County Kilkenny ( gle, Contae Chill Chainnigh) is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. It is in the

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

Leinster Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of ...

and is part of the South-East Region. It is named after the

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

of Kilkenny.

Kilkenny County Council Kilkenny County Council ( ga, Comhairle Chontae Chill Chainnigh) is the authority responsible for local government in County Kilkenny, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible f ...

is the

local authority Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...

for the county. As of the 2022 census the population of the county was just over 100,000. The county was based on the historic Gaelic 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 ...

(''Osraighe''), which was coterminous with the

Diocese of Ossory The Bishop of Ossory () is an episcopal title which takes its name after the ancient of Kingdom of Ossory in the Province of Leinster, Ireland. In the Roman Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in the Church of Ireland it has been ...

Geography and subdivisions

Kilkenny is the 16th-largest of Ireland's 32 counties by area, and the 21st largest in terms of population. It is the third-largest of Leinster's 12 counties in size, the seventh-largest in terms of population, and has a population density of 48 people per km2. Kilkenny borders five counties -

Tipperary Tipperary is the name of: Places *County Tipperary, a county in Ireland **North Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Nenagh **South Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Clonmel *Tipperary (town), County Tipperary's na ...

to the west,

Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...

to the south, Carlow and

Wexford Wexford () is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the island of Ireland. The town is linked to Dublin by the M11/N11 ...

to the east, and

Laois County Laois ( ; gle, Contae Laoise) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 to 1922. The modern county takes its name from Loígis, a medi ...

to the north. Kilkenny city is the county's seat of local government and largest settlement, and is situated on the River Nore in the centre of the county. Kilkenny city is approximately from

, from

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

and from Cork.

Physical geography

The

River Nore The River Nore ( ga, An Fheoir ) is one of the principal rivers (along with the River Suir and River Barrow) in the South-East Region of Ireland. The river drains approximately of Leinster and Munster, that encompasses parts of three counti ...

flows through the county and the

River Suir The River Suir ( ; ga, an tSiúr or ''Abhainn na Siúire'' ) is a river in Ireland that flows into the Atlantic Ocean through Waterford after a distance of . The catchment area of the Suir is 3,610 km2.

forms the border with County Waterford.

Brandon Hill Brandon Hill () is the highest mountain in County Kilkenny, Ireland, with an elevation of and prominence at . The South Leinster Way, a long-distance trail, meandering through the Barrow Valley and traverses Brandon Hill. The village of ...

is the highest point with an

elevation The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § Ver ...

of . Most of the county has a hilly surface of moderate elevation with uplands in the north-east, the north-west and the South of the county; the middle is lower by comparison. The county is located at and has an area of

The county extends from 52 degrees 14 minutes to 52 degrees 52 minutes north latitude, and from 6 degrees 56 minutes to 7 degrees 37 minutes west longitude. The north–south length of the county is ; and its greatest breadth from east to west, is about and its narrowest part is about from where it widens irregularly towards the north. Kilkenny extends southward from

to the valley of the Suir and eastward from the Munster–

border to the

River Barrow The Barrow ( ga, An Bhearú) is a river in Ireland. It is one of The Three Sisters; the other two being the River Suir and the River Nore. The Barrow is the longest of the three rivers, and at 192 km (120 mi), the second-longest ri ...

. The

bisects the county and the

and

are natural boundaries to the east and south of the county. County Kilkenny is bordered by

, Carlow,

and

Rivers

The main rivers in County Kilkenny, called the Three Sisters, are the Nore, Barrow and

Suir The River Suir ( ; ga, an tSiúr or ''Abhainn na Siúire'' ) is a river in Ireland that flows into the Atlantic Ocean through Waterford after a distance of . The catchment area of the Suir is 3,610 km2.

. The River Nore bisects the county and flows through

Ballyragget Ballyragget () is a small town on the river Nore in the north of County Kilkenny in Ireland. Ballyragget is on the N77 north of Kilkenny. As of the 2016 census, it had a population of 1,082 people. Toponymy The name 'Ragget' is Anglo-Norm ...

, Kilkenny City and the villages of Bennettsbridge,

Thomastown Thomastown (), historically known as Grennan, is a town in County Kilkenny in the province of Leinster in the south-east of Ireland. It is a market town along a stretch of the River Nore which is known for its salmon and trout, with a number o ...

and Inistioge. The River Suir forms the border between County Waterford and County Kilkenny. River Barrow forms a boundary to the east of the county. Kilkenny river

Although County Kilkenny lies inland it has access to the sea via Belview Port, Port of Waterford, on the Suir Estuary and via New Ross on the

. On the River Barrow, from the villages of

Goresbridge Goresbridge () is a small village located in the east of County Kilkenny, in the province of Leinster, Ireland. Goresbridge is named after a 1756 bridge, built by Colonel Ralph Gore, which provides a crossing of the River Barrow between County ...

and

Graiguenamanagh Graiguenamanagh or Graignamanagh () is a town on the River Barrow in County Kilkenny, Ireland. Part of the settlement, known as Tinnahinch, is on the County Carlow side of the river, and Carlow County Council refers to the whole village as "Grai ...

, there is a navigable river with traditional barges to the River Shannon or to

Dublin Bay Dublin Bay ( ga, Cuan Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a C-shaped inlet of the Irish Sea on the east coast of Ireland. The bay is about 10 kilometres wide along its north–south base, and 7 km in length to its apex at the centre of the city of Dub ...

. Kilkenny's river network helps drain the land giving the county a highly fertile lower central plain. Kings River and the Dinan are used for canoeing and kayaking as they contain stretches of peaceful waterways and a number of weirs and rapids. The wide and meandering Rivers Nore and Barrow are used for angling, boating and water sports.

Protected areas

Special Areas of Conservation, under the European Union

Habitats Directive The Habitats Directive (more formally known as Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora) is a directive adopted by the European Community in 1992 as a response to the Berne Convention. The E ...

, in County Kilkenny includes Hugginstown Fen Hugginstown Fen (SAC IE0000404)
Site Synopsis
- National Parks and Wildlife Service,

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...

. Natura 2000
data set
) - European Environment Agency. south-west of

Ballyhale Ballyhale () is a village in the south east of Ireland. Located in the south of County Kilkenny, south of the city of Kilkenny and roughly halfway to Waterford city. The sport of hurling is popular in the area, and the local Gaelic Athletic ...

, The Loughans The Loughans (SAC IE0000407)
Site Synopsis
- National Parks and Wildlife Service,

. Natura 2000
data set
) - European Environment Agency. near

Urlingford Urlingford () is a town, as well as a Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish within the barony of Galmoy. It is located in the north west of County Kilkenny, along the boundary with County Tipperary, in Leinster, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. A ...

Cullahill Mountain Cullahill Mountain () is listed as a marilyn hill and a Special Area of Conservation in County Laois, Ireland. Cullahill with an elevation of gives its name to the local townland. It is also called Knockmannon Hill. Cullahill Mountain takes ...

(SAC IE0000831)
Site Synopsis

Conservation Plan
and maps
123
) - National Parks and Wildlife Service,

. Natura 2000
data set
) - European Environment Agency. on the Castlecomer Plateau near Johnstown,

Spahill and Clomantagh Hill Spahill and Clomantagh Hill is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) in County Kilkenny in the Republic of Ireland. The SAC is in the parish of Balleen and includes the townlands of Clomantagh (Mt Garrett) and Spahill, in Irish Spahill is ''Cnoc ...

(SAC IE0000849)
Site Synopsis
- National Parks and Wildlife Service,

. Natura 2000
data set
) - European Environment Agency. which form part of an escarpment which links the Slieveardagh Hills with the Castlecomer Plateau, Galmoy Fen Galmoy Fen (SAC IE0001858)
Site Synopsis
- National Parks and Wildlife Service,

. Natura 2000
data set
) - European Environment Agency. north of Johnstown, Lower

Lower River Suir (SAC IE0002137)
Site Synopsis
- National Parks and Wildlife Service,

. Natura 2000
data set
) - European Environment Agency. south of

Thurles Thurles (; ''Durlas Éile'') is a town in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is located in the civil parish of the same name in the barony of Eliogarty and in the ecclesiastical parish of Thurles. The cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Arc ...

