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Kilkenny (Irish: Cill Chainnigh) is the county seat of County Kilkenny, Ireland. The city proper has a population of 8,625 whilst the figure, including environs, is 23,967; it is Ireland's smallest city both by area and population. Kilkenny is located on the River Nore is famed for its history and nightlife. Under Norman rule, Kilkenny was granted a Royal Charter in 1609 by King James I; its status as a city was most recently recognised by Section 10(7) of the Local Government Act 2001, although it does not have the administrative privileges of other cities in the Republic of Ireland and is administered by a borough council. Kilkenny, spanning the river Nore, is the only city in the Republic of Ireland that is not tidal. Kilkenny is also the only city in the republic that has neither an institute of technology nor university; although National University of Ireland, Maynooth maintains an outreach center in the city at St. Kierans College.
History Until the late 12th century, Kilkenny was the capital of the Kingdom of Osraige. The Statutes of Kilkenny (1366) got their name from the then Irish Parliament in Kilkenny. The statutes contained nineteen clauses, their general provision being to reduce the influence of the Irish on the Normans. They prohibited intermarriage as well the customs and language of the Irish, which were considered to have had an adverse effect on the Norman settlers. The statutes also attempted to outlaw Brehon Laws. Kilkenny was the capital of Confederate Ireland between 1642 and 1649, until it surrendered during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. Kilkenny acquired railway links to Dublin in 1850, Waterford in 1854, Portlaoise in 1876 and Castlecomer in 1919. Córas Iompair Éireann closed the Castlecomer and Kilkenny Junction lines in 1962. Kilkenny railway station was renamed McDonagh in 1966. Kilkenny remains an important stop on Iarnród Éireann's Intercity route between Dublin and Waterford. Architecture The city is famous for its many mediæval buildings and is referred to as the "Marble City" for hundreds of years, but the black stone with decorative white fossils that forms the backbone of many of Kilkenny's fine buildings is actually polished limestone which has been quarried from around the city for centuries, particularly from the "Black Quarry" located by the roadside, one mile south of the city, past the castle. An exposed rock face can still be seen from the road. Kilkenny marble was exported to all corners of the British Empire. The city is dominated by Kilkenny Castle and Saint Canice's Cathedral, the latter built beside an excellent example of a well preserved Round Tower. The Church of Ireland Cathedral is named after Saint Canice, who also gave his name to the town (Cill Chainnigh is Irish for "Church of Canice"). Also of notice is the Dominican 'Black Abbey', founded in 1225, lying just off Parliament Street. Industry The town has a history of brewing and is home to St. Francis Abbey Brewery which was founded in the early 18th Century by messrs Cole and Smithwick. This brewery had been owned by the Guinness Ireland Group since the 1960s. At the beginning of the 21st Century, Guinness merged with Grand Metropolitan plc to form Diageo, the world's largest alcoholic beverage business, and the brewery is now a part of Diageo Global Supply. Smithwick's Ale now forms only a small percentage of production there. Another product is the ale Kilkenny, a close relation of the ale Smithwicks. Kilkenny ale was originally created specifically for the export market to help those who found the word "Smithwicks" difficult to pronounce, but has since carved out a place for itself in the Irish beer market. Despite originally produced for export, Kilkenny ale is available in very few countries, including Ireland and Canada, due to non-compete agreements between Diageo and their competitors. Some 80% of beer produced at the brewery is Budweiser, a brand not owned by Diageo, but produced under licence. Kilkenny is also home to the head offices and a factory of Glanbia. Glanbia is one of the world's top cheese and dairy companies. Glanbia was formed from the merging of two dairy businesses: Avonmore and Waterford foods. Glanbia has interests in Ireland, the UK and the USA, and employs a total of about 4000 people. Recent developments in Kilkenny have attracted further investment from local businesses as well as attracting new industry. Leggetsrath Business Park was opened in 2003 and is home to Glanbia's innovation centre, Wellstone Clinic, KCLR (local radio station)headquarters, Pricewaterhousecoopers, Premiere Recruitment, Keane Salon Supplies and other businesses. Ormonde Retail Park has finally given Kilkenny shoppers a wider range of goods to choice from and is set to expand with 8 new units to be constructed in 2007. Hebron Business Park was constructed in 2002 and is a privately owned extension to the Hebron Industrial Estate, the main centre for industry in Kilkenny. The new link road to the M9 motorway between Dublin and Waterford will make Hebron Business Park and Industrial Estate a much sought-after location to do business. Sport Hurling See also Kilkenny GAA Kilkenny is one of the foremost counties in Ireland for proficiency in the ancient Irish game of hurling. This very fast and exciting field sport is indigenous to Ireland and is most popular in the geographical southern regions in the provinces of Leinster and Munster. Kilkenny is one of the counties where certain players (i.e. DJ Carey) can attain the status of superstars where, on an Irish national level, their standing is alongside that of internationally renowned sporting personalities. Soccer Kilkenny City AFC play in the first division of the Football League of Ireland. It entered the league as EMFA in 1986 and has yet to win a trophy at senior level. Kilkenny and District Soccer League runs leagues at schoolboy, youths and junior level throughout the county. It is affiliated to Leinster Football Association, Football Association of Ireland and Schoolboy’s Football Association of Ireland. Rugby Kilkenny Rugby Football Club has a very strong and successful Rugby Union club based at Foulkstown on the Waterford Road. The club has provided many players for the Ireland team including Ernie Ridgeway, Bill Tector, Jack Notley, Willie Duggan, Ned Byrne, Ronan Kearney and Gary Halpin. Ian Dowling playing for the Munster Rugby team was the winner of a European Rugby Cup medal at Cardiff in May 2006. Tourism Kilkenny is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Ireland as well a weekend getaway for many Irish citizens. Well regarded for its vibrant nightlife it has become increasingly popular in recent years. Kilkenny hosts the annual Smithwicks Cat Laughs Comedy festival. Additional reading | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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