Kilkenny is the anglicised version of the IrishCill Chainnigh, meaningCell/Church ofCainneach orCanice.[2] This relates to a church built in honour ofSt. Canice, anUlsterman, on the hill now containingSt. Canice's Cathedral and theround tower. This seems to be the first major settlement. The early Christian origin of the round tower suggests an early ecclesiastical foundation at Kilkenny.[8]
TheAnnals of the Four Masters recorded Kilkenny in 1085.[10] Prior to this time the early 6th-century territory was known asOsraighe, referring to the whole district or the capital. TheFour Masters entry was the first instance where the capital was calledCeall-Cainnigh (modernised Kilkenny).[11] Cill Chainnigh was a major monastic centre from at least the eighth century. There is no mention ofCill Chainnigh in the lives ofCainnech of Aghaboe,Ciarán of Saighir or any of the earlyannals of Ireland suggesting that Cill Chainnigh was not of ancient civil importance.[10]
Kilkenny's foundation began with an early 6th-century ecclesiastical settlement, with a church built in honour ofSt. Canice. NowSt. Canice's Cathedral, this was a major monastic centre from at least the 8th century. TheAnnals of the Four Masters recorded the first referenceCill Chainnigh in 1085. Prehistoric activity has been recorded, suggesting intermittent settlement activity in the area in theMesolithic andBronze Age. 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 isLiber Primus Kilkenniensis.
TheKings of Ossory, O'Carrolls and Fitzpatricks, had residence around Cill Chainnigh. The seat of the diocese ofKingdom of Osraige was moved fromAghaboe to Cill Chainnigh. Following theNorman invasion of Ireland,Richard Strongbow, asLord of Leinster, established a castle near modern-dayKilkenny Castle.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 underNorman-Irish control. The original ecclesiastical centre at St. Canice's Cathedral became known asIrishtown 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 theBishop of Ossory,Richard de Ledrede, the trial involved DameAlice de Kyteler and her servantPetronella de Meath.[12] 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.[13] 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.
Kilkenny is situated in the Nore Valley on both banks of theRiver Nore, at the centre ofCounty Kilkenny in theprovince ofLeinster in the south-east ofIreland. It is 117 kilometres (73 mi) away the capitalDublin and 48 kilometres (30 mi) north from the nearest cityWaterford.Wexford is 80 kilometres (50 mi) to the south-east andLimerick is 122 kilometres (76 mi) to the west. The elevation is 60 metres (200 ft) above mean sea level. The area of Kilkenny borough is 3.74 square kilometres (1.44 sq mi). The first edition of the Ordnance Survey map for Kilkenny was in 1837 and is held by the County Library.
The climate of Kilkenny, like theclimate of Ireland, is a changeableoceanic climate with few extremes. It is defined as atemperateoceanic climate, orCfb on theKöppen climate classification system. Kilkenny lies in plantHardiness zone 9. At the centre of the county, Kilkenny is in a sheltered location, 66 kilometres (41 mi) inland and is surrounded by hills over 200 metres (660 ft), which ensures that it is not awindy location.[18] The highest wind gust of77 knots, from a south-west direction, was recorded on12 January 1974.[19]
Kilkenny is generally representative of wide river valleys in the region with low temperatures on cloudless nights,[19] 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 33.3 °C (91.9 °F), atKilkenny Castle on26 June 1887.[20]
TheMet Éireann KilkennyWeather Observing Station,2 km north-west of the centre of Kilkenny, on the Duningstown Road, opened inMay 1957,[19] and observations ceased inApril 2008.[18] A climatological station is currently in operation within1 km of the old site, and as ofMarch 2010, was providing live weather data to the general public and climate data toMet Éireann.[18] Extremes recorded at the station include the highest airtemperature of 31.5 °C (88.7 °F) on29 June 1976, the lowest air temperature of −14.1 °C (6.6 °F) on2 January 1979 and the lowest ground temperature of −18.1 °C (−0.6 °F) on12 January 1982.[19]
The warmest and sunniest month on record in Kilkenny wasAugust 1995 with a total of274.9 hourssunshine and very high temperatures throughout.[19] The maximum daily sunshine was16.3 hours on18 June 1978.[19] The overall trend in temperatures has been on the rise with a marked increase from 1988 onwards.[21] Annual temperatures are running over0.5 degrees or0.9°F above 20th century levels.[21]
The maximum dailyrainfall recorded at Kilkenny station was 66.4 millimetres (2.61 in) on17 July 1983.[19] The late 1950s and early 1960s were wet but rainfall had been steady throughout the century.[21] 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.[21]
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.[30]
Changes as of the 2006 census, by theCentral 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%.[31] 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.[32]
