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Kilkenny
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Kilkenny, , is the county seat 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. Kilkenny City is administered by a borough council and has a Mayor. The population of the city and its environs is approximately 25,000. The majority of the population of Kilkenny City live outside the borough boundary.
Originally founded by Aengus Osraige, Kilkenny was the ancient capital of the kingdom of Ossory.
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Kilkenny, , is the county seat 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. Kilkenny City is administered by a borough council and has a Mayor. The population of the city and its environs is approximately 25,000. The majority of the population of Kilkenny City live outside the borough boundary.
Originally founded by Aengus Osraige, Kilkenny was the ancient capital of the kingdom of Ossory. The town was established, then a city, in 1609 by royal charter. Kilkenny was the capital of Confederate Ireland between 1642 and 1649. The seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Ossory and the Church of Ireland Bishop of Cashel and Ossory are in Kilkenny.
Kilkenny is famous for its medieval building and castle. The town has been referred to as the "Marble City" for centuries. People from Kilkenny are often referred to as 'Cats'.
Kilkenny is 117km (73miles) from Dublin and 48km (30miles) north of the nearest other city Waterford.
City Status
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, until it surrendered during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. In 1710 St. Francis Abbey Brewery, the home of Smithwick's Ale, was founded by John Smithwick.
A 17th century description of city of Kilkenny lies in a manuscript called De Ossoriensi Dioescesi, which was a tract on the diocese of Ossary believed to be written by David Rothe the Roman Catholic Bishop of Ossary.
The manuscript transulates from latin as;
However, Kilkenny does not have a city council, as according to the Local Government Act 2001 there are only five cities in Ireland: Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Limerick and Galway. This move upset many of the inhabitants of Kilkenny and local politicians and so a provision was added to the act to allow for "the continued use of the description city in relation to Kilkenny, to the extent that that description was used before the establishment day".
Toponym
Kilkenny is the anglicised version of the Irish Cill Chainnigh, meaning Cell or Church of Cainneach or Canice. This probably relates to the church and round tower, now St. Canice's Cathedral, which was built in honour of St. Canice.
suggests a different origin to the name Kilkenny;
Ecclesiastical centre
The Annals of the Four Masters recorded entries for Cill Chainnigh in 1085 and again in 1114;
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. 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. 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.
Kingdom of Osraige
Kilkenny was the main town and dynastic capital of the Kingdom of Osraige one of the ancient kingdoms of Ireland. It gave its name to the area delineated by the rivers Suir and Nore, what is modern-day County Kilkenny. The round tower currently at St Canice's Cathedral is an above ground remnant of the early medieval period.
Norman capital
In early Norman times, up to the late 12th century, Kilkenny was the capital of the colony in Ireland. It also became the home of a preceptory of the Knights of St Thomas. By the late thirteenth century Kilkenny was under Norman-Irish control. The Norman presence in the town is still very evident. Kilkenny Castle was built on an outcrop of rock offering a natural vantage point at a prominent bend in the River Nore. This lies on the site of earlier wattle and mud structures and was the site of the fortifications of the Fitzpatricks and the O'Carrolls (AD 840), amongst others. A series of walls was built to protect the burghers. There were two townships Irishtown, and Englishtown. Irishtown had its charter from the bishops of Ossory and Englishtown which was established by William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke.
A account of the Black Death from a monastery in Cill Chainnigh, by Friar John Clyn in 1348The 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.
Irish Parliament
The Statutes of Kilkenny (AD 1366) got their name from the then Irish Parliament in Kilkenny. The statutes contained nineteen clauses, their general provision being to reduce the influence of the Irish on the Normans. They prohibited intermarriage as well as the customs and language of the Irish, which were considered to have had an adverse effect on the Norman settlers. The statutes also attempted to outlaw Brehon Laws.
Civil War
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. On 3 May the Dáil was informed that 18 men had been killed in the fighting in Kilkenny. In a bid to avoid an all-out civil war, both sides agreed to a truce on May 3, 1922.
Geography
- Also see: Geography of Ireland
Kilkenny is 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.
Environment
Climate
Weatherwise, Kilkenny is generally representative of wide river valleys in the region with low temperatures on cloudless nights. Overall, Kilkenny has a mild, but changeable, oceanic climate with few extremes. Kilkenny is significant in that it records some of the highest summer and lowest winter temperatures in Ireland.
The highest air temperature ever recorded in Ireland, , was at Kilkenny Castle on 26 June 1887. The maximum daily rainfall recorded at Kilkenny station was 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 on 2 August 1995. The warmest recorded air temperature was at Kilkenny Castle, County Kilkenny on 26 June 1887. Extremes recorded at the Kilkenny Met Station include the Highest Air Temperature of on 29 June 1976, the Lowest Air Temperature of on 2 January 1979 and the Lowest Ground Temperature of on 12 January 1982.
Physical
Thes elevation is 60 m (196 ft) above mean sea level. The area of Kilkenny is 3.74 km² making it the smallest city in the Republic of Ireland and although all citys 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 to the west.
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.
Kikenny is in the Ireland East constituency of the European Parliament and elects 3 MEPs.
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.
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 Smithwicks Cat Laughs Comedy festival every June.