, the freshwater stretches of the Barrow/

River Barrow and River Nore (IE0002162)
Site Synopsis
- National Parks and Wildlife Service,

. Natura 2000
data set
) - European Environment Agency. and

Thomastown Quarry Thomastown (), historically known as Grennan, is a town in County Kilkenny in the province of Leinster in the south-east of Ireland. It is a market town along a stretch of the River Nore which is known for its salmon and trout, with a number of ...

, near

(SAC IE0002252)
Site Synopsis
- National Parks and Wildlife Service,

Natura 2000 data set
- European Environment Agency. In 2005 Coan Bogs was defined as a ''Natural Heritage Area'' under section 18 of the Wildlife Act 2000. The

blanket bog Blanket bog or blanket mire, also known as featherbed bog, is an area of peatland, forming where there is a climate of high rainfall and a low level of evapotranspiration, allowing peat to develop not only in wet hollows but over large expanses o ...

consists of two small areas of upland blanket bog located near

Castlecomer Castlecomer (Irish: ''Caislean an Chumai'' meaning "the castle at the confluence of the waters") is a town in the north of County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is positioned at the meeting of N78 and R694 roads about north of Kilkenny city. At th ...

in the townlands of Coan East and Smithstown. Bedrock geology for both areas is shale overlain locally by glacial till and blanket bog vegetation is well developed. Fiddown Island is a 62.6 ha state-owned ''Nature Reserve'' established in 1988. Near

Fiddown Fiddown () is a small village in Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the south of the county just off the N24 road, 58 kilometres from Kilkenny city. The village is on the banks of the River Suir, near the border with County Waterford to which ...

along the

it consists of a long narrow island of marsh/woodland covered in willow scrub and bordered by reed swamps - it is the only known site of its type in Ireland.

Wildlife

The wildlife of County Kilkenny is part of the county's biodiversity and is an environmental, economic, amenity and resource.

Fauna Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is ''funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as ''Biota (ecology ...

of County Kilkenny includes

hedgehogs A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family (biology), family Erinaceidae. There are seventeen species of hedgehog in five genus, genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in Ne ...

otters Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes weas ...

badgers Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae (which also includes the otters, wolverines, martens, minks, polecats, weasels, and ferrets). Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united by the ...

, red foxes, and bats such as Leisler's bat,

Daubenton's bat Daubenton's bat or Daubenton's myotis (''Myotis daubentonii'') is a Eurasian bat with rather short ears. It ranges from Ireland to Japan (Hokkaido) and is considered to be increasing its numbers in many areas. This bat was first described in 18 ...

, the

brown long-eared bat The brown long-eared bat or common long-eared bat (''Plecotus auritus'') is a small Eurasian insectivorous bat. It has distinctive ears, long and with a distinctive fold. It is extremely similar to the much rarer grey long-eared bat which was o ...

and the

common pipistrelle The common pipistrelle (''Pipistrellus pipistrellus'') is a small pipistrelle microbat whose very large range extends across most of Europe, North Africa, South Asia, and may extend into Korea. It is one of the most common bat species in the Brit ...

. There is also

sika deer The sika deer (''Cervus nippon''), also known as the Northern spotted deer or the Japanese deer, is a species of deer native to much of East Asia and introduced to other parts of the world. Previously found from northern Vietnam in the south to ...

fallow deer ''Dama'' is a genus of deer in the subfamily Cervinae, commonly referred to as fallow deer. Name The name fallow is derived from the deer's pale brown colour. The Latin word ''dāma'' or ''damma'', used for roe deer, gazelles, and antelopes ...

stoat The stoat (''Mustela erminea''), also known as the Eurasian ermine, Beringian ermine and ermine, is a mustelid native to Eurasia and the northern portions of North America. Because of its wide circumpolar distribution, it is listed as Least Conc ...

, red squirrel and pygmy shrew. The bird nesting period is from 1 March until 1 September. Woodlands, trees and hedgerows form a network of habitats, ecological 'corridors' essential for wildlife to flourish and move between habitats.

Flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' ...

of County Kilkenny includes the endangered autumn crocus, also rare species such as the bog orchid, the Killarney fern and the tufted salt-marsh grass.. Npws.ie. Retrieved on 2010-10-08. There are also vulnerable species like lesser snapdragon,

meadow barley ''Hordeum brachyantherum'', known by the common name meadow barley, is a species of barley. It is native to western North America from Alaska to northern Mexico, coastal areas of easternmost Russia (Kamchatka), and a small area of coastal Newfou ...

, small-white orchid, opposite-leaved pondweed, betony, red hemp nettle, narrow-leaved helleborine, lanceolate spleenwort, annual knawel and basil thyme.

Woodlands

Surveys of woodlands of County Kilkenny include ''A Woodland Survey of Kilkenny'', undertaken in 1997 to identify woodlands in the county and ''A survey of broadleaved woodlands in three special Areas of Conservation, Barrow-Nore, River Unshin and Lough Forbes (2000)'' which covers some of County Kilkenny, and ''National Survey of Native Woodlands (NSNW) 2003-2008'' which was one of the largest ecological surveys to be completed in Ireland and did its fieldwork in the county in 2003.() Estimates of the woodlands in County Kilkenny include the ''Forest Inventory Planning System (1998)'' which estimated Kilkenny had 2251 ha of mixed woodland and broadleaf woodland not dominated by beech, representing 1.09% of the county and the ''National Forest Inventory 2004 and 2006'' which estimated that 4430 ha of the county is native forested land,

Scots pine ''Pinus sylvestris'', the Scots pine (UK), Scotch pine (US) or Baltic pine, is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae that is native to Eurasia. It can readily be identified by its combination of fairly short, blue-green leaves and orang ...

was regarded as non-native, representing 2.15% of the county. The best quality sites in the county in terms of their conservation value include Kylecorragh Wood (SAC) along the

and

(SAC) (IE0002162)
Site Synopsis
- National Parks and Wildlife Service,

. Natura 2000
data set
) - European Environment Agency. Grenan Wood (SAC), Knockadrina, Garryricken North (NHA/SNR), Ballytobin/Ballaghtobin, Brownstown Wood (NHA/SAC), Kyleadohir Wood (NHA/SNR), Brown's Wood,

, Ballykeeffe Wood, Cullentragh, Rossenarra, Newrath and Garryricken South. The most threatened forested area in the county is Greatwood. The main governmental organisations responsible for ensuring the development of forestry within Kilkenny are the National Parks and Wildlife Service (

Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage ( ga, An Roinn Tithíochta, Rialtais Áitiúil agus Oidhreachta) is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage who is ...

) and the Forest Service (

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine ( ga, An Roinn Talmhaíochta, Bia agus Mara) is a department of the Government of Ireland. According to the department, its mission is to "lead the sustainable development of a competitive, con ...

). There are legislative measures which recognise the importance of trees woodlands and hedgerows and provide for their protection including the ''Forestry Act (1946)'' and ''Wildlife (Amendment) Act (2000)''. These stop trees being cut down unless a notice of intention is given and prohibit the cutting of hedges within the bird nesting period. The main threats come mainly from invasive species, heavy grazing and damaging activities such as non-native planting, native felling and dumping. There are instances of felling (both legal and illegal) of ash trees for the production of hurleys. There are around 180 significant trees in County Kilkenny included in the Tree Register of Ireland, compiled by the

Tree Council of Ireland The Tree Council of Ireland is a voluntary non-governmental organisation. It was formed in 1985 as an umbrella body for organisations involved in the establishment, care and conservation of trees in Ireland, through the promotion of a tree cultur ...

