History of Kilkenny
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The history of Kilkenny () began with an early sixth-century ecclesiastical foundation, this relates to a church built in honour of St. Canice, now St. Canice's Cathedral and was a major monastic centre from at least the eighth century. The ''
Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of Middle Ages, medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Flood myt ...
'' recorded the first reference ''Cill Chainnigh'' in 1085. Prehistoric activity has been recorded suggesting intermittent settlement activity in the area in the Mesolithic and Bronze Age. Information on the history of Kilkenny can be found from newspapers, photographs, letters, drawings, manuscripts and archaeology. Kilkenny is documented in manuscripts from the 13th century onwards and one of the most important of these is ''Liber Primus Kilkenniensis''. The Kings of Ossory had residence around Cill Chainnigh. The seat of diocese of
Kingdom of Osraige Osraige (Old Irish) or Osraighe (Classical Irish), Osraí (Modern Irish), anglicized as Ossory, was a medieval Irish kingdom comprising what is now County Kilkenny and western County Laois, corresponding to the Diocese of Ossory. The home of t ...
was moved from
Aghaboe Aghaboe () is a small village in County Laois, Ireland. It is located on the R434 regional road in the rural hinterland west of the town of Abbeyleix. It contains the ruins of the Abbey of Aghaboe which was founded by St. Canice in the Osso ...
to Cill Chainnigh. Following
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 ...
, Richard Strongbow, as Lord of Lenister, established a castle near modern-day
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 ...
. William Marshall began the development of the town of Kilkenny and a series of walls to protect the burghers. By the late thirteenth century Kilkenny was under Norman-Irish control. The original ecclesiastical centre at St. Canice's Cathedral became known as Irishtown and the Anglo-Norman borough inside the wall came to be known as Hightown. Hiberno-Norman Kilkenny presence in Kilkenny was deeply shaken by the Black Death, which arrived in Kilkenny in 1348. The
Statutes of Kilkenny The Statutes of Kilkenny were a series of thirty-five acts enacted by the Parliament of Ireland at Kilkenny in 1366, aiming to curb the decline of the Hiberno-Norman Lordship of Ireland. Background to the Statutes By the middle decades of the ...
passed at Kilkenny in 1367, aimed to curb the decline of the Hiberno-Norman
Lordship of Ireland The Lordship of Ireland ( 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 ...
. In 1609
King James I of England James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...
granted Kilkenny a
Royal Charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but s ...
giving it the status of a city. Following the Rebellion of 1641, the
Irish Catholic Confederation Confederate Ireland, also referred to as the Irish Catholic Confederation, was a period of Irish Catholic self-government between 1642 and 1649, during the Eleven Years' War. Formed by Catholic aristocrats, landed gentry, clergy and military ...
, also known as the "Confederation of Kilkenny", and was based in Kilkenny and lasted until the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in 1649.
James II of England James VII and II (14 October 1633 16 September 1701) was King of England and King of Ireland as James II, and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II, on 6 February 1685. He was deposed in the Glorious Re ...
spent most of the winter months from November 1689 until January 1690 at Kilkenny, residing in the castle The Kilkenny Design Workshops were opened in 1965 and in 1967 the
Marquess of Ormonde A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman w ...
presented
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 ...
to the people of Kilkenny. Today, the city has a lively cultural scene, with annual events including the Kilkenny Arts Week Festival in the last two weeks of August, and the
Cat Laughs The ''Cat Laughs Comedy Festival'' is a comedy festival held over the first weekend in June each year in Kilkenny, County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland. It was founded in 1994. History Cat Laughs was envisioned in 1994 by Lynn Cahill who ran ...
Comedy Festival at the beginning of June. The city has been referred to as the ''Marble City''. People from Kilkenny are often referred to as Cats. The seat of the
Roman Catholic Bishop of Ossory The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ossory ( ga, Deoise Osraí) is a Roman Catholic diocese in eastern Ireland. It is one of three suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Dublin. ...
is at St. Mary's Cathedral and the
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 ...
Bishop of Cashel and Ossory The Bishop of Cashel and Ossory (''Full title'': Bishop of Cashel, Waterford and Lismore with Ossory, Ferns and Leighlin) is the Ordinary of the United Diocese of Cashel, Waterford and Lismore with Ossory, Ferns and Leighlin in the Church of ...
is at St. Canice's Cathedral.


