Kilkenny

Crafts
Kilkenny is famous for its rich and diverse crafting, from pottery to metal work to textiles and candlemaking. Many of Kilkenny's craftspeople apprenticed under masters who have carried on their traditions for centuries.

Cuisine
The cuisine in Kilkenny is so diverse and delicious, that there is a Food Trail dedicated to it. Farmers and purveyors supply everything from organic produce, artisan cheeses, free range meats, truffles and desserts to locals and visitors daily.

Hiking, Strolling and Cycling
Kilkenny offers more than a dozen trails that are perfect for leisurely strolling, more-experienced hiking and even bicycling through the town and surrounding areas. These routes take visitors past Kilkenny's historic buildings and monuments, through the spectacular food and craft markets or out into nature.

History
A Brief History of Kilkenny City
Four hundred years ago, James I, King of England granted Kilkenny a charter conferring on it the status of a city, with the title of Mayor for its chief citizen. Four hundred years before that, in 1207, William Marshall, Lord of Leinster, had given Kilkenny a charter setting out the rights of its burgesses and freemen. Its first Council was elected in 1231 and since then Kilkenny has had a continuous record of municipal government. From the 13th century to the end of the 16th the chief magistrate was known as the Sovereign, and since then as Mayor.
Even before the Norman Invasion, there was an urban settlement here. Cill Chainnigh was a stronghold of the kings of Ossory, the Mac Giolla Phádraig family. This early settlement centred on St. Canice’s Cathedral, was known in after years as the Irishtown of Kilkenny, and formed a separate town from the Hightown, with its own Corporation until the 1830s.
Kilkenny retains many buildings from the early centuries of its existence. The Round Tower at St. Canice’s is at least 900 years old; the Talbot Tower, now under reconstruction, was built around 1260; there are five medieval churches dating from the 13th century; Rothe house is the best known of a series of merchants’ houses from the late 16th and early 17th centuries; a number of fine Georgian houses are to be seen on our streets. The two outstanding buildings in the city are Kilkenny Castle, and St. Canice’s Cathedral.
As well as its built heritage, Kilkenny has an outstanding written record. The Tholsel on High Street is our city hall and houses a marvellous collection of documents from the 13th century to the present day. As well as the charters mentioned already, there are deeds, grants, leases and record books giving a unique insight into the governance of Kilkenny over the centuries. The gem of the collection is Liber Primus Kilkenniensis, a manuscript record of urban records containing a copy of William Marshall’s charter, and continuing to the 16th century.

(ref: www.kilkenny400.ie)