, based on characteristics such as age, height, diameter, historical or folklore connections. The tallest tree in Kilkenny is a

silver fir Silver fir is a common name for several trees and may refer to: *''Abies alba ''Abies alba'', the European silver fir or silver fir, is a fir native to the mountains of Europe, from the Pyrenees north to Normandy, east to the Alps and the Car ...

of 5.39 x 43m located at Woodstock Gardens in Inistioge and the tree with the largest girth is a common lime of 9.01 x 27m located at Coolmore House in

. At present there under the ''Planning and Development Act (2000)'' there are 4 Tree Preservation Orders (TPO) in County Kilkenny for the protection of trees, groups of trees and woods of amenity value. These include Oldcourt in Inistioge, Keatingstown, Barna in Freshford, Sawney's Wood in

and the Castle Gardens in Kilkenny City. Important trees in county Kilkenny include two

cedars of Lebanon ''Cedrus libani'', the cedar of Lebanon or Lebanese cedar (), is a species of tree in the genus cedrus, a part of the pine family, native to the mountains of the Eastern Mediterranean basin. It is a large evergreen conifer that has great rel ...

at ''Kildalton Agricultural College'' in

Piltown Piltown (), historically known as Ballypoyle, is a village in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It lies on the R698 regional road, which was the N24 national primary road before the locality was bypassed in 2002. Approaching Piltown from Carrick-on- ...

, a

Monterey cypress ''Hesperocyparis macrocarpa'' is a coniferous tree. It is commonly known as the Monterey cypress and is one of several species of cypress trees endemic to California. The Monterey cypress is found naturally only on the Central Coast of Califor ...

, beech,

and two coastal redwood at Woodstock Gardens in Inistioge. In

there is a common lime at ''Coolmore House'', an English/common oak at ''Stoneen Kilfawe'', an English/common oak at Mount Juilliet Estate and a Wellingtonia, giant sequoia,

, sweet/Spanish chestnut and a holm oak/evergreen oak at ''Kilfane Glebe''. There is also a

Turkey oak Turkey oak is a common name for several species of oaks and may refer to: *''Quercus cerris'', native to southeastern Europe and Asia Minor *''Quercus laevis ''Quercus laevis'', the turkey oak, is a member of the red oak group of oaks. It is n ...

at ''Threecastles House'' in Kilkenny, an ash and two English/common oak at ''Ballytobin House'' in

Callan Callan is a given name and surname of Irish and Scottish origin. It can derive from Ó Cathaláin, meaning ''descendant of Cathalán''. Callan can also be an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Allin or Mac Callin. Notable people with the name includ ...

, a common lime, Wellingtonia giant sequoia and two

Shankill Castle Shankill Castle and Gardens is set in parkland near Paulstown on the Carlow/Kilkenny border. Visitors are invited to walk in the grounds and gardens, and there are guided tours of the house. Shankill Castle started as a Butler tower-house near t ...

Paulstown Paulstown () is a small village in County Kilkenny in Ireland. Paulstown is located at the (northern) junction of the N9 and N10 National primary roads. It is 21 km south of Carlow and 19 km east of Kilkenny. Scoil Bhride is the p ...

, an English/common oak at ''Ballykeefe House'' in Kilmanagh, an English/common oak at Fanningstown House in Owning and a beech at ''Castlecomer Golf Club'' in

Climate

The climate of County 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 classificati ...

, is a changeable oceanic climate with few extremes. It is defined as a

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

oceanic climate, or ''Cfb'' on the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system. Kilkenny lies in plant Hardiness zone 9. Weatherwise, the county is generally representative of wide river valleys in the region with low temperatures on cloudless nights,From th
official website
of

Met Éireann Met Éireann (; meaning " Met of Ireland") is the state meteorological service of Ireland, part of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. History The history of modern meteorology in Ireland dates back to 8 October 1860, whe ...

; see 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

Kilkenny Castle Kilkenny Castle ( ga, Caisleán Chill Chainnigh, IPA: �kaʃlʲaːnˠˈçiːl̪ʲˈxan̪ʲiː is a castle in Kilkenny, Ireland built in 1195 to control a fording-point of the River Nore and the junction of several routeways. It was a symbol o ...

on 26 June 1887.From th
official website
of

; see The

Kilkenny Weather Observing Station, 2 km north-west of Kilkenny City centre, on the Duningstown Road, opened in May 1957, and observations ceased in April 2008.From th
official website
of ''kilkennyweather.com''; see A climatological station is currently in operation within 1 km of the old site, and as of March 2010, was providing live weather data to the general public and climate data to

. The maximum temperature recorded at the Met Station was on 2 August 1995. Extremes recorded at the station include the highest air

temperature Temperature is a physical quantity that expresses quantitatively the perceptions of hotness and coldness. Temperature is measurement, measured with a thermometer. Thermometers are calibrated in various Conversion of units of temperature, temp ...

of on 29 June 1976, the lowest air temperature of on 2 January 1979 and the lowest ground temperature of on 12 January 1982. The maximum daily sunshine was 16.3 hours on 18 June 1978. The warmest and sunniest month on record in Kilkenny was August 1995 with a total of 274.9 hours sunshine and very high temperatures throughout. The maximum daily sunshine was 16.3 hours on 18 June 1978. The overall trend in temperatures has been on the rise with a marked increase from 1988 onwards.From th
official website
of ''kilkennyweather.com''; see Annual temperatures are running over 0.5 degrees above 20th-century levels. The maximum daily rainfall recorded at Kilkenny station was on 17 July 1983. 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 increased steadily, with 2009 being the wettest year since records commenced in 1958. At the centre of the county, Kilkenny is in a sheltered location, over 60 km inland and is surrounded by hills over 200m, which ensures that it is not a windy location. The highest wind gust of 77 knots, from a south-west direction, was recorded on 12 January 1974.

Geology

The geology of Kilkenny includes the Kiltorcan Formation which is early Carboniferous in age. The Formation is located around Kiltoncan Hill near

in the

and

Knocktopher Knocktopher (historically ''Knocktofer'' and ''Knocktover''; ) is a village in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is situated on the R713 road between the villages of Stoneyford to the north, and Ballyhale to the south. It was formerly situated on ...

areas. It forms the uppermost part of the Old Red Sandstone and is the distinctive

Upper Devonian The Devonian ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the Silurian, million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Carboniferous, Mya. It is named after Devon, England, wher ...

–

Lower Carboniferous Lower may refer to: *Lower (surname) *Lower Township, New Jersey *Lower Receiver (firearms) *Lower Wick Gloucestershire, England See also *Nizhny Nizhny (russian: Ни́жний; masculine), Nizhnyaya (; feminine), or Nizhneye (russian: Ни́� ...

unit in southern Ireland. It contains non-red lithologies, green mudstones, siltstones, fine

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...

s and yellow sandstones. There is a

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

assemblage containing Cyclostigma and Archaeopteris and Archaeopteris hibernica. Most of the county is principally limestone of the upper and lower group, corresponding with the rest of Ireland. A large area in the north and east contains beds of coal, surrounded by limestone strata, alternated with shale, argillaceous ironstone, and sandstone. This occurs eastward of the Nore around

, along the border with Laois. It is generally accompanied by culm, which was used extensively for burning lime. The natural environment and resources of County Kilkenny includes its rivers, wildlife (mammals, birds, plants), woodlands, hedgerows, and diverse landscapes and geological features. The main land use is grassland, dairy farming and tillage farming especially around Kilkenny City and in the fertile central plain of the Nore Valley. Conifer forests are found on the upland areas. Habitats of international and national importance, are designated under

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...

and national legislation. The four categories of designated site in effect in County Kilkenny are

Special Areas of Conservation A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and ap ...

