When was kilkenny the capital of ireland

Kilkenny City is administered by a borough council and has a Mayor. The population of the town and its environs is approximately 25, The majority of the population of Kilkenny City live outside the borough boundary.

From an ecclesiastical foundation, Kilkenny was the ancient capital of the kingdom of Ossory. The town was established, then a city, in by royal charter. Kilkenny was the capital of Confederate Ireland between and Kilkenny is famous for its medieval building and castle. The town has been referred to as the "Marble City" for centuries.

People from Kilkenny are often referred to as 'Cats'. Kilkenny was the capital of Confederate Ireland between and , until it surrendered during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. In St. This move upset many of the inhabitants of Kilkenny and local politicians and so a provision was added to the act to allow for "the continued use of the description city in relation to Kilkenny, to the extent that that description was used before the establishment day".

In early Norman times, up to the late 12th century, Kilkenny was the capital of the colony in Ireland. It also became the home of a preceptory of the Knights of St Thomas. Co Kerry town named among Europe's most beautiful. Experts name top 21 places to visit in Ireland, beyond Cliffs of Moher. Top ten handcrafted Irish gifts for your loved ones this Christmas.

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The Black Abbey offers another excellent slice of medieval history. It was built for the Dominicans in by the remarkable William Marshall, a man who unseated Richard the Lionheart in a jousting tournament, bullied King John into signing Magna Carta, married the sole heiress of Strongbow and Aoife, toured the Middle East on several Crusades and encouraged rabbit breeding in Ireland because he liked the taste of them.

Marshall was also responsible for the creation of the original four towers of Kilkenny Castle. Considerably modified by the Earl of Ormonde in the s, the castle today houses an impressive collection of 17th - 19th century art and the guided tours are colourful and informative.

Marshall also commissioned the building of the city walls. The net result of his efforts was the emergence of a thriving merchant class during the Middle Ages. Indeed two of Kilkenny's great landmarks date from the Elizabethan Age - Rothe House on Parliament Street a Tudor townhouse built for a prominent merchant family and Shee Alm's House where the poor and destitute gathered to receive food and medicines, now home to the Kilkenny Touirst Office.

One of the unexpected delights of the city is its ample parkland. The Fair Green, behind the city, lends a delightfully rural ambience to the city's heart, reminding us how recently farmers paraded their prize cattle through the streets. When Lord Ormonde sold Kilkenny Castle to the State in , he insisted the great rolling meadows be retained as a park for the citizens of Kilkenny. It was a tremendous boost for the city and today people of all shapes and sizes wander amid this lush woodland green.

Another splendid walking route leads directly beneath the Castle, along the banks of the Nore, escorting you to open spaces decorated by sculptures both sensual and extraordinary. Kilkenny is a city synonymous with arts and craft par excellence. Some of the finest shopping is to be found in the Kilkenny Design Centre, former stables to the Ormonde's horses. But jewelers, woodworkers, potters and craftsmen of great skill are burrowed down many a side-street or slip-way and again, one only need ask for directions.

The annual Arts festival has bequeathed a legacy of artistic merit, perhaps best exemplified by the ongoing exhibitions in the Butler Gallery. The Watergate Theatre on Parliament Street regularly hosts plays that go on to grace the stages of Dublin. In the immediate vicinity, there are plenty of golf courses, go-kart tracks, equestrian and leisure centres to keep visitors in full trim, or perhaps one's visit coincides with a horse race meeting at Gowran Park or a busy schedule in the city's greyhound track.