Prehistoric

Prehistoric activity has been recorded suggesting intermittent settlement activity in the area in the Mesolithic and Bronze Age.


Early Christian

Kilkenny is the anglicised version of the Irish ''Cill Chainnigh'', meaning ''Cell/Church of Cainneach or Canice''. This relates to a church built in honour of St. Canice on the hill now containing St. Canice's Cathedral and the
round tower A fortified tower (also defensive tower or castle tower or, in context, just tower) is one of the defensive structures used in fortifications, such as castles, along with curtain walls. Castle towers can have a variety of different shapes and fu ...
. This seems to be the first major settlement. The early Christian origin of the round tower suggests an early ecclesiastical foundation at Kilkenny. The ''
Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of Middle Ages, medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Flood myt ...
'' recorded Kilkenny in 1085. Prior to this time the early 6th-century territory was known as ''Osraighe,'' referring to the whole district or the capital. The Four Masters entry was the first instance where the capital was called ''Ceall-Cainnigh'' (modernised Kilkenny). There is no mention of ''Cill Chainnigh'' in the lives of
Cainnech of Aghaboe Cainnech of Aghaboe (515/16–600), also known as Saint Canice in Ireland, Saint Kenneth in Scotland, Saint Kenny and in Latin Sanctus Canicus, was an Irish abbot, monastic founder, priest and missionary during the early medieval period. Cainn ...
, Ciarán of Saighir or any of the early annals of Ireland suggesting that Cill Chainnigh was not of ancient civil importance. Cill Chainnigh was a major monastic centre from at least the eighth century and 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 ...
had residence there. The seat of diocese of
Kingdom of Osraige Osraige (Old Irish) or Osraighe (Classical Irish), Osraí (Modern Irish), anglicized as Ossory, was a medieval Irish kingdom comprising what is now County Kilkenny and western County Laois, corresponding to the Diocese of Ossory. The home of t ...
was moved from
Aghaboe Aghaboe () is a small village in County Laois, Ireland. It is located on the R434 regional road in the rural hinterland west of the town of Abbeyleix. It contains the ruins of the Abbey of Aghaboe which was founded by St. Canice in the Osso ...
to Cill Chainnigh.


Medieval (1169—1541)

