Kilkenny (Cill Chainnigh in Irish) is the county seat of County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland. Located on the Nore River, it is Ireland's largest inland city. It is famous for its many mediæval buildings and night-life.
Kilkenny has been referred to as the Marble City for hundreds of years, but the black stone with decorative white fossils that forms the backbone of many of Kilkenny's fine buildings is actually polished limestone which has been quarried from around the city for centuries.
The city is dominated by Kilkenny Castle and Saint Canice's Cathedral. The latter is named for Saint Canice, who also gave his name to the town (Cill Chainnigh is Irish for "Church of Canice").
The town has a history of Brewing and is home to the Smithwicks Brewery which was founded in the early 18th Century by messrs Cole and Smithwick.
It has a successful hurling team.