Kilkenny ismultilingual but predominantlyEnglish-speaking, withIrish being the second most commonly spoken language.[33] 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 adherents of the Church of Ireland, Presbyterian, Methodist, Jewish and other religious traditions living in Kilkenny.[34]
Kilkenny is now administered as part ofCounty Kilkenny. Thelocal electoral area of Kilkenny contains theelectoral divisions of Dunmore, Kilkenny No. 1 Urban, Kilkenny No. 2 Urban, Kilkenny Rural and St. Canice, and elects 7 of the 24 members ofKilkenny County Council. This area is defined as the Municipal District of Kilkenny City.[35]Local government 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 theLocal Government Act 2001.
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 aroyal charter as a city in 1609 byJames I of England and Ireland. This was acounty corporate which included the borough ofIrishtown, which fell within the city. The borough corporation established under theMunicipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840 is a successor to both the corporation established under this charter and of the borough of Irishtown. In 1899, under theLocal Government (Ireland) Act 1898, the area became anurban district, but its council retained the style of a borough corporation.[36] In 2002, under the Local Government Act 2001, Kilkenny Borough Corporation became a borough council.[37] On 1 June 2014, under theLocal Government Reform Act 2014, the borough council was dissolved and administration of the town was amalgamated with Kilkenny County Council.[38][39]
Charter of KingJames I of England from 1609 which raised Kilkenny to a city with a mayor or mayors[a]
While the present-day settlement is administered as amunicipal district, the appellation "city" is an emotive subject in Kilkenny.[42] Historically,city status in the United Kingdom, and before that in theKingdom of Ireland, was a ceremonial designation awarded by thecrown. It carried more prestige than the alternative municipal titles "borough" or "town", but gave no additional legal powers (the qualifying factor was the presence of acathedral, resulting in some very small cities such asWells, with a population 12,000 as of 2018 andSt Davids, with a population of 1,841 as of 2011). Acity 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 theLocal Government Act 2001, as amended by theLocal Government Reform Act 2014.
In 2002, under the Local Government Act 2001, the former fivecounty 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, localTDsPhil Hogan andJohn McGuinness successfully lobbied that Kilkenny could continue to be referred to as a "city". Accordingly, a clause was added to the 2001 bill:
the continued use of the description city in relation to Kilkenny, to the extent that that description was used before the establishment day.
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".[43]
As of 2014, Kilkenny does not have an administration separate from the county. However, underLocal Government Reform Act 2014, the municipal district is distinctly acknowledged as "the Municipal District of Kilkenny City".[44]
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 bothKilkenny Castle andSt. 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.Rothe House on Parliament Street is an example of an Elizabethan merchant townhouse located on the only completely survivingburgage plot 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.[45]Kilkenny marble was used for the plinth of the new tomb ofRichard III inLeicester Cathedral in England.[46]
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.[47]
Kilkenny CastleThe Black Freren Gate, part of the medieval city walls
Kilkenny Castle in Kilkenny city was the seat of the Butler family. (Formerly the family name was FitzWalter.) The castle was sold to the local Castle Restoration Committee in the middle of the 20th century for£50. Shortly afterwards it was handed over to the State, and has since been refurbished and is open to visitors. Part of the 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 byWilliam 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.[48] 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.[49] A wall also runs through the brewery's grounds besideSt. 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.[50]
St Canice's Cathedral, 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.[51]
Cruciform, the cathedral was built in theEarly English, or English Gothic, style ofarchitecture, oflimestone, with a low central tower supported on black marble columns. The exterior walls, apart from the gables, areembattled, and there are two smallspires 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. 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.[8]
Kilkenny has four main bridges —Green's Bridge, John's Bridge, the Ossory Bridge and the St Francis Bridge — and two pedestrian/cycle bridges — theLady Desart Bridge and the Ossory Pedestrian Bridge. Each of the bridges spans theRiver Nore.
