Editing Kilkenny (section)

==History==
{{Main|History of Kilkenny}}
{{See also|History of Ireland|History of Europe}}

[[File:St. Canice's Cathedral - Interior - 2024-03-22 04.jpg|thumb|left|Model of Kilkenny in 1642]]

Kilkenny's foundation began with an early 6th-century ecclesiastical settlement, with a church built in honour of [[St. Canice]]. Now [[St. Canice's Cathedral]], this was a major monastic centre from at least the 8th century. The ''[[Annals of the Four Masters]]'' recorded the first reference ''Cill Chainnigh'' in 1085. Prehistoric activity has been recorded, suggesting intermittent settlement activity in the area in the [[Mesolithic]] and [[Bronze Age]]. Information on the history of Kilkenny can be found in newspapers, photographs, letters, drawings, manuscripts and archaeology. Kilkenny is documented in manuscripts from the 13th century onwards and one of the most important of these is ''Liber Primus Kilkenniensis''.

The [[Kingdom of Osraige|Kings of Ossory]], O'Carrolls and Fitzpatricks, had residence around Cill Chainnigh. The seat of the diocese of [[Kingdom of Osraige]] was moved from [[Aghaboe]] to Cill Chainnigh. Following the [[Norman invasion of Ireland]], [[Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke|Richard Strongbow]], as [[Lordship of Ireland|Lord of Leinster]], established a castle near modern-day [[Kilkenny Castle]]. [[William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke|William Marshall]] began the development of the town of Kilkenny and a series of walls to protect the burghers. By the late 13th century, Kilkenny was under [[Hiberno-Norman|Norman-Irish]] control. The original ecclesiastical centre at St. Canice's Cathedral became known as [[Irishtown, Kilkenny|Irishtown]] and the Anglo-Norman borough inside the wall came to be known as Hightown.

Kilkenny was the site of Ireland's earliest recorded witch trial. Occurring in 1324 and instigated by the then Bishop of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Ossory|Ossory]], [[Richard de Ledrede]], the trial involved Dame [[Alice Kyteler|Alice de Kyteler]] and her servant [[Petronilla de Meath|Petronella de Meath]].<ref>Wright, Thomas, ed. A Contemporary Narrative of the Proceedings Against Dame Alice Kyteler, Prosecuted for Sorcery in 1324, by Richard de Ledrede, Bishop of Ossory. London: The Camden Society, 1843.</ref> Petronella would be the first person recorded in Ireland to be burned alive at the stake for witchcraft, after Dame Alice presumably fled the country.<ref>{{Cite book|title=A Contemporary Narrative of the Proceedings Against Dame Alice Kyteler, Prosecuted for Sorcery in 1324.|last=De Ledrede|first=Richard|publisher=John Bowyer Nichols and Son|year=1842|location=Parliament Street, London}}</ref> This trial was also one of the earliest recorded witch burnings in Europe and inspires much folklore about the possibility of the ghosts of Alice and Petronella haunting downtown Kilkenny. Alice's house, Kyteler's Inn, still stands and is now a pub.

[[File:Small Kilkenny city map circa 1780 (2006-06-17).png|thumb|right|Old city map, c. 1780]]

The [[Hiberno-Norman]] presence in Kilkenny was deeply shaken by the [[Black Death]], which arrived in 1348. The [[Statutes of Kilkenny]] passed at Kilkenny in 1367, aimed to curb the decline of the Hiberno-Norman [[Lordship of Ireland]]. In 1609, [[James I of England|King James I of England]] granted Kilkenny a [[Royal Charter]] giving it the status of a city. Following the [[Irish Rebellion of 1641|Rebellion of 1641]], the [[Irish Catholic Confederation]], also known as the "Confederation of Kilkenny", was based in Kilkenny and lasted until the [[Cromwellian conquest of Ireland]] in 1649. [[James II of England]] spent most of the winter months from November 1689 until January 1690 at Kilkenny, residing in the castle.<ref name="Simms1961">{{Harvnb|Simms|1961}}</ref>

[[Stephens Barracks]], built in the years following the [[Irish Rebellion of 1798|1798 Rebellion]], was completed between 1800 and 1803.<ref name=history>{{cite web|url=http://www.defence.ie/WebSite.nsf/Release+ID/24EBEF0E6CA7F1A68025776F00359074?OpenDocument|title=Minister Kileen visits Stephens Barracks in Kilkenny|date=29 July 2010|publisher=Department of Defence|accessdate=25 November 2014|archive-date=23 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923213305/http://www.defence.ie/WebSite.nsf/Release+ID/24EBEF0E6CA7F1A68025776F00359074?OpenDocument|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Kilkenny Design Workshops]] were opened in 1965 and in 1967 the [[Marquess of Ormonde]] presented [[Kilkenny Castle]] to the people of Kilkenny. Today, it has a lively cultural scene, with annual events including the [[Kilkenny Arts Week]] Festival in the last two weeks of August, and the [[Cat Laughs]] Comedy Festival at the beginning of June. Kilkenny is also where the [[Irish ale]], [[Smithwick's]], was first brewed.<ref name=SEK>{{cite book |last1=Yenne |first1=Bill |title=Beer: The Ultimate World Tour |date=1 Apr 2014 |publisher=Race Point Publishing |isbn=978-1-937994-41-9 |page=16 |edition=illustrated |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qfjZAwAAQBAJ&q=smithwicks%20was%20first%20brewed&pg=PA16 |access-date=7 July 2015 |archive-date=9 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409111608/https://books.google.com/books?id=qfjZAwAAQBAJ&q=smithwicks%20was%20first%20brewed&pg=PA16 |url-status=live }}</ref> Kilkenny is referred to as the ''Marble City'', and people from Kilkenny are often referred to as '[[Kilkenny cat|Cats]]'. The seat of the [[Roman Catholic Bishop of Ossory]] is at [[St. Mary's Cathedral, Kilkenny|St. Mary's Cathedral]] and the [[Church of Ireland]] [[Bishop of Ossory|Bishop of Cashel and Ossory]] is at [[St. Canice's Cathedral]].