, Natural Heritage Areas, Statutory Nature Reserves and Wildfowl Sanctuaries. The 2008-2014 county development plan recorded 36 designated natural heritage sites of international and national importance in County Kilkenny, covering approximately 4.5% of the county.

Mountains and hills

County Kilkenny is comparably low compared to other mountain ranges in Ireland with the highest peak being

(), at above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardise ...

. The majority of rest of the county is hilly except for the centre of the county, just south of the city of Kilkenny, which is comparably lower than the rest of the county. There are highlands in the North-East, the North-West and in the South of the county. In the north of the county the uplands of the

district, the Castlecomer Plateau includes the Culla Hills to the west of the Nore Valley with Castlecomer Hills and Slieve Marcy to the east. These hills are divided by the valley of the

Dinan Dinan (; ) is a walled Breton town and a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in northwestern France. On 1 January 2018, the former commune of Léhon was merged into Dinan. Geography Its geographical setting is exceptional. Instead o ...

river which joins the Nore from the east. The highest point of the Castlecomer Hills is , and located North-West of the town of Castlecomer and near the border with

. The highest point of the Culla Hills is in Laois at , but its undulating slopes spread over a considerable area of Kilkenny in the north-westerly area. In the west of the county the Slieveardagh Hills and Booley Hills extend westwards to County Tipperary. The highest point in the Slieveardagh Hills is Knocknamuck at . The Booley Mountains partly divide from Tory Hill to the valley of the Kilmacow River which flows into the

. In the south of the county is

, at and is near the Barrow and

. The area enclosed between the rivers Nore and Barrow towards their point of joining is elevated. Along the west of the Barrow and Nore is mostly covered by hills of nearly equal elevation except along the left bank of the river Suir. Here there is a rich area of land between the river and the hills.

Baronies

The county is subdivided into twelve baronies which are in turn divided into

civil parishes In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority. ...

and

townland A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic orig ...

s. There are about 800 townlands in Kilkenny. Each barony was made up of a number of parishes or parts of parishes. Both civil parishes and baronies are now largely obsolete (except for purposes such as legal transactions involving land) and are no longer used for local government purposes. Ireland - 1885 Map of County Kilkenny

(''Callainn'') # Cranagh (''Crannach'') # Fassadinin (''Fásach an Deighnín'') # Galmoy (''Gabhalmhaigh'') # Gowran (''Gabhrán'') # Ida (''Uí Dheá'') #

Iverk Iverk () is a barony in the south-west of County Kilkenny, Ireland. The size of the barony is . There are 15 civil parishes in Iverk. The chief town today is Piltown. The N24 crosses the barony. Iverk lies at the south-west of the county, wi ...

(''Uíbh Eirc'') # Kells (''Ceanannas'') #

Kilculliheen Kilculliheen ( ga, Cill Choilchín) is a civil parish, electoral division and barony in Ireland, on the north bank of the River Suir across from the centre of Waterford City. Historically, it has been transferred several times between the coun ...

(''Cill Choilchín'') # Kilkenny (''Cill Chainnigh'') #

(''Cnoc an Tóchair'') # Shillelogher (''Síol Fhaolchair'')

Civil parishes and townlands

For religious administration, the county was divided into parishes. Every parish had at least one church. The barony boundaries and the parish boundaries were not connected. From the 17th to mid-19th centuries, civil parishes were based on early Christian and medieval monastic and church settlements. The civil parishes are divided into

s (See List of townlands in County Kilkenny). As the population grew, new parishes were created and the civil parish covered the same area as the established

Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland ( ga, Eaglais na hÉireann, ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Kirk o Airlann, ) is a Christian church in Ireland and an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the secon ...

. The Roman Catholic Church adapted to a new structure based on towns and villages. There 2,508 civil parishes in Ireland, which often break both barony and

boundaries.

Towns and Villages

* Bennettsbridge *

* Carrigeen *

* Castlewarren * Clogh * Coan *

Danesfort Danesfort () is a small rural area in County Kilkenny, Ireland, located approximately 6 km from Kilkenny City on the N10 (Waterford to Kilkenny). It is also the name of a civil parish in County Kilkenny. The local area consists of one pr ...

* Dungarvan * Dunnamaggan * Ferrybank * Freshford * Galmoy *

* Gowran *

* Glenmore *

Hugginstown Hugginstown (, historically anglicised as ''Ballyhuggin'')Placenames Database of Ireland
(see archival records)

* Inistioge * Jenkinstown * Johnstown * Johnswell * Kilkenny * Killinaspick * Kilmacow *

Kilmoganny Kilmoganny (officially Kilmaganny; ) is a small village in the County Kilkenny in the south-east of Ireland. Saint Mogeanna was an Irish virgin whose feast day in the Irish Calendar of Saints is 29 January. It is home to a primary school, post ...

* Kilmanagh *

Moneenroe Moneenroe () is a townland, electoral division and village in north County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the province of Leinster along the N78 road about from Kilkenny city in the south-east of the island of Ireland. , the populati ...

Mooncoin Mooncoin () is a census town in County Kilkenny, in Ireland. The population was 1,175 in 2016. Historically part of the Gaelic kingdom of Osraige, today it is in the far south of the county of Kilkenny, located in the valley of the River Suir ...

Mullinavat Mullinavat () is a town in south County Kilkenny, Ireland. Its main industries are tourism and agriculture. It has a renowned sporting history, particularly in hurling. The town's name in Irish translates as 'The Mill of the Stick' which, accor ...

* Rosbercon *

Slieverue Slieverue, officially Slieveroe, () is a village in South County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland. It is located in the historical barony of Ida. Despite the name, the land is relatively low-lying and fertile. Slieverue's population, as of the ...

* Stoneyford *

Tullaroan Tullaroan () is a village in the western part of County Kilkenny in the Slieveardagh Hills near the County Tipperary, Tipperary border. Tullaroan is also the name of the local civil parish. Sport Tullaroan GAA are the most successful Gaelic Ath ...

* The Rower *

* Windgap

European region

For statistical purposes at European level, the county is part of the South-East Region, a NUTS III entity; this is in turn part of the level II NUTS entity, Southern Region.

Governance and politics

Local government

Local government in County Kilkenny is governed by the Local Government Acts. The

Local Government Reform Act 2014 The Local Government Reform Act 2014 (No. 1) is an act of the Oireachtas which provided for a major restructuring of local government in Ireland with effect from the 2014 local elections. It merged some first-tier county and city councils, ...

established a unitary structure of

local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-l ...

. This single-tier structure consists of

. For the purposes of local government, Kilkenny is divided into 4

local electoral area A local electoral area (LEA; ga, Toghlimistéir Áitiúil) is an electoral area for elections to local authorities in Ireland. All elections use the single transferable vote. The Republic of Ireland is divided into 166 LEAs, with an average p ...

s – Callan–Thomastown (6), Castlecomer (6), Kilkenny city (7) and Piltown (5) – which return a total of 24 members to Kilkenny County Council. The 2019 Kilkenny local elections had a voter turnout of 53%, a decrease of 4.1% on the 2014 election. The highest turnout was in Callan–Thomastown (56.4%) and the lowest was in Kilkenny city (50.4%). In the 2019 local elections,

Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil (, ; meaning 'Soldiers of Destiny' or 'Warriors of Fál'), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party ( ga, audio=ga-Fianna Fáil.ogg, Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach), is a conservative and Christia ...

and

Fine Gael Fine Gael (, ; English: "Family (or Tribe) of the Irish") is a liberal-conservative and Christian-democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil � ...

emerged as the two dominant parties, holding 20 of the 24 seats between them. The Labour Party hold 2 seats, the

Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation f ...

hold 1 seat, and there is 1 independent.

Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur G ...

, which had held 3 seats, failed to gain a seat in the 2019 election. Council elections are held every 5 years, with the next election due to be held in May 2024. As the county is part of the South-East Region, some county councillors are also representatives on the Southern Regional Assembly.

