▁created ▁in ▁the ▁w ake ▁of ▁the ▁Norman ▁invasion ▁of ▁Ireland ▁in ▁ 1 1 6 9 – 7 1 . ▁Kil ken ny ▁formed ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁lord ship ▁of ▁Le in ster . ▁Str ong bow ▁became ▁Lord ▁of ▁Le in ster ▁in ▁ 1 1 7 1 . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁Norman ▁invasion , ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁Ireland ▁was ▁divided ▁into ▁thirty - two ▁count ies . ▁The ▁Republic ▁of ▁Ireland ▁today ▁is ▁made ▁up ▁of ▁twenty - six ▁of ▁the ▁traditional ▁thirty - two ▁count ies ▁with ▁the ▁other ▁six ▁forming ▁Northern ▁Ireland . ▁Two ▁former ▁count ies ▁in ▁the ▁Republic ▁have ▁been ▁sub div ided , ▁giving ▁a ▁modern ▁total ▁of ▁twenty - n ine ▁count ies ▁for ▁administrative ▁purposes ▁rather ▁than ▁twenty - six . ▁ ▁Places ▁of ▁interest ▁ ▁Architecture ▁▁ ▁The ▁architecture ▁of ▁County ▁Kil ken ny ▁contains ▁features ▁from ▁all ▁er as ▁since ▁the ▁Stone ▁Age ▁including ▁Norman ▁and ▁Ang lo - I r ish ▁cast les , ▁Georg ian ▁urban ▁buildings , ▁towns ▁and ▁villages ▁with ▁unique ▁architect ures , ▁p all ad ian ▁and ▁ro c oco ▁country ▁houses , ▁Goth ic ▁and ▁ne o - G oth ic ▁c athed r als ▁and ▁buildings . ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁a ▁new ▁economic ▁climate ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁r ena issance ▁of ▁culture ▁and ▁design , ▁with ▁some ▁at ▁the ▁cutting ▁edge ▁of ▁modern ▁architecture . ▁County ▁Kil ken ny ▁contains ▁varied ▁architecture ▁including ▁passage ▁gra ves , ▁ring