County Kilkenny

County Kilkenny () is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the South-East Region. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. Kilkenny County Council is the local authority for the county. As of the 2016 census the population of the county was 99,232. The county was based on the historic Gaelic kingdom of Ossory ("Osraighe"), which was co-terminus with the Diocese of Ossory.
Geography and political 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 to the west, Waterford to the south, Carlow and Wexford to the east, and Laois 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 Waterford, from Dublin and from Cork.
Physical geography.
The River Nore flows through the county and the River Suir forms the border with County Waterford. Brandon Hill is the highest point with an elevation 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 Laois to the valley of the Suir and eastward from the Munster–Leinster border to the River Barrow. The River Nore bisects the county and the River Barrow and River Suir are natural boundaries to the east and south of the county. County Kilkenny is bordered by Laois, Carlow, Wexford, Waterford and Tipperary.
Rivers.
The main rivers in County Kilkenny, called the Three Sisters, are the Nore, Barrow and Suir. The River Nore bisects the county and flows through Ballyragget, Kilkenny City and the villages of Bennettsbridge, Thomastown 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.
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 River Barrow. On the River Barrow, from the villages of Goresbridge and Graiguenamanagh, there is a navigable river with traditional barges to the River Shannon or to Dublin Bay. 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, in County Kilkenny includes Hugginstown Fen south-west of Ballyhale, The Loughans near Urlingford, Cullahill Mountain on the Castlecomer Plateau near Johnstown, Spahill and Clomantagh Hill which form part of an escarpment which links the Slieveardagh Hills with the Castlecomer Plateau, Galmoy Fen north of Johnstown, Lower River Suir south of Thurles, the freshwater stretches of the Barrow/River Nore and Thomastown Quarry, near Thomastown.
In 2005 Coan Bogs was defined as a "Natural Heritage Area" under section 18 of the Wildlife Act 2000. The blanket bog consists of two small areas of upland blanket bog located near Castlecomer 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 along the River Suir 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 of County Kilkenny includes hedgehogs, otters, badgers, red foxes, and bats such as Leisler's bat, Daubenton's bat, the brown long-eared bat and the common pipistrelle. There is also sika deer, fallow deer, stoat, 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 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. There are also vulnerable species like lesser snapdragon, meadow barley, 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 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 River Nore, Grenan Wood (SAC), Knockadrina, Garryricken North (NHA/SNR), Ballytobin/Ballaghtobin, Brownstown Wood (NHA/SAC), Kyleadohir Wood (NHA/SNR), Brown's Wood, Thomastown, 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) and the Forest Service (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine). 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, based on characteristics such as age, height, diameter, historical or folklore connections. The tallest tree in Kilkenny is a silver fir 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 Thomastown. 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 Castlecomer and the Castle Gardens in Kilkenny City.
Important trees in county Kilkenny include two cedars of Lebanon at "Kildalton Agricultural College" in Piltown, a Monterey cypress, beech, silver fir and two coastal redwood at Woodstock Gardens in Inistioge. In Thomastown 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, Monterey cypress, sweet/Spanish chestnut and a holm oak/evergreen oak at "Kilfane Glebe". There is also a Turkey oak at "Threecastles House" in Kilkenny, an ash and two English/common oak at "Ballytobin House" in Callan, a common lime, Wellingtonia giant sequoia and two Monterey cypress at Shankill Castle in Paulstown, 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 Castlecomer.
Climate.
The climate of County Kilkenny, like the climate of Ireland, is a changeable oceanic climate with few extremes. It is defined as a temperate oceanic climate, or "Cfb" on the Köppen climate classification 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, 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 on 26 June 1887.
The Met Éireann 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. 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 Met Éireann.
The maximum temperature recorded at the Met Station was on 2 August 1995. Extremes recorded at the station include the highest air temperature 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. 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 Ballyhale in the Callan and Knocktopher areas. It forms the uppermost part of the Old Red Sandstone and is the distinctive Upper Devonian–Lower Carboniferous unit in southern Ireland. It contains non-red lithologies, green mudstones, siltstones, fine sandstones and yellow sandstones. There is a fossil 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 Castlecomer, 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 and national legislation. The four categories of designated site in effect in County Kilkenny are Special Areas of Conservation, 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 Brandon Hill (), at above sea level. 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 Castlecomer 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 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 Laois. 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 Suir.
In the south of the county is Brandon Hill, at and is near the Barrow and Graiguenamanagh. 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 and townlands. 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.
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 townlands (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 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 county boundaries.
Local government and politics.
Local Government.
Local government in County Kilkenny is governed by the "Local Government Acts", the most recent of which (Local Government Reform Act 2014) established a unitary structure of local government. This single-tier structure consists of Kilkenny County Council. Until 2014, the second tier of local government consisted of Kilkenny Borough Council which was a town council. 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.
