny to join a

confederacy A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

of Old English and Irish that formed in that city. In 1802 Sir Richard and Sir John Power of Kilfane established the Kilkenny Private Theatre. The Watergate Theatre in Kilkenny is a centre for the performing and visual arts. It provides a varied programme of professional and amateur dramatics, classical and contemporary music, opera and dance, together with exhibitions of paintings and photographs. The Set Theatre is a smaller theatre located on John Street in Kilkenny.

Film

Award-winning animated studio

Cartoon Saloon Cartoon Saloon is an Irish animation film, short film and television studio based in Kilkenny which provides film TV and short film services. The studio is best known for its animated feature films ''The Secret of Kells'', ''Song of the Sea'', ' ...

, as well as the film production companies Young Irish Film Makers and Mycrofilms, are all based in Kilkenny. Kilkenny has also hosted the Subtitle European Film Festival each November since 2012.

Media

Radio

KCLR radio station serves counties

Carlow Carlow ( ; ) is the county town of County Carlow, in the south-east of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, from Dublin. At the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census, it had a population of 27,351, the List of urban areas in the Republic of Ireland, ...

and

. 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 Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...

. As of 2009, KCLR had 60% weekly reach and 33% weekday share.

KCLR 96FM KCLR 96FM is an Irish radio station which broadcasts to counties Carlow and Kilkenny Kilkenny ( , meaning 'church of Cainnech of Aghaboe, Cainnech'). is a city in County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located in the South-E ...

began broadcasting in May 2004 replacing Radio Kilkenny. Radio Kilkenny, which began as a pirate station Kilkenny Community Radio, received a licensed to broadcast to Kilkenny city and county on 96.0 MHz,96.6 MHz and 106.3 MHz 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 The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI; ) is a former broadcasting authority which regulated both public and commercial broadcasting sector in Ireland. It was established in 2009, effectively replacing the Broadcasting Commission of Irel ...

changed the station's franchise area to include Carlow. The station ceased broadcasting at 2:10 a.m. on 1 January 2004.

Beat 102-103 Beat 102 103 is an independent regional radio station in Ireland licensed by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland covering counties Waterford, Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford and Tipperary in South East Ireland. It began broadcasting on 1 July 2 ...

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 southeast market.

Print media

Newspapers have been produced in Kilkenny for centuries. Longstanding examples include '' Finns Leinster Journal'' (later the ''

Kilkenny Journal ''Finn's Leinster Journal'' (1767–1801), later ''Leinster Journal'' (1801–1830), ''Kilkenny Journal'' and'' Leinster Commercial and Literary Advertiser'' (1832–1922), was a newspaper published in Kilkenny, Ireland. The journal was publish ...

'') from 1767 to 1965, the ''

Kilkenny People The ''Kilkenny People'' is a local newspaper circulated in County Kilkenny, Ireland. Popular in Kilkenny City and County, the newspaper competes with ''The Munster Express'' in the south of the county. ''The Kilkenny People'' is published on ...

'' from 1916 to 1992, and the ''Kilkenny Moderator'' from 1814 to 1916. Other papers included the ''Leinster Independent'' from 1872; the ''Kilkenny Chronicle'' from 1813; 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 ''The Kilkenny Voice'' was southeastern Ireland's only weekly full-colour compact newspaper. It was published in Kilkenny each Tuesday; the first issue was published on 6 September 2005. Its primary competition was the ''Kilkenny People''. The e ...

'' (2005–2008) and also the ''Kilkenny Advertiser''. ''

Finn's Leinster Journal ''Finn's Leinster Journal'' (1767–1801), later ''Leinster Journal'' (1801–1830), ''Kilkenny Journal'' and'' Leinster Commercial and Literary Advertiser'' (1832–1922), was a newspaper published in Kilkenny, Ireland. The journal was publish ...

'' (1767–1801) was founded by Edmund Finn in 1767. 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 to 1925. The modern ''Kilkenny People'' was first published in 1895. It is a weekly paper. According to the

Audit Bureau of Circulations An Audit Bureau of Circulations is a private organization that provides industry-agreed standards for media brand measurement of print publications and other media outlets in a given country. The International Federation of Audit Bureaux of Circulat ...

, the ''Kilkenny People'' had an average weekly circulation of 17,578 for the first six months of 2006. It is printed by the ''Kilkenny People Group'' at Purcellsinch and the group also publishes a number of other regional papers.

