Editing Kilkenny (section)

===Theatre===
{{See also|Irish theatre}}
Kilkenny had a tradition of dramatic performance going back to 1366 when the Dublin company set up in Kilkenny. Henry Burkhead printed a play in Kilkenny, ''Cola's Fury, or Lirenda's Misery'' (1645),  dealing with events of the Irish [[Rebellion of 1641]] from an English standpoint. It was a blatantly political work with the Lirenda of the title being an anagram of Ireland. In 1642, as a result of the [[English Civil War]], Dublin [[Cavalier|Royalist]]s were forced to flee the city. Many of them went to Kilkenny to join a [[Kilkenny Confederacy|confederacy]] of Old English and Irish that formed in that city.

In 1802 Sir Richard and Sir John Power of Kilfane established the Kilkenny Private Theatre.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/privatetheatrek00theagoog |title=The private theatre of Kilkenny |via=[[Internet Archive]] |year=1825 |access-date=2010-08-12}}</ref>

The Watergate Theatre in Kilkenny is a centre for the performing and visual arts.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.watergatetheatre.com/ |title=Watergate Theatre official website |publisher=Watergatetheatre.com |date=2010-02-13 |access-date=2010-08-12 |archive-date=14 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090414125604/http://www.watergatetheatre.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It provides a varied programme of professional and amateur dramatics, classical and contemporary music, opera and dance, together with exhibitions of paintings and photographs. The Set Theatre is a smaller theatre located on John Street in Kilkenny.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://set.ie/|title=Set|website=set.ie|access-date=15 June 2020|archive-date=15 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615113251/https://set.ie/|url-status=live}}</ref>