For the purposes of local government, Kilkenny is divided into 4 local electoral areas - Callan–Thomastown (6), Castlecomer (6), Kilkenny city (7) and Piltown (5) - which return a total of 24 elected 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 and Fine Gael emerged as the two dominant parties, holding 20 of the 24 seats between them. The Labour Party hold 2 seats, the Green Party hold 1 seat, and there is 1 independent. Sinn Féin, 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.
National Elections.
For elections to Dáil Éireann, Kilkenny is part of the Carlow–Kilkenny constituency which returns 5 TDs. The present form of the constituency was created for the 1948 general election. Kilkenny has been represented through several parliamentary constituencies in the past. From 1918 to 1921 Kilkenny was part of the North Kilkenny United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. In 1921 the Carlow–Kilkenny Dáil constituency was created and has stayed apart from between 1937 and 1948 when there was just a Kilkenny constituency.
European Elections.
For statistical purposes at European level, the county is part of the South-East Region - a NUTS III entity - which is in turn part of the level II NUTS entity - Southern. The county is located within the South constituency for elections to the European Parliament. The constituency has 5 seats and comprises the South-East, South-West and Mid-West regions of Ireland.
As the county is part of the South-East Region, some county councillors are also representatives on the Southern Regional Assembly.
History.
County Kilkenny takes its name from the city 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, now St. Canice's Cathedral, which was built in honour of St. Canice.
The Kingdom of Osraige was one of the ancient Kingdoms of Ireland. The Kings of Osraige, the Mac Giolla Phádraig family, reigned over Osraige and Cill Chainnigh was their stronghold. The Kingdom of Ossory existed from at least the 2nd century until the 13th century AD. The current ecclesiastical dioceses of that area is still known as Ossory. The medieval Diocese of Ossory and was established in 549 AD, and its territory corresponded to the medieval Kingdom of Ossory. In historic times, Kilkenny replaced Aghaboe as the chief church in Osraige.
The kingdom was bounded by two of the Three Sisters the rivers Barrow and Suir and the northern limit was, generally, the Slieve Bloom Mountains. 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 River Suir, to the east the watershed of the River Barrow marked the boundary with Leinster, and to the north it extended into and beyond the Slieve Bloom Mountains. 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 between Leinster 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 and Éile of Munster to the south and west.
The name Osraige is said to be from the Usdaie, a Celtic tribe that Ptolemy'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 people. Others propose that the Ivernic groups included the Osraige of the Kingdom of Osraige/Ossory. 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, Wexford and Waterford.
Pope Adrian IV gave Norman King Henry II of England 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 the King of Leinster 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 lord notable Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, known to history as Strongbow. MacMurrough secured the services of Richard, promising him the hand of his daughter Aoife of Leinster and the succession to Leinster. Richard and other Marcher barons and knights by King Henry assembled an army. The army, under Raymond le Gros, took Wexford, Waterford and Dublin 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 was a lordship created in the wake of the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169–71. Kilkenny formed part of the lordship of Leinster. Strongbow became Lord of Leinster in 1171.
Following the Norman invasion, the island of Ireland was divided into thirty-two counties. The Republic of Ireland today is made up of twenty-six of the traditional thirty-two counties with the other six forming Northern Ireland. Two former counties in the Republic have been subdivided, giving a modern total of twenty-nine counties for administrative purposes rather than twenty-six.
Places of interest.
Architecture.
The architecture of County Kilkenny contains features from all eras since the Stone Age including Norman and Anglo-Irish castles, Georgian urban buildings, towns and villages with unique architectures, palladian and rococo country houses, Gothic and neo-Gothic cathedrals 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. County Kilkenny contains varied architecture including passage graves, ringforts, Irish round towers, castles, churches and cathedrals, abbeys and priories, bridges and roads, and townhouses 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 house was identified in Granny near Waterford, 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 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 graves 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, Danesfort, Dunbell big and Tullaroan 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 and one on the Isle of Man. The tower at St Canice's Cathedral 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 near Knocktopher.
Castles.
Kilkenny Castle 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 tower house 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 and given to his officers after the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland.
Abbeys and priories.

Virginia Beach Town Center station

Kellam Road and Constitution Drive were two planned light rail stations on the proposed Tide Light Rail line extension towards Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S., These stations, along with Witchduck Road was to open in late 2019 or early 2020, however, due to the 2016 Virginia Beach City referendum regarding light rail being a no-majority, work on light rail has been ceased as of December 2016. The station was to serve the Virginia Beach Town Center. The Town Center area had up to six possible locations, but after a 30% Preliminary Design study, narrowed them down to Kellam Road at the Western portion of the area and Constitution Drive at the Eastern end of the Town Center will be situated on former Norfolk Southern owned track which is now owned by the city. Eventual plans call for the light rail to be extended to the Oceanfront, however it is uncertain if light rail or even bus rapid transit will be constructed at this time.