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.

Community

Awards

Kilkenny was named as the Academy of Urbanism European Great Town for 2008. 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 Tidy Towns ( Irish: ''Bailte Slachtmhara'') is an annual competition, first held in 1958, organised by the Department of Rural and Community Development in order to honour the tidiest and most attractive cities, towns and villages in the Republ ...

in 1985.

Twinned cities

Kilkenny is twinned with

Moret-sur-Loing Moret-sur-Loing (, literally ''Moret on Loing'') is a former commune in the Seine-et-Marne department located at the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is situated along the confluence of rivers Loing and Seine. Moret–Veneux- ...

in France,

Formigine Formigine ( Modenese: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Modena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. As of 2023, Formigine had an estimated population of 34,406. History Formigine originates from the foundation of its castle in 1201 by the Comune of ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, and Kilkenny, Minnesota, a town with the same name in Minnesota in the United States.

Infrastructure

Education

Kilkenny is the home of many noted secondary schools, including the Church of Ireland Kilkenny College, founded in 1538. This is one of the oldest schools in the country, and its past pupils include Jonathan Swift and George Berkeley. ''A quote from an article "The Berkeley Pavilion" by Patsy Dempsey – Bishop George Berkeley (1685–1753) was one of the great philosophers of his time. He was born near Kilkenny and lived in Dysart Castle, Thomastown. Berkeley studied at Kilkenny College (now County Hall, Kilkenny, County Hall) from 1696–1700, where Jonathan Swift was a predecessor.'' StKierans2006-07-10

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 permitted some relaxation of the Penal Laws against Irish Catholics, Penal Laws in the country. St. Patrick's Industrial School, Kilkenny was founded in 1879, and closed in 1966. There are a number of other second-level schools, including Loreto Secondary School Kilkenny, Kilkenny, Loreto Secondary School, CBS Kilkenny, Coláiste Pobail Osraí, Presentation College and the Kilkenny City Vocational School. Other schools located in the rural areas of the county are Castlecomer Community School, Colaiste Mhuire Johnstown, Scoil Airigeal Ballyhale, St. Brigid's Callan, Grennan College Thomastown and Callan CBS. These also are noted for their focus on the games of hurling and camogie. Gaelscoil Osrai an Irish school in Kilkenny, is the 2nd largest Irish-only school in Ireland with around 450 from Junior Infants to 6th Class. Maynooth University maintained a campus at the grounds of St. Kieran's College from September 1997 until June 2018. The university offered the first year of full-time arts degrees in Kilkenny, with students attending second and third year courses on the main campus in Maynooth.

Roads

The National primary road, national primary routes serving Kilkenny include the N10 road (Ireland), N10 (connecting to the M9 motorway (Ireland), M9 motorway Dublin/Carlow/Waterford route), the N77 road (Ireland), N77 (connecting to Portlaoise and the M7 motorway (Ireland), M7 motorway), and N76 road (Ireland), N76 (connecting to Clonmel).

Railway

Kilkenny railway station opened on 12 May 1848. Kilkenny acquired railway links to

in 1850,

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 the Irish nationalist, poet and playwright Thomas MacDonagh. Kilkenny is a stop on Iarnród Éireann's Inter-city rail, Intercity route between Dublin and Waterford. From Kilkenny station trains run on the Dublin–Waterford railway line, providing connections in Waterford railway station, Waterford to Clonmel railway station, Clonmel and stations to Limerick Junction. At Kildare railway station, Kildare connecting trains provide links to Ballina railway station, Ballina, Westport railway station, Mayo, Westport, Galway railway station, Galway, Ennis railway station, Ennis, Ballybrophy railway station, Ballybrophy, Nenagh railway station, Nenagh, Limerick railway station, Limerick, Killarney railway station, Killarney, Tralee railway station, Tralee and Cork railway station, Cork.

Air

Kilkenny Airport is only used for private flying. The nearest airports with scheduled services are Dublin Airport and Cork Airport, which are both in the region of 150 km away.

Industry

The city has a history of brewing and was home to Smithwick's, St. Francis Abbey Brewery which was founded in the early 18th century by Messrs Cole and Smithwick. The Guinness Ireland Group 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 became part of Diageo Global Supply. In its final years, Smithwick's Ale formed only a small percentage of production there. Another product was Kilkenny (beer), Kilkenny ale, a close relation of Smithwick's ale. Some 80% of the beer produced at the brewery was Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch), Budweiser, a brand not owned by Diageo, but produced under licence. Diageo announced in May 2008 the closure of St. Francis Abbey Brewery, which took place on 31 December 2013. Production was then moved to St. James's Gate Brewery, Dublin.