Former districts

Until 2014, the second tier of local government consisted of Kilkenny Borough Council which was a

town council A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities. Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions. Republic of Ireland Town Councils in the Republic of Ireland were the second t ...

. The city of Kilkenny was allowed to use the title of "Borough Council" instead of "Town Council", but Kilkenny Borough Council had no additional responsibilities. Since the enactment of the aforementioned Act on 1 June 2014, which abolished the borough, the county council is solely responsible for local services.

National politics

The county is part of the Dáil constituency of Carlow–Kilkenny (5 TDs). The constituency has been in use since the 1948 general election. Kilkenny has been represented through several parliamentary constituencies in the past. From 1918 to 1921, County Kilkenny was divided between the

United Kingdom parliamentary constituencies The Parliament of the United Kingdom currently has 650 parliamentary United Kingdom constituencies, constituencies across the constituent countries (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), each electing a single Member of Parliament (Un ...

of North Kilkenny and South Kilkenny. In 1921 the Carlow–Kilkenny Dáil constituency was created and continued until the creation of a separate Kilkenny constituency in 1937, which existed until 1948. The county is part of the South constituency for elections to the

European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...

. The constituency has 5 seats.

History

Kilkenny St Canice Cathedral SW 2007 08 28

County Kilkenny takes its name from the

of Kilkenny. Kilkenny is the anglicised version of the Irish ''Cill Chainnigh'', meaning ''Church (Cell) of Cainneach or Canice''. This probably relates to the church and

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 curtain walls. Castle towers can have a variety of different shapes and fu ...

, now St. Canice's Cathedral, which was built in honour of St. Canice. The

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 Diocese of Ossory. The home of t ...

was one of the ancient

Kingdoms of Ireland This article lists some of the attested Gaelic kingdoms of Early Medieval Ireland prior to the Norman invasion of 1169-72. For much of this period, the island was divided into numerous clan territories and kingdoms (known as ''túatha''). The ...

. The

Kings of Osraige The kings of Osraige (alternately spelled ''Osraighe'' and Anglicised as ''Ossory'') reigned over the medieval Irish kingdom of Osraige from the first or second century AD until the late twelfth century. Osraige was a semi-provincial kingdom in s ...

, the Mac Giolla Phádraig family, reigned over

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 Diocese of Ossory. The home o ...

and Cill Chainnigh was their stronghold. 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 ...

existed from at least the 2nd century until the 13th century AD. The current ecclesiastical

diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associa ...

s of that area is still known as

. The medieval

and was established in 549 AD, and its territory corresponded to the medieval

. In historic times, Kilkenny replaced

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 Osso ...

as the chief church in Osraige. The kingdom was bounded by two of the Three Sisters the rivers Barrow and

and the northern limit was, generally, the

Slieve Bloom Mountains The Slieve Bloom Mountains ( ga, Sliabh Bladhma; la, Bladinae montes) is a mountain range in Ireland. They rise from the central plain of Ireland to a height of 527 metres. While not very high, they are extensive by local standards. The high ...

. The Osraige —their name means people of the deer— inhabited much of modern County Kilkenny and parts of neighbouring County Laois. To the west and south, Osraige was bounded by the

, to the east the watershed of the

marked the boundary with Leinster, and to the north it extended into and beyond the

. The River Nore ran through the Kingdom. Osraige formed the easternmost part of the kingdom and province of Munster until the middle of the 9th century, after which it was attached to Leinster. Osraige was largely a

buffer state A buffer state is a country geographically lying between two rival or potentially hostile great powers. Its existence can sometimes be thought to prevent conflict between them. A buffer state is sometimes a mutually agreed upon area lying between ...

between

and Munster. Its most significant neighbours were the Loígsi, Uí Cheinnselaig and Uí Baircche of Leinster to the north and east and the Déisi Muman,

Eóganacht Chaisil Eóganacht Chaisil were a branch of the Eóganachta, the ruling dynasty of Munster between the 5th and 10th centuries. They took their name from Cashel (County Tipperary) which was the capital of the early Catholic kingdom of Munster. They were ...

and Éile of Munster to the south and west. The name Osraige is said to be from the Usdaie, a

Celtic tribe Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages ** Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...

that

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importance ...

's map of Ireland places in roughly the same area that Osraige would later occupy. The territory indicated by Ptolemy probably included the major late Iron Age hill-fort at Freestone Hill which produced some Roman finds. Also the interesting burial at Stoneyford which is of typical Roman type and probably dates to the 1st century AD. The Osraighe themselves claimed to be descended from the

Érainn The Iverni (, ') were a people of early Ireland first mentioned in Ptolemy's 2nd century ''Geography'' as living in the extreme south-west of the island. He also locates a "city" called Ivernis (, ') in their territory, and observes that this se ...

people. Others propose that the

Iverni The Iverni (, ') were a people of early Ireland first mentioned in Ptolemy's 2nd century ''Geography'' as living in the extreme south-west of the island. He also locates a "city" called Ivernis (, ') in their territory, and observes that this se ...

c groups included the Osraige of the

. The Brigantes were the only Celtic tribe to have a presence in both England and Ireland, in the latter of which they could be found around Kilkenny,

and

Pope Adrian IV gave Norman King

Henry II of England Henry II (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189), also known as Henry Curtmantle (french: link=no, Court-manteau), Henry FitzEmpress, or Henry Plantagenet, was King of England from 1154 until his death in 1189, and as such, was the first Angevin king ...

permission to claim Ireland 1154. The Cisternians came to Jerpoint and Kilkenny around 1155/60. Jerpoint Abbey is founded by Donal MacGiollaPhadruig, King of Ossory 1158. In 1168,

Dermot MacMurrough Diarmait Mac Murchada ( Modern Irish: Diarmaid Mac Murchadha), anglicised as Dermot MacMurrough, Dermod MacMurrough, or Dermot MacMorrogh (c. 1110 – c. 1 May 1171), was a King of Leinster in Ireland. In 1167, he was deposed by the High King ...

the

King of Leinster The kings of Leinster ( ga, Rí Laighín), ruled from the establishment of Leinster during the Irish Iron Age, until the 17th century Early Modern Ireland. According to Gaelic traditional history, laid out in works such as the ''Book of Invasion ...

was driven out of his kingdom by Rory O'Connor the High King of Ireland with the help of Tiernan O'Rourke. MacMurrough looked for help from Henry II and got help from a

Cambro-Norman Cambro-Normans ( la, Cambria; "Wales", cy, Normaniaid Cymreig; nrf, Nouormands Galles) were Normans who settled in southern Wales, and the Welsh Marches, after the Norman invasion of Wales, allied with their counterpart families who settled E ...

lord notable

Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (of the first creation), Lord of Leinster, Justiciar of Ireland (113020 April 1176), also known as Richard FitzGilbert, was an Anglo-Norman nobleman notable for his leading role in the Anglo-Norman invasio ...

, known to history as Strongbow. MacMurrough secured the services of Richard, promising him the hand of his daughter

Aoife of Leinster Aoife MacMurrough (c. 1145 – 1188, ga, Aoife Ní Diarmait), also known by later historians as Eva of Leinster, was an Irish noblewoman, Princess of Leinster and Countess of Pembroke. She was the daughter of Dermot MacMurrough (c. 1110 – 117 ...

and the succession to Leinster. Richard and other Marcher barons and knights by King Henry assembled an army. The army, under

Raymond le Gros Raymond (or Redmond) Fitz William Fitz Gerald (died 1185–1198), nicknamed ''Le Gros'' ("the Large"), was a Cambro-Norman commander during the Norman invasion of Ireland. Raymond was among the first of a small band of Norman knights who l ...

