he historic buildings
such as
Kilkenny Castle,
St. Canice's Cathedral
and round tower,
Rothe House,
Shee Alms House,
Black Abbey,
St. Mary's Cathedral,
Kilkenny Town Hall, St. Francis Abbey,
Grace's Castle, and St. John's Priory. Kilkenny is regarded for its culture
with craft and design workshops, the Watergate Theatre, public gardens and
museums. Annual events include
Kilkenny
Art Festival, the
Cat Laughs
comedy festival and music at the
Rhythm
and Roots festival and the
Source
concert. It is a popular base to explore the surrounding towns, villages
and countryside.
Kilkenny began with an early sixth
century ecclesiastical foundation. Following Norman
invasion of Ireland, Kilkenny
Castle and a series of walls were
built to protect the burghers of
what became a Norman merchant town