Cooperatives

Kilkenny is also home to the head offices of Glanbia, one of the world's top dairy companies. Glanbia was formed by the merger of two dairy businesses: Avonmore (Cooperative), Avonmore and Waterford Foods and has interests in Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States and more than 30 other countries. County Kilkenny Village Creameries amalgamated to create the Avonmore (Cooperative), Avonmore Creameries brand in 1966. That coop became Avonmore Food plc in 1988 and joined with Waterford Food plc in 1997. It is today known as the global Food giant, Glanbia, one of the world's top nutrition companies, with revenues of over €3.5 billion and 5,815 employees. In 1966 over 30 local creameries created by local farmers joined with other small rural co-operative societies throughout County Kilkenny and some neighbouring counties, and together with Uniq plc, Unigate Limited support, formed the Avonmore Creameries Federation. According to the Glanbia Collections in Kilkenny Archives at St Kieran's College, Kilkenny, the Avonmore Coop brand was created through the merger of several dozen village creameries throughout County Kilkenny. Realising the benefits of increased scale and greater diversification in the 1960s, they saw the need for an amalgamation of many small, locally focused co-operatives across Ireland. It led to the construction of a new multi-purpose Avonmore dairy plant facility in Ballyragget,

, a plant they claimed was the biggest food processing facility in Europe at that time. Today that giant global entity is known as Glanbia. Glanbia has its origins in the Irish agricultural co-operative movement that evolved over the last century, ever since first Irish Co-operative founded by Horace Plunkett in 1889. Today Glanbia has operations in 34 countries and is exporting to more than 100 countries worldwide. Glanbia is ranked by revenue (2010 figures) in the top 100 Cooperatives, No 98 in the world and No 1 in Ireland by the International Co-operative Alliance, the global apex organisation of co-operatives worldwide. The Ballyhale C.D.S. (1895–1995) 100th-anniversary booklet of its foundation records that a federation of 25 Co-op Creameries originally emerged in January 1965 under the umbrella of Avonmore Creameries Ltd., that shares were taken in the new entity by the society and that in following years a Ballyragget milk processing factory was built. Ireland entered the Common Market in 1970. The first bulk milk collection took place in 1973, when the amalgamation was formalised.

Other

Recent developments in Kilkenny have attracted further investment from local businesses as well as attracting new industries. 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. St. Luke's General Hospital, St. Luke's is a general medical and surgical hospital built in 1942. It is based on Freshford Road and provides a range of local and regional services. Local services include medical, general surgery, obstetrics, gynaecology and paediatrics. St. Canice's Hospital, St. Canice's is a psychiatric hospital, opened in 1852 and located on the Dublin Road. 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 daycare facilities. It also provides paediatric physiotherapy, and occupational therapy. Kilcreene Orthopaedic Hospital, Kilcreene is the regional orthopaedic hospital outside the city in Kilcreene. Aut Even Hospital, Aut Even is a private hospital based outside Kilkenny City.

Sport

Athletics

The Kilkenny City Harriers Club is an athletics club formed in 1953. In 1989 Kilkenny was designated as a local sports centre and an all-weather running track and facilities designed to meet International Association of Athletics Federations standards was begun. In 1992 the new track was officially opened and renamed Scanlon Park after Patrick 'Rusty' Scanlon, who had been associated with the old complex both as an athlete and as a soccer player.

GAA

The County Board of Kilkenny GAA () has its head office and main grounds at

in the city. The Kilkenny branch of the Gaelic Athletic Association, GAA was founded in 1887. Hurling is the dominant sport in the city and county, and Kilkenny has one of the most successful county hurling teams. Secondary schools noted for their contribution to the game include St. Kieran's College and Christian Brothers School (CBS). Former students who have played for St. Kieran's include Eddie Keher, Brian Cody, Eoin Kelly (Tipperary hurler), Eoin Kelly, DJ Carey and Henry Shefflin. There are three GAA clubs based in the city: O'Loughlin Gaels GAA, Dicksboro GAA and James Stephens (GAA Club). St John's Parish is the catchment area for O'Loughlin Gaels. The parishes of St Mary's and St Canice's are associated with Dicksboro. St Patrick's parish is the catchment area for the James Stephens club. Gaelic football is also played in Kilkenny, although it is not as popular as it is in some other Irish counties. The Kilkenny footballers are the only county not to participate in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. They have previously taken gap years away from League football, and for example did not participate in 2013, after poor runs in 2012 and 2011.