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.[52] 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 ofGeorge Semple (c. 1700–82).[52]
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 140 ft (43 m) 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 2 ft 6 in (0.76 m) to 2 ft (0.61 m) deep. The traverse deck beams are each 2 ft (0.61 m) 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,[53] and forms part of theKilkenny Central Access Scheme. The scheme and the proposed building of the new bridge was the subject of some debate and protest in Kilkenny in 2014.[54]
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.
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 90,000 square feet (8,400 m2) and has more than a mile of river frontage onto the Nore.[55] Among its many features is a freestanding red brick chimney, erected in 1905.[56] An architectural salvage and antique yard, Kilkenny Architectural Salvage, is currently located on the site.[55]
Kilkenny is a popular tourist destination in theSouth-East Region of Ireland.[57] 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.[citation needed]
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.[59]
Kilkenny hosts the annualCat Laughs comedy festival every June bank holiday week.
TheKilkenny 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, 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.[60] In November, Kilkenny stages Kilkenomics, the world's first economics and comedy festival.[61]Venues such as the Watergate Theatre host a range of home-produced and touring performances in dance, music and theatre.
St Canice's Cathedral sometimes hosts classical musicians and choirs. The Kilkenny Choir and a gospel choir have performed in churches throughout the town. Groups likeEx Cathedra 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.[citation needed]
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 IrishRebellion of 1641 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 theEnglish Civil War, DublinRoyalists were forced to flee the city. Many of them went to Kilkenny to join aconfederacy 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.[65]
The Watergate Theatre in Kilkenny is a centre for the performing and visual arts.[66] 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.[67]
Award-winning animated studioCartoon Saloon, as well as the film production companiesYoung Irish Film Makers and Mycrofilms, are all based in Kilkenny.[68] Kilkenny has also hosted the Subtitle European Film Festival each November since 2012.[69]
KCLR radio station serves countiesCarlow andKilkenny.[70] 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 localradio station. As of 2009, KCLR had 60% weekly reach and 33% weekday share.[71]KCLR 96FM began broadcasting in May 2004 replacing Radio Kilkenny.
Radio Kilkenny, which began as a pirate station Kilkenny Community Radio,[72] 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 theBroadcasting Commission of Ireland changed the station's franchise area to include Carlow. The station ceased broadcasting at 2:10 a.m. on 1 January 2004.[73]
Beat 102-103 is a regional youth radio station broadcasting across the South East of Ireland. It serves a population of about 450,000, and in August 2006 it had a 49% share of the southeast market.
Newspapers have been produced in Kilkenny for centuries. Longstanding examples includeFinns Leinster Journal (later theKilkenny Journal) from 1767 to 1965, theKilkenny People from 1916 to 1992, and theKilkenny Moderator from 1814 to 1916.[74] Other papers included theLeinster Independent from 1872; theKilkenny Chronicle from 1813; theKilkenny Courier;Tipperary Examiner from 1858; theKilkenny Express and theWexford Express from 1875;The Post (a sister paper toKilkenny People) from 1926; theKilkenny Standard from 1979, theKilkenny People in 1895,The Kilkenny Voice (2005–2008) and also theKilkenny Advertiser.[citation needed]
Finn's Leinster Journal (1767–1801) was founded by Edmund Finn in 1767. It was published in Kilkenny but some content was relevant to Carlow. It was continued asLeinster Journal (1801–1830) and theKilkenny Journal from 1832.[75]
TheModerator (1814–1822) changed its name toKilkenny Moderator 1822–1919 and reverted toModerator from 1920 to 1925.
