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County Kilkenny's chief claim to sporting fame lies in the ancient Irish game of hurling, and the city is one of the centres of hurling in the county. The Kilkenny county team have won the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 30 times. They are in fact the current champions, having overcome Limerick GAA in the 2007 All-Ireland Championship final.
Kilkenny is also home to St. Kieran's College, a secondary school that is possibly the country's top hurling academy. Many of the most famous names of hurling history have worn the black and white of St. Kieran's, including Eddie Keher, Brian Cody and DJ Carey.
As well as the famous inter-county team, Kilkenny has many local hurling clubs including O'Loughlin Gaels, James Stephens and the 2007 All-Ireland club champions, Ballyhale Shamrocks.
[edit] Soccer
Kilkenny City AFC played in the first division of the Football League of Ireland until January 2008. It entered the league as EMFA in 1986, but resigned their position in the league after 22 years citing “lack of finance, poor results and paltry attendances”. Kilkenny and District Soccer League run leagues at schoolboy, youths and junior level throughout the county. It is affiliated to Leinster Football Association, Football Association of Ireland and the Schoolboy’s Football Association of Ireland.
[edit] Gaelic football
Gaelic football is also played in Kilkenny, although it is not as popular as it is in most Irish counties. It lags well behind the other traditional GAA game of hurling. Indeed, Kilkenny GAA's county football team is not considered good enough at present to compete in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, although they have recently been promoted to play in Division Fout of the National Football League.
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.
Kilkenny is home to Mount Juliet Golf Course which hosted the World Golf Championship - American Express Championship in 2002 & 2004 as well as the Irish Opens of 1993-95. The par 72, 7300 yard layout boasts rolling fairways, many feature water hazards and contoured greens, all superbly blended into the spectacular setting of this famous old Irish Estate.
[edit] Ice Hockey
Despite the city's lack of an ice rink, Kilkenny is home to the Kilkenny City Storm ice hockey team, who play in the Irish Ice Hockey Association Development League. The Storm are one of the top two teams in the league, which is currently in its inaugural year. The Storm consists of both local and foreign players, who travel to Dundalk Ice Dome every week for training and matches, with the players themselves footing transport and ice rental costs. The team also enjoys moderate success as an inline hockey team, playing in the Northern Inline Hockey League.
The city shield as carved on the Tholsel
Kilkenny has a rich and vibrant music scene which reaches out to all walks of life.
The medieval Kilkenny Castle and the Zoo nightclub are just some of the current music venues, that host up and coming local acts.
Cleere's pub and theatre in Parliament Street is one of the best venues for touring Irish and international bands - indie, jazz, blues - a good mix. They also have a trad music session once a week as does Ryan's on Friary Street. John Street caters to the more mainstream musical tastes with a number of nightclubs playing charts etc. The Kilkenny Arts Festival embraces Musical acts of all ages and styles.
More classical tastes can be catered for in St. Canices Cathedral itself where classical music and choirs often perform. The Klikenny Choir and a gospel choir meet frequently and sing in the churches especially.
[edit] Tourism
Kilkenny is a popular tourist destination in Ireland as well a weekend getaway for the Irish themselves. Well regarded for its cultural life it always tended to attract a more refined visitor. Recent years have seen its popularity with Stag and Hen parties rise dramatically. These are drawn to the 'vibrant nightlife' in the city, mainly on John Street. The streets thrive with life at night and the pubs enjoy an atmosphere to which everyone flocks to enjoy the craic.
Art galleries, craft and design workshops, a cartoon studio, theatre and a film club, historic buildings such as the castle with its public gardens and even a small museum are some of the culprits making Kilkenny unusually attractive considering its size. Similarly sized towns in many other parts of the country are often cultural backwaters.
[edit] Festivals
Hot Air Balloon Festival, 2006
Kilkenny plays host to the annual Smithwicks Cat Laughs Comedy festival which makes Kilkenny the "Comedy Capital of the World". There is also an annual Arts Festival, usually in late August. During this time Kilkenny is flooded with traditional and foreign music, beautiful paintings and sculptures and many other creative things.
The rhythm and roots festival brings more music, but from a broader spectrum, and the annual concerts in Nolan Park have brought acts such as Rod Stewart, Shania Twain, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and Andrea Bocelli. Recently it has been announced that Dolly Parton is to be the 2008 headliner at the concert.
[edit] Awards
Kilkenny was named as the Academy of Urbanism European Great Town for 2008. The Academy Chairman, John Thompson, said "it is great to have an Irish town coming through in this year's awards, especially Kilkenny which is coming to terms with economic growh without losing its wonderful character and humour".[2]
[edit] Additional reading
- Katherine Lanigan & Gerald Tyler, Kilkenny: Its Architecture and History (Appletree P, 1987) (ISBN 0-86281-180-5)
- Robert Wyse Jackson, Story of Kilkenny (Mercier P, 1974) (ISBN 0-85342-391-1)
- Mayor F White "The Castle on Kilkenny" (Folens, 1999)
- Sean Kenny Every Stick and Stone That Stands Kilkenny (2003) (ISBN 0-9545741-0-9)
- David Edwards, The Ormond Lordship in County Kilkenny, 1515-1642: The Rise and Fall of the Butler Family (Four Courts Press, 2000) (ISBN 1-85182-578-9)
- John Leonard, A university for Kilkenny: Plans for a royal college in the seventeenth century (St Canice's Press, 1996) (ISBN 0-9528076-0-2)
- Colm Corcoran, "The Life and Times of Kilkenny's Citizens"
- Andrew Bush, Bonnettstown: A House in Ireland (Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1989) (ISBN 0-8109-0748-8)
- Hogan, "Kilkenny"
- Sparks, "Pen & picture"
- Gleeson, "Ely O'Carroll's Territory"
- Joseph C. O'Carroll "Historic Kilkenny" (Kilkenny People Ltd. 1994)
- The Heritage Council, Kilkenny, A conservation Plan for the Walls of Kilkenny.
[edit] Gallery of Images
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
[edit] References
- , Kilkenny station. Railscot - Irish Railways. Retrieved on 2007-09-05.
- , Academy of Urbanism
(Source: Wikipedia) |