The Kilkenny Rhythm and Roots Festival, http://www.kilkennyroots.com, is held on the first weekend in May every year and features the best in Americana/Bluegrass/Folk/Rockabilly/AltCountry in various venues throughout the city.
Music
- Also see: Music of Ireland
Kilkenny has a rich and vibrant music scene. The Kilkenny Arts Festival held every August embraces musical acts of all ages and styles.
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.Graiguenamanagh is also the hometown of Scuba Dice a local pop punk band which entered You're A Star in 2006 and came fourth in the competition they also have a loyal local following which continue to support them. Other local acts include; Saving J, the Kilkennys and Caboose.
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 trad 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.
Architecture
- Also see: Architecture of Ireland
The city is famous for its many medieval buildings and has been referred to as the "Marble City" for centuries. 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. An exposed rock face can still be seen from the road. Kilkenny Marble or Black Marble was exported to all corners of the British Empire.
The city is dominated by both Kilkenny Castle and Saint Canice's Cathedral, the latter built beside an excellent example of a well-preserved early Christian Round Tower. The Church of Ireland Cathedral is named after Saint Canice, who also gave his name to the town (Cill Chainnigh is Irish for "Church of Canice"). Also of note is the Dominican 'Black Abbey', founded in 1225, lying just off Parliament Street.
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.
St. Canice's Cathedral
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 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 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.
Beside the cathedral stands the 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 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. List of abbeys and priories in County Kilkenny.
Infrastructure
Railway
- Also see Rail transport in Ireland
Kilkenny railway station opened on 12 May 1848. 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
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.
Kilkenny is also home to the head offices of Glanbia foods, one of the world's top dairy companies. Glanbia was formed by the merger of two dairy businesses: Avonmore and Waterford foods, it employs a total of around 4,000 people and has interests in Ireland, Britain and the USA.
Recent developments in Kilkenny have attracted further investment from local businesses as well as attracting new industry. Leggetsrath Business Park was opened in 2003. There are two retail warehouse parks in Kilkenny; Kilkenny Retail Park and Ormonde Retail Park. Hebron Business Park was constructed in 2002 and is a privately owned extension to the Hebron Industrial Estate, the main centre for industry in Kilkenny.
Hospitals
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.
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 two noted schools, both of which are historically important. One is the Church of Ireland Kilkenny College, founded in 1538 and 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, founded in 1782, was the first Roman Catholic secondary school in Ireland and was created after Grattan's Parliament caused some relaxation of the Penal Laws in the country. The city also has a number of other second level schools, including 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. 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. 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 boy's school in the city, the Christian Brothers School (CBS).
Sport
- See also Sport in Ireland
GAA
- Main article Kilkenny GAA
County Kilkenny's chief claim to sporting fame lies in the ancient Irish game of hurling, and the city is one of the centres of hurling in the county. The Kilkenny county team have won the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 31 times. Kilkenny are the current All-Ireland champions, having overcome Waterford in the 2008 All-Ireland Championship final to make it 3 consecutive All-Ireland wins at senior level.
Kilkenny is also home to prominent hurling secondary schools St. Kieran's College and Christian Brothers School (CBS). Many famous current and past players have played for St. Kieran's, including Eddie Keher, Brian Cody, Eoin Kelly and DJ Carey.
As well as the famous inter-county team, Kilkenny has many local hurling clubs including O'Loughlin Gaels, James Stephens and the 2007 All-Ireland club champions, Ballyhale Shamrocks.
Gaelic football is also played in Kilkenny, although it is not as popular as it is in most Irish counties. It lags well behind the other traditional GAA game of hurling. Indeed, Kilkenny GAA's county football team is not considered good enough at present to compete in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, although they have recently been promoted to play in Division Four of the National Football League.
Soccer
Kilkenny City AFC played in the 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.
The was formed in 2002 with 10 teams in one division. Since then the league has gone from strength to strength and today has 34 teams competing in 3 divisions. At the end of each season all clubs compete for the Floodlit Cup and the Floodlit Shield. All profits go to the O’Neill Centre/Enable Ireland in Kilkenny.
Rugby
Kilkenny Rugby Football Club has a very strong and successful Rugby Union club based at Foulkstown on the Waterford Road. The club has provided many players for the Ireland team including Ernie Ridgeway, Bill Tector, Jack Notley, Willie Duggan, Ned Byrne, Ronan Kearney and Gary Halpin. Ian Dowling plays for the Munster Rugby team and is a two time winner of the European Rugby Cup in 2006 and 2008.
Rugby is played at schools level by Kilkenny College and the Christian Brothers School (CBS).
Golf
Kilkenny Golf Club is within the city to the North West, the course is mostly flat terrain with an abundance of trees.
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.
Community
Media
The Kilkenny Voice and Kilkenny People are local papers. 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
KCLR 96FM is an independent local radio station licensed on a regional franchise basis which broadcasts to Carlow and Kilkenny. It began broadcasting in May 2004. Radio Kilkenny franchise was redrawn at end of contract and given to KCLR 96FM.
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".
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!
Twinned cities
Moret-sur-Loing
See also
Footnotes
External links
- Wikitravel has a Kilkenny guide.
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www.kilkennyroots.com - Website for Kilkenny Rhythm and Roots Festival.
http://www.kilkennyroots.com
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