, took

and

in 1169 and 1170, and Strongbow joined them in August 1170. The day after the capture of Waterford, he married MacMorrough's daughter, Aoife. The

Lordship of Ireland The Lordship of Ireland ( ga, Tiarnas na hÉireann), sometimes referred to retroactively as 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 ...

was a

lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...

ship created in the wake of the

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 from the Irish, over which the kings of England then claimed sovereignty, all allegedly san ...

in 1169–71. Kilkenny formed part of the lordship of Leinster. Strongbow became Lord of Leinster in 1171.

Places of interest

Architecture

The architecture of County Kilkenny contains features from all eras since the Stone Age including

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 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

and Anglo-Irish castles,

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

urban buildings, towns and villages with unique architectures,

palladian Palladian architecture is a European architectural style derived from the work of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). What is today recognised as Palladian architecture evolved from his concepts of symmetry, perspective and ...

and

rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...

country houses An English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a town house. This allowed them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these peopl ...

, Gothic and

neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

s and buildings. In the late 20th century a new economic climate resulted in a renaissance of culture and design, with some at the cutting edge of

modern architecture Modern architecture, or modernist architecture, was an architectural movement or architectural style based upon new and innovative technologies of construction, particularly the use of glass, steel, and reinforced concrete; the idea that for ...

. County Kilkenny contains varied architecture including

passage grave A passage grave or passage tomb consists of one or more burial chambers covered in earth or with stone, and having a narrow access passage made of large stones. These structures usually date from the Neolithic Age, and are found largely in Wester ...

s, ringforts,

Irish round tower Irish round towers ( ga, Cloigtheach (singular), (plural); literally 'bell house') are early mediaeval stone towers of a type found mainly in Ireland, with two in Scotland and one on the Isle of Man. As their name indicates, they were origin ...

s, castles, churches and cathedrals,

abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns. The con ...

s and priories, bridges and roads, and

townhouse A townhouse, townhome, town house, or town home, is a type of terraced housing. A modern townhouse is often one with a small footprint on multiple floors. In a different British usage, the term originally referred to any type of city residence ...

s of varying style.

Early architecture

Evidence of Neolithic settlement can be found throughout the county. There are great burial mounds including the portal tombs and dolmens at Owning, Kilmogue-Harristown and Borrismore. There are passage graves at Clomantagh Hill and Knockroe. There were non-megalith single-grave burial tombs, Linkardstown-type Cists, excavated at Jerpoint West. These are late Neolithic and before the single-grave rite of the Bronze Age. A

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several p ...

house was identified in Granny near

, making it the oldest house in County Kilkenny. The square house consisted of slot-trenches, internal floor surfaces, a hearth and wooden posts at each corner, one of the post-holes was radiocarbon-dated to 3997-3728 BC. A new form of early Neolithic pottery with a lip around the inside of the rim were found. This Granny pottery is similar to pottery found in the south-east of England.

Ogham Ogham ( Modern Irish: ; mga, ogum, ogom, later mga, ogam, label=none ) is an Early Medieval alphabet used primarily to write the early Irish language (in the "orthodox" inscriptions, 4th to 6th centuries AD), and later the Old Irish langu ...

stones are found throughout County Kilkenny. The Gowran Ogham Stone which is on display in St. Mary's Collegiate Church Gowran is an example of a Christianised ogham stone. The ogham lettering is from the 3rd or 4th century. The Christian cross was carved c. 6th century following St. Patrck's arrival in Ireland in 432 AD. The ogham stone was found on the site during the rebuilding of the chancel in 1826. The Gowran Ogham Stone has survived to the present day due to the fact that it was used as a building stone in another part of the church and lay undisturbed for centuries.

Passage grave A passage grave or passage tomb consists of one or more burial chambers covered in earth or with stone, and having a narrow access passage made of large stones. These structures usually date from the Neolithic Age, and are found largely in Wester ...

s consisted of a central burial chamber, with a long passageway to the entrance. Knockroe contains a passage tomb which is protected by listing order. From some time beginning around the Iron Age, Ireland has thousands of ringforts, or "raths". Carigeen,

, Dunbell big and

all contain ring forts protected by preservation order. The round stone tower is one feature of ''early historic architecture'' not usually found outside Ireland with only three in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

and one on the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

. The tower at

St Canice's Cathedral St Canice's Cathedral ( ga, Ardeaglais Naomh Cainneach, ), also known as Kilkenny Cathedral, is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Kilkenny city, Ireland. It is in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin. Previously the cathedral of the Dioc ...

in Kilkenny City is a good example. Other round towers are situated around the county such as Tullaherin round tower, one near Bennettsbridge, Kells, Johnstown, and

Aghaviller Aghaviller () National Monument, is a church and round tower in County Kilkenny, Ireland. Aghaviller gives its name to the wider townland, civil parish, and electoral district. Located south-east of Kilkenny, about six miles south of Thoma ...

near

Castles

is a castle in Kilkenny. It was the seat of the Butler family. Formerly the family name was FitzWalter. The castle was sold to the local Castle Restoration Committee in the middle of the 20th century for £50. Shortly afterwards it was handed over to the State, and has since been refurbished and is open to visitors. Part of the National Art Gallery is on display in the castle. There are ornamental gardens on the town side of the castle, and extensive land and gardens to the front. It has become one of the most visited tourist sites in Ireland. Foulksrath Castle is a 15th-century

Anglo-Norman Anglo-Norman may refer to: *Anglo-Normans, the medieval ruling class in England following the Norman conquest of 1066 * Anglo-Norman language **Anglo-Norman literature * Anglo-Norman England, or Norman England, the period in English history from 10 ...

tower house A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation. Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountainous or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strateg ...

located in Jenkinstown in County Kilkenny. It was built by the Purcell clan, who also constructed several others nearby. After over three centuries as owners, the family was reduced to living as peasants in the castle stables after it was confiscated by

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three K ...

and given to his officers after the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland.

Abbeys and priories

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 exhib ...

is a Cistercian abbey near

. It was constructed in 1180, probably on the site of an earlier

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

monastery built in 1160 by Domnall Mac Gilla Patraic,

King of Osraige The kings of Osraige (alternately spelled ''Osraighe'' and Anglicised as ''Ossory'') reigned over the medieval Irish kingdom of Osraige from the first or second century AD until the late twelfth century. Osraige was a semi-provincial kingdom in s ...

. Jerpoint is notable for its stone carvings, including one at the tomb of Felix Ua Duib Sláin,

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

of the

when the abbey was founded. Jerpoint Abbey E 1997 08 28

Graiguenamanach Choir Window SE 1997 08 27

Duiske Abbey in

founded in 1204 was one of the first and largest Cistercians

monasteries A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

in Ireland. What remains of the monastery is a large gothic church which dominates the town centre in Graiguenamanagh. The abbey derives its name from the river Duiske or Dúbh Uisce which flows through the town on its way to the river Barrow which also flows through this town. Original floor tiles from the original building can be seen in the abbey along with the gothic and romanesque architecture. The Black Abbey in Kilkenny, founded 1225, is a Dominican abbey with two-bay double-height lean-to lower aisle to south. It was extended, c. 1325, with four-bay double-height transept to south having four-bay double-height lean-to lower aisle to west.

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 in the townland of Rathduff (Madden), about 15 km south of the medieval city of ...

is one of the largest medieval historic monuments in Ireland. It is a National Monument and is in the guardianship of the Commissioners of Public Works. The priory is scenically situated alongside King's River, about fifteen kilometres south of Kilkenny. One of its most striking feature is a collection of medieval

s spaced at intervals along and within walls which enclose a site of just over . These give the

priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of ...

the appearance more of a fortress than of a place of worship and from them comes its local name of "Seven Castles". The

Callan Augustinian Friary The Callan Augustinian Friary () is an Augustinian friary situated in Callan, Co Kilkenny, Ireland. It is known locally as the "Abbey Meadow" and is located to the north-east of the town, on the banks of the Kings River. The new Augustinian ...

is situated in

. It is known locally as the "Abbey Meadow" and is located at the North East of the town on the banks of the Kings Rover. Edmund Butler of Pottlerath, a noted patron of literature, successfully petitioned Pope Pius II for the foundation of the friary in 1461. After Edmund died in 1462, the actual buildings were erected by his son, James, probably after 1467 when he received a papal dispensation to marry his concubine, to whom he was related.