The modernKilkenny People was first published in 1895. It is a weekly paper. According to theAudit Bureau of Circulations, theKilkenny People had an average weeklycirculation of 17,578 for the first six months of 2006.[76] It is printed by theKilkenny People Group at Purcellsinch and the group also publishes a number of other regional papers.[77]
Photographic Collections of Kilkenny include theLawrence Collection c. 1900, theCrawford Collection c. 1940, theValentine Collection c. 1950, theBolton Street Students' Survey c. 1970, theIndustrial Archaeologica Survey c. 1989, theCarrigan Collection and theSt. John's Parish Collection, as well as many historical postcards.[78]
Kilkenny was named as the Academy of Urbanism European Great Town for 2008.[79] 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 theIrish Tidy Towns Competition in 1985.[80]
Kilkenny is the home of many noted secondary schools, including the Church of IrelandKilkenny College, founded in 1538. This is one of the oldest schools in the country, and its past pupils includeJonathan Swift andGeorge 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 (nowCounty Hall) from 1696–1700, where Jonathan Swift was a predecessor.
St. Kieran's College was founded in 1782 and was the first Roman Catholic secondary school in Ireland. It was created afterGrattan's Parliament which permitted some relaxation of thePenal 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, includingLoreto 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.[84] 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.[85]
Kilkenny Airport is only used for private flying. The nearest airports with scheduled services areDublin Airport andCork Airport, which are both in the region of 150 km away.
The city has a history ofbrewing and was home toSt. 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 formDiageo, 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 wasKilkenny ale, a close relation of Smithwick's ale. Some 80% of the beer produced at the brewery wasBudweiser, 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.[87]
Kilkenny is also home to the head offices ofGlanbia, one of the world's top dairy companies. Glanbia was formed by themerger of two dairy businesses: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 theAvonmore 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.[88]
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 withUnigate Limited support, formed the Avonmore Creameries Federation.[89] According to the Glanbia Collections in Kilkenny Archives atSt Kieran's College, Kilkenny, the Avonmore Coop brand was created through the merger of several dozen village creameries throughout County Kilkenny.[90] 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 inBallyragget,County Kilkenny, a plant they claimed was the biggest food processing facility in Europe at that time. Today that giant global entity is known asGlanbia.[91] Glanbia has its origins in the Irish agricultural co-operative movement that evolved over the last century, ever since first Irish Co-operative founded byHorace Plunkett in 1889. TodayGlanbia has operations in 34 countries[92] and is exporting to more than 100 countries worldwide. Glanbia is ranked by revenue (2010 figures) in the top 100 Cooperatives,[93] No 98 in the world and No 1 in Ireland by theInternational Co-operative Alliance,[94] 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.[citation needed]
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 in Kilkenny include three public hospitals and one private hospital.[95]St. Luke's is a general medical and surgical hospital built in 1942.[96] 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 is a psychiatric hospital, opened in 1852 and located on the Dublin Road.[97] 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 is the regional orthopaedic hospital outside the city in Kilcreene.Aut Even is a private hospital based outside Kilkenny City.[98]
The Kilkenny City Harriers Club is an athletics club formed in 1953.[99] In 1989 Kilkenny was designated as a local sports centre and an all-weather running track and facilities designed to meetInternational Association of Athletics Federations standards was begun.[99] 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.[99]
The County Board ofKilkenny GAA (Irish:Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Coiste Cill Channaigh) has its head office and main grounds atNowlan Park in the city. The Kilkenny branch of theGAA 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 includeSt. Kieran's College and Christian Brothers School (CBS).[citation needed] Former students who have played for St. Kieran's includeEddie Keher,Brian Cody,Eoin Kelly,DJ Carey andHenry Shefflin. There are three GAA clubs based in the city:O'Loughlin Gaels GAA,Dicksboro GAA andJames 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.[citation needed]
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 theAll-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.[citation needed]
Kilkenny City AFC played in theLeague 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.[citation needed]
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.