Kilkenny formed part of the Lordship of Leinster 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.
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 ...
, commonly known as Strongbow, became ''Lord of Leinster'' in 1171. In 1172 Strongbow constructed the first castle, a wooden fortress, near what is now
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 ...
. This was possibly on the site of an earlier residence of the Mac Gilla Pátraic ( Fitzpatrick) who was in control of 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 ...
. The building of
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 ...
fortresses, walls, castle and town begun. In an attempt by the Gaelic clans to resist the Normans, O'Brien and Mac Gillapatrick destroyed Strongbow's fortress in 1173. King of England
Richard I Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine and Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, and Count of Poitiers, Anjou, Maine, and Nantes, and was ...
arranged for
William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1146 or 1147 – 14 May 1219), also called William the Marshal (Norman French: ', French: '), was an Anglo-Norman soldier and statesman. He served five English kings— Henry II, his sons the "Young King" ...
to marry the 17-year-old daughter of Richard Strongbow
Isabel de Clare, 4th Countess of Pembroke Isabel de Clare, suo jure 4th Countess of Pembroke and Striguil (c. 1172 – 11 March 1220), was an Anglo-Irish noblewoman and one of the wealthiest heiresses in Wales and Ireland. She was the wife of William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke, who s ...
in 1189.
Earl Marshal Earl marshal (alternatively marschal or marischal) is a hereditary royal officeholder and chivalric title under the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, sovereign of the United Kingdom used in England (then, following the Act of Union 1800, in the U ...
, William Marshall become Lord of Leinster 1192 and made numerous improvements to his wife's lands, including in Kilkenny. With the appointment of Geoffrey FitzRobert as Seneschal of
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 ...
a major phase of development in Kilkenny began. In 1195 William Marshall rebuilt the fortress at Kilkenny, later to be rebuilt (close by) as the thirteenth-century
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 ...
. In 1202 under the reign of Hugh De Rous,
Bishop 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 ...
(1202–1215), work began on St. Canice's Cathedral. Certain historians cite this as the timeframe the See of Ossory was moved from
Aghaboe Aghaboe () is a small village in County Laois, Ireland. It is located on the R434 regional road in the rural hinterland west of the town of Abbeyleix. It contains the ruins of the Abbey of Aghaboe which was founded by St. Canice in the Osso ...
to Kilkenny. The first stone castle 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 ...
was begun in 1204 by William Marshall the site was completed in 1213. A charter of 1207 from
William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1146 or 1147 – 14 May 1219), also called William the Marshal (Norman French: ', French: '), was an Anglo-Norman soldier and statesman. He served five English kings— Henry II, his sons the "Young King" ...
confirmed privileges on the town and the town was extended northwards as far as the River Breagagh by an exchange of lands with the bishop of Ossory. There were two townships: Irishtown and Hightown. The original ecclesiastical centre at St. Canice's Cathedral became known as Irishtown and was a possession of the bishop of Ossory. The Anglo-Norman borough inside the wall came to be known as Hightown. Irishtown had its charter from the bishops of Ossory and Hightown which was established by
William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1146 or 1147 – 14 May 1219), also called William the Marshal (Norman French: ', French: '), was an Anglo-Norman soldier and statesman. He served five English kings— Henry II, his sons the "Young King" ...
. A series of walls was built to protect the burghers. There were also suburbs which became either depopulated (for example Flemingstown, now under the Castle Park) or incorporated into the city ( Highhays, Donaghmore). The Augustinians order of monks were based in John Street prior to 1200. In 1211, William Marshall granted by charter a new site in the present John Street for a new Priory, known as the Priory of St. John the Evangelist. Building continued on the site for many years. In 1219 William Marshall, seneschal of Ireland died. The Black Abbey was founded in Kilkenny city by William Marshall the younger. By the late thirteenth century Kilkenny was under Norman-Irish control. The Norman presence in the city is still very evident.


Witchcraft

In the
Late Middle Ages The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the period of European history lasting from AD 1300 to 1500. The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Europe, the Renai ...
, 1320, the first recorded instance of a person being charged with
witchcraft Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have ...
in Ireland was Dame Alice Kyteler, the only child of an established Hiberno-Norman family in Kilkenny. The trial of Alice, her son and ten others, for heresy, was of one of the earliest witchcraft accusations in Europe. It was the first known trial to treat women practising witchcraft as an organised group. While centuries before the more famous witch trials in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Pope John XXII had formalised the persecution of witchcraft in 1320 when he authorised the
Inquisition The Inquisition was a group of institutions within the Catholic Church whose aim was to combat heresy, conducting trials of suspected heretics. Studies of the records have found that the overwhelming majority of sentences consisted of penances, ...
to prosecute sorcerers. While those accused of witchcraft were not tortured and executed on a large scale until the fifteenth century, in Kilkenny, those convicted were whipped and
Petronilla de Meath Petronilla de Meath (c. 1300 – 3 November 1324) was the maidservant of Dame Alice Kyteler, a Hiberno-Norman noblewoman who lived in Ireland in what is now County Kilkenny. After the death of Kyteler's fourth husband, Kyteler was accused of prac ...
, Alice's maidservant, was burned alive at the stake. She was the first case in Ireland's history of death by fire for the crime of
heresy Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...
. Dame Alice Kyteler was born in 1280 into the noble Kyteler family in Kilkenny. Alice was married four times, and each husband died. After her last husband Sir John le Poer died, her children accused her of using poison and sorcery to kill him, in the hope they would gain her fortune. The case was brought before the
Bishop 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 ...
, Richard de Ledrede and he found Alice and her followers rejected the Christian faith. The bishop wrote to the Chancellor of Ireland, Roger Utlagh or Outlawe to have Alice arrested. Outlawe was Alice's brother-in-law and he imprisoned the Bishop and Sir Arnold le Poer, the seneschal of Kilkenny. After seventeen days in prison, the bishop was released and continued to pursue and torture Alice's maidservant
Petronilla de Meath Petronilla de Meath (c. 1300 – 3 November 1324) was the maidservant of Dame Alice Kyteler, a Hiberno-Norman noblewoman who lived in Ireland in what is now County Kilkenny. After the death of Kyteler's fourth husband, Kyteler was accused of prac ...
. It is presumed that Alice and Petronilla's daughter, Basilia fled to the
Kingdom of England The Kingdom of England (, ) was a sovereign state on the island of Great Britain from 12 July 927, when it emerged from various History of Anglo-Saxon England, Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, until 1 May 1707, when it united with Kingdom of Scotland, ...
. Petronilla was then forced to proclaim publicly that Alice and her followers were guilty of witchcraft. Her extracted confession included claims that she and her mistress applied a magical ointment to a wooden beam, which enabled both women to fly. She was then burned alive at the stake.