Association football

Kilkenny City AFC played in the League of Ireland until January 2008. It entered the league as EMFA in 1986, but resigned its 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, youth and junior levels throughout the county. It is affiliated with the Leinster Football Association, Football Association of Ireland and the Schoolboy's Football Association of Ireland. In 2015 Kilkenny United W.F.C. were admitted to the Women's National League (Ireland), Women's National League, the top tier of women's football in Ireland.

Rugby

Kilkenny RFC founded in 1885, is a rugby union club based at Foulkstown on the Waterford Road.From th
official website
of Kilkenny RFC; see history & The club has provided a number players for the Ireland national team, including 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 Kilkenny Christian Brothers School (CBS).

Golf

Kilkenny Golf Club is an 18-hole championship parkland course within the city to the North West, close to the city centre. It has 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 an 18-hole all-weather Par 3 golf course in Pocoke. Mount Juliet Golf Course is a golf resort situated near Kilkenny in Thomastown, County Kilkenny, Thomastown. Jack Nicklaus designed the course, and it is considered to be one of Ireland's best courses.

Cycling

Kilkenny is home to two Cycling Ireland affiliated cycling clubs, Kilkenny Pedallers and Marble City Cyclers. Since 2016, Kilkenny has been the base for Rás na mBan, a women's cycling event which consists of six stages over five days to a total of over 400 km. Previous editions have featured stage finishes throughout County Kilkenny, including in Kilkenny city.

Ice hockey

Kilkenny City Storm is a mixed ice hockey team which was formed in 2007, and plays in the Irish Ice Hockey Association Recreational Division League. The team also has an inline hockey team, playing in the Northern Inline Hockey League and the Irish inline hockey (roller hockey) league.

Notable residents

In ''Kilkenny: The Landed Gentry & Aristocracy'', Art Kavanagh devotes a chapter each to eighteen of the most prominent Kilkenny families, chosen 'on a random geographical basis to ensure even distribution over the entire county', as follows: Agar of Gowran, Blunden baronets, Blunden of Castle Blunden, Jenkinstown Park, Bryan of Jenkinstown, Earl of Carrick (Ireland), Butler (Lords Carrick), Hubert Butler, Butler of Maidenhall, Viscount Mountgarret, Butler (Lords Mountgarret), Earl of Ormond (Ireland), Butler (Earls of Ormonde), Earl of Desart, Cuffe (Lords Desart), De Montmorency baronets, De Montmorency, Frederick Flood, Flood of Farmley, Langrishe baronets, Langrishe of Knocktopher, Mount Juliet Golf & Spa Hotel, Loftus of Mount Juliet, Mount Juliet Golf & Spa Hotel, McCalmont of Mount Juliet, Earl of Bessborough, Ponsonby (Earls of Bessborough), Power baronets, Power of Kilfane, Smithwick's, Smithwick of Kilcreene, Richard St George Mansergh-St George, St George of Freshford, County Kilkenny, Freshford and Viscount Castlecomer, Wandesforde of Catlecomer.

References

Footnotes

Notes

Sources

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External links

Kilkenny County Council
nbsp;– Official website of the local authority for Kilkenny
Kilkenny Tourism
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kilkenny (City) Kilkenny (city), Former boroughs in the Republic of Ireland Census towns in County Kilkenny Cities in the Republic of Ireland County towns in the Republic of Ireland County Kilkenny Leinster Towns and villages in County Kilkenny

Toponymy

History

Geography

Location and topography

Climate

Demographics

Population

Languages and religions

Administration

City status

Landmarks

Kilkenny Castle and city walls

St. Canice's Cathedral and tower

Bridges

Old Woollen Mills

Culture

Arts and festivals

Music

Theatre

Film

Media

Radio

Print media

Photography

Community

Awards

Twinned cities

Infrastructure

Education

Roads

Railway

Air

Industry

Cooperatives

Other

Hospitals

Sport

Athletics

GAA

Association football

Rugby

Golf

Cycling

Ice hockey

Notable residents

See also

References

Footnotes

Notes

Sources

Further reading

External links