18th-century bridges

There are many 18th-century bridges in County Kilkenny. These bridges are an important element of the civil engineering and transport heritage of County Kilkenny and so are included in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) Building Survey. The Great Flood of 1763 washed away many of the major bridges crossing the

, and a comprehensive rebuilding programme was initiated. Many of the bridges are built 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 Patri ...

, and they feature Classical-style detailing, indicating the lasting influence of the illustrations included in

Andrea Palladio Andrea Palladio ( ; ; 30 November 1508 – 19 August 1580) was an Italian Renaissance architect active in the Venetian Republic. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, primarily Vitruvius, is widely considered to be one of ...

's ''

I quattro libri dell'architettura ''I quattro libri dell'architettura'' (''The Four Books of Architecture'') is a treatise on architecture by the architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580), written in Italian. It was first published in four volumes in 1570 in Venice, illustrated wi ...

'' (1570). Smith designed Green's Bridge in Kilkenny,

Bridge on the Dinin (Deen) River;

Bridge on the River Nore;

Bridge on the River Barrow and Inistioge Bridge on the River Nore.

Other 18th-century bridges include; the bridges in

, Bennettsbridge, Kells, Threecastles, Dinin Bridge and the bridge at Mount Juliet.

Churches

In Medieval times many fine churches in Ireland were also built such as St. Mary's Collegiate Church Gowran, St. Canice's Cathedral in Kilkenny and St. Mary's Cathedral. St. Lachtain's Church, Freshford was built in 1731, incorporating a portal from 1100 as its main entrance, all that is left of the original church is the Hiberno-Romanesque (Irish-Roman) architectural porch and doorway. The remainder of the present church was built for Protestant worship in 1731. In St. Lachtains time Freshford was a diocese. In 1225 a bishops palace was built at Aghore (Achadh Ur), now Uppercourt. It was used as a summer residence for over 300 years.

Tourist attractions

In County Kilkenny

near

at Kells. Kilkenny City including

and St Mary's Cathedral,

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

and

Dunmore Cave is a show cave in Ballyfoyle, with a tourist centre established at the site. As well as a variety of

cave formations A speleothem (; ) is a geological formation by mineral deposits that accumulate over time in natural caves. Speleothems most commonly form in calcareous caves due to carbonate dissolution reactions. They can take a variety of forms, depending on ...

, it is also one of the most documented archaeological sites in Ireland.

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. Facilities Facilities include a picnic site, forest walks, deer park and a ...

is about north of the town of Kilkenny and south of

off the

N78 road N78 may refer to: Roads * N78 road (Ireland) * Ozamiz–Pagadian Road, in the Philippines * Nebraska Highway 78, in the United States Other uses * N78 (Long Island bus) The following bus routes are operated in Nassau County, New York. Most o ...

Gardens and Trails

Gardens include Kilfane Glen in

, Woodstock Garden in Inistioge, the Discover Park in

, Darver House garden in Jenkinstown, ''Coolcashin Garden'' near Johnstown, Emoclew Garden in

, Shankill Gardens & Castle in

, Rothe Family Garden in Kilkenny, Dahlia garden in The Rower and the rose garden at

. Hedgerows also have historical significance as townland and field boundaries. The Nore Valley Way is a long-distance trail under development. When completed it will begin in Kilkenny City and end in Inistioge. It is designated as a National Waymarked Trail by the National Trails Office of the

Irish Sports Council Sport Ireland ( ga, Spórt Éireann), formerly the Irish Sports Council, is a statutory authority that oversees, and partly funds, the development of sport within Ireland. It is located at the National Sports Campus in the townland of Sheephill ...

and is managed by Trail Kilkenny, a group made up of representatives of

, County Kilkenny LEADER Partnership, Kilkenny Sports Partnership and local landowners. The scenic South Leinster Way, a very scenic trail, journeys along the lower Barrow Valley before leaving the riverside at Graiguenamanagh to traverse the lower slopes of Brandon Hill.

Demographics

As of the 2016 census, by the Central Statistics Office, County Kilkenny's population was 99,232, of whom 38,722 people reported some level of

Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...

usage. There were 41,363 people reported as at work in the county in 2016. There were 1,251 births and 546 deaths in 2007. Disposable household income per person as of 2005 was 18,032 euros and the index of disposable household was 89.4. The main religion is Catholic, however there are Church of Ireland, Presbyterian, Methodist, Jewish and other religious traditions living in Kilkenny.

Irish language

County Kilkenny was the last county in Leinster to have native Irish speakers other than Louth (which was historically and linguistically a part of Ulster). The dialect shared the majority of its features with the surviving dialect of Ring in Co. Waterford. One distinct feature of the traditional Irish of Kilkenny (and Laois) as part of the Ossory dialect region was the pronunciation of

slender R Irish phonology varies from dialect to dialect; there is no standard pronunciation of Irish. Therefore, this article focuses on phenomena shared by most or all dialects, and on the major differences among the dialects. Detailed discussion of ...

�ʲas �ʲsimilar to but not exactly like the G in the English word "regime". This �ʲsound was devoiced to an "sh" sound when slender R was adjacent to the sound /h/. The Irish language scholar Risteárd A. Breatnach wrote an MA thesis entitled "Kilkenny Irish" but this remains unpublished. Baile Shéamais, in Glenmore, was home to Pádraig Paor who is believed to have been the last traditional native speaker of the Irish language in Co. Kilkenny. Audio-recordings were made of his speech in 1936 for the Irish Folklore Commission (Coimisiún Béaloideasa Éireann) by Séamus Ó Duilearga and Risteárd A Breatnach. His speech contains the well-documented Ossory pronunciation of

as , resembling the sound of Standard French.

Economy

Cooperatives

In 1966, County Kilkenny village creameries amalgamated to create Avonmore Creameries, becoming Avonmore Food plc in 1988. The company joined with Waterford Food plc in 1997. It is today known as

Glanbia Glanbia plc ( ) is an Irish global nutrition group with operations in 32 countries. It has leading market positions in sports nutrition, cheese, dairy ingredients, speciality non-dairy ingredients and vitamin and mineral premixes. Glanbia produc ...

, a large multinational nutrition company with revenues of over €2.3 billion and 6,900 employees.

Infrastructure

Transport

Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) provides rail services from Dublin to Waterford which pass through Kilkenny MacDonagh Station in Kilkenny and

Thomastown railway station Thomastown Railway Station serves the town of Thomastown in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is a station on the Dublin to Waterford Intercity route. Unlike most other railway stations on the network, tickets are not available for purchase at Th ...

Waterford railway station Waterford railway station (Plunkett Station, ga, Phort Láirge Stáisiún Phluincéid) serves the city of Waterford in County Waterford, Ireland. The station is located across Rice Bridge on the north side of the city. There are two bays at ...

is located just outside County Kilkenny. The stations served are Dublin Heuston, Newbridge, Kildare, Athy, Carlow, Muine Bheag (Bagenalstown), Kilkenny,

, Waterford Plunkett. Since Kilkenny is a stub station, reversal is necessary. Non Passenger trains such as the

DFDS DFDS is a Danish international shipping and logistics company. It is the busiest shipping company of its kind in Northern Europe and one of the busiest in Europe. The company's name is an abbreviation of Det Forenede Dampskibs-Selskab (literall ...

Freight train from Ballina - Waterford avoid Kilkenny by using Lavistown loop which joins both lines going into Kilkenny. All direct services are operated by 22000 railcars. There is a service every 2 hours. Bus Éireann and

JJ Kavanagh and Sons JJ Kavanagh and Sons is Ireland's largest private coach operator. It was founded in 1919 by J.J. Kavanagh with the operation of a service connecting Urlingford with Kilkenny City. The company has expanded greatly since the 1990s with the tak ...

provide bus services throughout the county. Kilkenny Airport is a small airport located just 1.5 km West of Kilkenny. There are 6 powered resident aircraft and two gliders based at the aerodrome.