Statutes of Kilkenny

Hiberno-Norman Kilkenny presence in Kilkenny was deeply shaken by the Black Death, which arrived in Kilkenny in 1348. Because most of the English and Norman inhabitants of Kilkenny lived in towns and villages, the plague hit them far harder than it did the native Irish, who lived in more dispersed rural settlements. A celebrated account from a monastery in Cill Chainnigh (Kilkenny), by Friar
John Clyn John Clyn, O.F.M. (c. 1286 – c. 1349), of the Friars Minor, Kilkenny, was a 14th-century Irish friar and chronicler who lived at the time of the Black Death. Background Clyn was probably born in Leinster some years prior to 1300, possibly a ...
in 1348 chronicles the plague as the beginning of the extinction of humanity and the end of the world. The plague was a catastrophe for the English habitations around the country and, after it had passed, Gaelic Irish language and customs came to dominate the country again. The English-controlled area shrunk back to the Pale, a fortified area around Dublin. The
Statutes of Kilkenny The Statutes of Kilkenny were a series of thirty-five acts enacted by the Parliament of Ireland at Kilkenny in 1366, aiming to curb the decline of the Hiberno-Norman Lordship of Ireland. Background to the Statutes By the middle decades of the ...
were a series of thirty-five acts passed at Kilkenny in 1367, aiming to curb the decline of the Hiberno-Norman
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 ...
. By the middle decades of the 13th century, the Hiberno-Norman presence in Ireland was perceived to be under threat, mostly due to the dissolution of English laws and customs among English settlers. These English settlers were described as ''"
more Irish than the Irish themselves "More Irish than the Irish themselves" ( ga, Níos Gaelaí ná na Gaeil féin, la, Hiberniores Hibernis ipsis) is a phrase used in Irish historiography to describe a phenomenon of cultural assimilation in late medieval Norman Ireland. History ...
"'', referring to them taking up Irish law, custom, costume and language. The introduction to the text of the statutes claim; The statutes tried to prevent this "middle nation", which was neither true English nor (subjugated) Irish, by reasserting English culture among the English settlers. The statutes begin by recognising that the English settlers had been influenced by Irish culture and customs, as quoted above. They forebode the intermarriage between the native Irish and the native English, the English fostering of Irish children, the English adoption of Irish children and use of Irish names and dress. Those English colonists who did not know how to speak English were required to learn the language (on pain of losing their land and belongings), along with many other English customs. The Irish pastimes of "horling" and "coiting" were to be dropped and pursuits such as archery and lancing to be taken up, so that the English colonists would be more able to defend against Irish aggression, using English military tactics.