Kilkenny is home to twoCycling Ireland affiliated cycling clubs, Kilkenny Pedallers and Marble City Cyclers.[citation needed] Since 2016, Kilkenny has been the base forRás na mBan, a women's cycling event which consists of six stages over five days to a total of over 400 km.[103][104] Previous editions have featured stage finishes throughout County Kilkenny, including in Kilkenny city.[citation needed]
Kilkenny City Storm is a mixedice hockey team which was formed in 2007,[105] and plays in theIrish Ice Hockey Association Recreational Division League.[106] The team also has aninline hockey team, playing in the Northern Inline Hockey League and the Irish inline hockey (roller hockey) league.
^This mayor or these mayors is/are set "to have a sword carried before him or them within the said city, and the county of the said city, at their will and pleasure, in such manner and form as is used in any other city or cities before any Mayor or Mayors within the said Kingdom of Ireland."[40][41]
^Wright, Thomas, ed. A Contemporary Narrative of the Proceedings Against Dame Alice Kyteler, Prosecuted for Sorcery in 1324, by Richard de Ledrede, Bishop of Ossory. London: The Camden Society, 1843.
^De Ledrede, Richard (1842).A Contemporary Narrative of the Proceedings Against Dame Alice Kyteler, Prosecuted for Sorcery in 1324. Parliament Street, London: John Bowyer Nichols and Son.
^Lee, JJ (1981). "On the accuracy of thePre-famine Irish censuses". In Goldstrom, J. M.; Clarkson, L. A. (eds.).Irish Population, Economy, and Society: Essays in Honour of the Late K. H. Connell. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press.
^County of Kilkenny Local Electoral Areas and Municipal Districts Order 2018 (S.I. No. 621 of 2018). Signed on 19 December 2018. Statutory Instrument of theGovernment of Ireland. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved fromIrish Statute Book on 11 May 2019.
^Prim, John G. A. (1870). "The Corporation Insignia and Olden Civic State of Kilkenny".The Journal of the Royal Historical and Archaeological Association of Ireland. Fourth Series.1 (1):281–282.JSTOR25506583.
^Hayes-McCoy, G. A. (1960). "The Galway Sword and Mace".Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society.29 (1/2): 19.JSTOR25550099.
^Ceri Norman (2018).Faerie Stones: An Exploration of the Folklore and Faeries Associated with Stones & Crystals. John Hunt Publishing.Kilkenny was once known as 'The Marble City' as slabs of Kilkenny Marble were used to line the city streets and in the construction of several local buildings
^"Set".set.ie.Archived from the original on 15 June 2020. Retrieved15 June 2020.
^"The inaugural Kilkenny Film Festival will be here in December".kilkennypeople.ie. Kilkenny People. 24 October 2016.Archived from the original on 4 September 2019. Retrieved4 September 2019.Local studio Young Irish Film Makers have been been a key component of film production and training locally [..and..] Cartoon Saloon have gone from the small screen to Hollywood
^Ireland, CIB-Citizens Information."Find an Address".Findaddress.citizensinformation.ie.Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved23 September 2017.
Chadwyck-Healey, Charles (1856).Notes and Queries. University of Michigan: Oxford University Press.Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved6 October 2020.
Corcoran, Colm.The Life and Times of Kilkenny's Citizens.
Cody, Brian (3 October 2009).Cody. Kilkenny: Folens.
Edwards, David (2000).The Ormond Lordship in County Kilkenny, 1515–1642: The Rise and Fall of Butler Feudal Power. Four Courts Press.ISBN1-85182-578-9.
Fry, Plantagenet Somerset (1991).A History of Ireland: From the Earliest Times to 1922. Routledge.ISBN0-415-04888-5.
Gale, Thompson (2004). "The Statutes of Kilkenny".Encyclopedia of Irish History and Culture. 1st ed.
Muldoon, James (2000). "Medieval Notions of Difference". In Lang, Berel (ed.).Race and Racism in Theory and Practice. Rowman & Littlefield.ISBN0-8476-9693-6.
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