Hospitals

Hospitals in County Kilkenny include three

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichk ...

and one private hospitals. St. Luke's General Hospital is a general medical and surgical hospital built in 1942. It is situated on the Freshford Road and provides a range of local and regional services, including general medicine, general surgery, obstetrics, gynaecology and paediatrics. 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 including addiction counselling services, respite care community hostel facilities and day care facilities. Kilcreene is the regional orthopaedic hospital based outside Kilkenny in Kilcreene. Aut Even is a private hospital based outside the city of Kilkenny. In

there is Castlecomer District Hospital. Most maternity services for County Kilkenny are proved in

University Hospital Waterford University Hospital Waterford ( ga, Ospidéal na hOllscoile, Port Láirge), formerly known as Waterford Regional Hospital (WRH), is a teaching hospital located in Waterford, County Waterford, Ireland. It is managed by South/Southwest Hospital Gro ...

. There are also health centres based around County Kilkenny including in

, Bennettsbridge,

, Clogh,

, Freshford, Gowran,

, Marley and Tinnahinch in

, Inistioge, Johnstown, Loughboy in Kilkenny, Stoneyford, Kilmacow,

, Rosbercon,

and Windgap.

Sport

GAA

In hurling, by far the dominant sport in the county, Kilkenny GAA compete annually in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, which they have won a record thirty-six times, the

Leinster Senior Hurling Championship The Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Championship, known simply as the Leinster Championship, is an annual inter-county hurling competition organised by the Leinster Council of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). It is the highest inter-county hurl ...

, which they have won seventy times, and the National Hurling League, which they have won seventeen times. Kilkenny, along with Cork and

, are regarded as ' the Big Three' in the world of hurling. Brian Cody has been manager of the Kilkenny senior hurling team since 1998. The current senior hurling captain is Joey Holden from

Ballyhale Shamrocks Ballyhale Shamrocks is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the parish of Ballyhale in County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland. The club was founded in 1972 and is primarily concerned with the game of hurling. Ballyhale Shamrocks are the ...

. The Kilkenny flag or county colours are black and amber. The County Kilkenny hurling team,

, were the first Kilkenny team to wear the famous black and amber colours. In 1886, after winning the first-ever county championship in Kilkenny they held a fund-raising event in Tullaroan to provide the team with a playing strip. After intensive debate and consultations the club chose the black and amber stripes as the design for the jerseys that they would wear against

Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

that August.

Horse racing

Gowran Park Gowran Park is a horse race course in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the Annely Estate near the village of Gowran Gowran (; ) is a town located on the eastern side of County Kilkenny, Ireland. The historic St. Mary's Collegiate Ch ...

is a horse racing course near Gowran. The first meeting was held in 1914 and the racecourse hosts 16 race days throughout the year including the Thyestes Chase (The

Grand National The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race held annually at Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool, England. First run in 1839, it is a handicap st ...

of the South), one of the prestigious steeplechases in Ireland which has been won by three time

Cheltenham Gold Cup The Cheltenham Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt horse race run on the New Course at Cheltenham Racecourse in England, over a distance of about 3 miles 2½ furlongs (3 ...

Winner, Arkle in 1964 and

Aintree Aintree is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, England. Historically in Lancashire, it lies between Walton and Maghull on the A59 road, north-east of Liverpool city centre, in North West England. I ...

Grand National winners

Hedgehunter Hedgehunter (born 25 January 1996) is an Irish race horse, who won the 2005 Grand National steeplechase, ridden by Ruby Walsh and trained by Willie Mullins. He had fallen at the final fence the previous year when well placed. He then finished se ...

and

Numbersixvalverde Numbersixvalverde (born 1996) is an Irish race horse who won both the 2005 Irish Grand National and 2006 Aintree Grand National steeplechase, beating Hedgehunter by six lengths with Niall Madden in the saddle. Numbersixvalverde won his big r ...

. It has 16

National Hunt In horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Republic of Ireland, National Hunt racing requires horses to jump fences and ditches. National Hunt racing in the UK is informally known as "jumps" and is divided into two major distinct branches: ...

and Flat meetings all year round.

Golf

Mount Juliet Golf Course is a

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping ...

resort situated in

. It was the venue for the 2002 and 2004 WGC-American Express Championship, having previously hosted the

European Tour The European Tour (currently known as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reasons), legally the PGA European Tour is the leading men's professional golf tour in Europe. The organisation also operates the European Senior Tour (for players aged fi ...

's Irish Open on three occasions between 1993 and 1995. The par 72, Jack Nicklaus designed golf course opened in 1991, and was voted ''Best Parkland Golf Course'' by Backspin Golf Magazine in March 2008. There is also a full 18-hole putting course set in the grounds of Mount Juliet House, which is the venue for the annual National Putting Championship. Kilkenny Golf Club is 18-hole championship parkland course within the town to the North West, close to town centre. It hosted several Professional Championship events. In 1984 and 1996, it was the venue for the All Ireland Mixed Foursome Finals and in 1985 hosted the All Ireland Cups and Shields Finals. 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. Other golf courses include Gowran Park Golf Course in Gowran, Callan Golf Club in

, Castlecomer Golf Club in

, Mountain View Golf Course in

and Carrigleade Golf Course in

Culture

The Riordans ''The Riordans'' was the second Irish television drama serial made by Raidio Telefís Éireann (then called ''Telefís Éireann''). It ran from 1965 to 1979 and was set in the fictional townland of Leestown in County Kilkenny. Its location fi ...

(1965 to 1979) made by Raidió Teilifís Éireann (then called ''Telefís Éireann'') was set in the fictional

of Leestown in County Kilkenny. Its use of

Outside Broadcast Outside broadcasting (OB) is the electronic field production (EFP) of television or radio programmes (typically to cover television news and sports television events) from a mobile remote broadcast television studio. Professional video camera a ...

Units and its filming of its episodes ''on location'' rather than in studio, broke the mould of broadcasting in the soap opera

genre Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...

. It was the second

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * 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 isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

and inspired the creation of its British equivalent, ''

Emmerdale Farm ''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British soap opera that is broadcast on ITV1. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales. Created by Kevin Laffan, '' ...

'' (now called ''Emmerdale'') by

Yorkshire Television ITV Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire Television and commonly referred to as just YTV, is the British television service provided by ITV Broadcasting Limited for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV (TV network), ITV network. Until 19 ...

in 1972.

County anthem

The song "

The Rose of Mooncoin The Rose of Mooncoin is a ballad written in the 19th century by local schoolteacher and poet Watt Murphy,who was catholic , who met and gradually fell in love with a local Protestant girl called Elizabeth, also known as Molly, and set in Mooncoin, ...

" is the traditional anthem of the county at GAA fixtures. The recently released, ''Kilkenny by the Nore'' sung by Alice O'Hanlon is also now considered an anthem.

Notable people

In the book: "Kilkenny: The Landed Gentry & Aristocracy" by Art Kavanagh (2004), he had devoted 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 of Castle Blunden, Bryan of Jenkinstown, Butler (Lords Carrick), Butler of Maidenhall, Butler (Lords Mountgarret), Butler (Earls of Ormonde), Cuffe (Lords Desart), De Montmorency, Flood of Farmley, Langrishe of

, Loftus of Mount Juliet, McCalmont of Mount Juliet, Ponsonby (Earls of Bessborough), Power of Kilfane, Smithwick of Kilcreene, St George of Freshford and Wandesforde of Catlecomer.

Notes

References

Footnotes

External links

Kilkenny County Council Website
* {{Authority control Kilkenny Kilkenny Kilkenny