Post-Medieval


''City of Kilkenny''

William Marshall, Lord of Leinster, had given Kilkenny a charter setting out the rights of its burgesses and freemen in 1207. Its first Council was elected in 1231 and since then Kilkenny has had a continuous record of municipal government. From the 13th century to the end of the 16th the chief magistrate was known as the Sovereign, and since then as Mayor, for its chief citizen.
King James I of England James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...
granted Kilkenny a
royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but s ...
conferring the status of a City in 1609. A 17th-century description of the ''City of Kilkenny'' lies in a manuscript called ''De Ossoriensi Dioescesi'', which was a tract on the diocese of Ossory believed to be written by David Rothe the Roman Catholic Bishop of Ossory. The manuscript translates from Latin as; Kilkenny is described as the ''City of Kilkenny'' or ''Kilkenny City'' but does not have a city council. The Local Government Act 2001 allows for the continued use of city;


Jacobite and Williamite City

James II of England James VII and II (14 October 1633 16 September 1701) was King of England and King of Ireland as James II, and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II, on 6 February 1685. He was deposed in the Glorious Re ...
's pro-Catholic and Pro-France policies provoked a revolt in England and the king fled to France. With the assistance of French troops in March 1689 James landed at Kinsale in Ireland and via Kilkenny went to Dublin. The Irish Parliament declared that James remained King and passed a massive
bill of attainder A bill of attainder (also known as an act of attainder or writ of attainder or bill of penalties) is an act of a legislature declaring a person, or a group of people, guilty of some crime, and punishing them, often without a trial. As with attai ...
against those who had rebelled against him. The Irish parliament declared the lands of Protestant supporters of William of Orange, such as
James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde James FitzJames Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde, (1665–1745) was an Irish statesman and soldier. He was the third of the Kilcash branch of the family to inherit the earldom of Ormond. Like his grandfather, the 1st Duke, he was raised as a Protes ...
, to be forfeit.
James II of England James VII and II (14 October 1633 16 September 1701) was King of England and King of Ireland as James II, and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II, on 6 February 1685. He was deposed in the Glorious Re ...
spent most of the winter months from November 1689 until January 1690 at Kilkenny, residing in the castle James worked to build an army in Ireland, but was ultimately defeated at the
Battle of the Boyne The Battle of the Boyne ( ga, Cath na Bóinne ) was a battle in 1690 between the forces of the deposed King James II of England and Ireland, VII of Scotland, and those of King William III who, with his wife Queen Mary II (his cousin and J ...
on 1 July 1690 when William arrived, personally leading an army to defeat James and reassert English control. After James's defeat at the Battle of the Boyne, his retreating army passed through Kilkenny on its way to Limerick and forced the citizens to pay protection money to save the city from looting. James fled to France once more, departing from
Kinsale Kinsale ( ; ) is a historic port and fishing town in County Cork, Ireland. Located approximately south of Cork City on the southeast coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon, and has a population of 5,281 (a ...
, never to return to any of his former kingdoms. Kilkenny surrendered to the Williamites without firing a shot, and the propertied Old English families, who had supported James, lost everything. The Williamite army, commanded by General Godert de Ginkel, camped beside Kilkenny making the city the winter headquarters from October 1690 until May 1691 when it moved on to besiege Limerick. During the late 17th century James II had urged the Irish Parliament to pass an Act for Liberty of Conscience that granted religious freedom to all Catholics and Protestants in Ireland. He elevated the Catholic college into a university at the Royal College of St. Canice. It took over the premises of Ormonde's grammar school at Kilkenny College. Six months later, after James's defeat at the battle of the Boyne, the university was forced to close.


