Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for Kilkenny

Kilkenny.-- inland co., in SW. of Leinster province, Ireland; is bounded N. by Queen's co., E. by cos. Carlow and Wexford, S. by co. Waterford, and W. by co. Tipperary; greatest length, N. and S., 45 miles; greatest breadth, E. and W., 24 miles; average breadth, 19 miles; area, 509,732 ac. (3056 water), pop. 99,531, of whom 94.6 per cent. are Roman Catholics, 5.0 Episcopalians, 0.2 Presbyterians, and 0.1 Methodists. The greater part of the co. is hilly, but there is little land unfit for tillage, or which does not yield good pasture. (For agricultural statistics, see Appendix.) The river Nore flows southwards through the middle of the co., the Barrow forms the E. boundary for about three-fourths of its entire length, and the Suir traces the whole of S. border; these rivers are navigable for considerable distances. Anthracite coal is worked in the neighbourhood of Castlecomer; and near the town of Kilkenny there are quarries of black and white marble. Limestone is abundant; manganese, copper, lead, and potter's clay also occur. The occupations are chiefly agricultural. The co. comprises 10 bars.- Callan, Crannagh, Fassadinin, Galmoy, Gowran, Ida, Iverk, Kells, Knocklopher, and Shillelogher, 140 pars. and parts of pars., the parl. and mun. bor. of Kilkenny (1 member), and New Ross (part of) and Callan. For parliamentary purposes the county is divided into 2 divisions - viz., North Kilkenny and South Kilkenny, 1 member for each division.


(John Bartholomew, Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887))

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "Inland county"   (ADL Feature Type: "countries, 2nd order divisions")
Administrative units: Kilkenny IrlC
Place: County Kilkenny

Go to the linked place page for a location map, and for access to other historical writing about the place. Pages for linked administrative units may contain historical statistics and information on boundaries.