Lord Lieutenant of Kilkenny

The office of Lord Lieutenant of Kilkenny was created on 23 August 1831.
James Butler, 1st Marquess of Ormonde James Wandesford Butler, 1st Marquess of Ormonde, (15 July 1774 – 18 May 1838) was an Irish nobleman and politician. He was the second son of John Butler, 17th Earl of Ormonde and Frances Susan Elizabeth Wandesford. He was born at Kilkenny c ...
,
John Ponsonby, 4th Earl of Bessborough John William Ponsonby, 4th Earl of Bessborough, PC (31 August 1781 – 16 May 1847), known as Viscount Duncannon from 1793 to 1844, was a British Whig politician. He was notably Home Secretary in 1834 and served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland ...
, William Frederick Fownes Tighe,
James Butler, 3rd Marquess of Ormonde James Edward William Theobald Butler, 3rd Marquess of Ormonde, (5 October 1844 – 26 October 1919), styled Earl of Ossory until 1854, was an Irish nobleman and member of the Butler dynasty. Family He was the son of John Butler, 2nd Marquess o ...
and
Hamilton Cuffe, 5th Earl of Desart Hamilton John Agmondesham Cuffe, 5th Earl of Desart, (30 August 1848 – 4 November 1934) was an Irish peer and barrister. Early life Cuffe was the second son of John Cuffe, 3rd Earl of Desart and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Campbell. He had an ...
held that office.


Modern history

Kilkenny won their first All-Ireland Hurling Title in 1904. John's Church was built from 1903 to 1908. In 1904,
King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria a ...
of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was a sovereign state in the British Isles that existed between 1801 and 1922, when it included all of Ireland. It was established by the Acts of Union 1800, which merged the Kingdom of Grea ...
and his wife Queen Alexandra visited Kilkenny. The city was filled with thousands of people. The King spoke of his deep interest in the Irish people and his desire to promote their welfare.
W. T. Cosgrave William Thomas Cosgrave (5 June 1880 – 16 November 1965) was an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as the president of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State from 1922 to 1932, leader of the Opposition in both the Free State and Ir ...
won a by-election in Kilkenny in 1917 for the
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 ...
Party. In early May 1922 before the Irish Civil War there was a serious clash in Kilkenny, when anti-Treaty forces occupied the centre of the city and 200 pro-Treaty troops were sent from Dublin to disperse them. On 3 May the Dáil was informed that 18 men had been killed in the fighting in Kilkenny. In a bid to avoid an all-out civil war, both sides agreed to a truce on 3 May 1922. On 15 December 1922, the Irish Free State Kilkenny Barracks were reported to have overrun and captured by irregulars. Kilkenny Castle was closed in 1935 and the Ormonde family left Ireland. The Kilkenny Design Workshops were opened in 1965 and in 1967 the
Marquess of Ormonde A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman w ...
presented
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 ...
to the people of Kilkenny. Margaret Tynan became the first woman elected
Mayor of Kilkenny The Mayor of Kilkenny ( ga, Cathaoirleach) is an honorific title used by the head of Kilkenny Borough Council. The Council has jurisdiction throughout its administrative area which is the city of Kilkenny in the Republic of Ireland. The office w ...
. A new stamp marking the 400th anniversary of Kilkenny's upgrade from town to city status was issued by An Post on 16 June 2009. The stamp features an illustration of Kilkenny Castle, as viewed from the quays, with St. John's Bridge in the foreground. In 2009, Mayor Malcolm Noonan became the first
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 ...
mayor. The
Heritage Council (Ireland) The Heritage Council ( ga, An Comhairle Oidhreachta) is an organisation created by the Irish government to "engage, educate and advocate to develop a wider understanding of the vital contribution that our heritage makes to our social, environmenta ...
offices were moved to Church Lane. Today, the city has a lively cultural scene, with annual events including the Kilkenny Arts Week Festival in the last two weeks of August, and the
Cat Laughs The ''Cat Laughs Comedy Festival'' is a comedy festival held over the first weekend in June each year in Kilkenny, County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland. It was founded in 1994. History Cat Laughs was envisioned in 1994 by Lynn Cahill who ran ...
Comedy Festival at the beginning of June.


See also

* Kilkenny * County Kilkenny


References


Footnotes


Further reading

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External links


The Fitzpatrick – Mac Giolla Phádraig Clan Society
{{DEFAULTSORT:History of Kilkenny Kilkenny Kilkenny Kilkenny (city)