Kilkenny

St Canice's Cathedral stands on a site that has been a place of worship since the sixth century, and the cathedral gave the city its name: Kilkenny comes from Cill Chainnigh, the church of Canice. The present cathedral dates from the thirteenth century, and its round tower beside it is older still.

The Anglo-Normans established a castle here in the late twelfth century, and a stone castle followed. In 1391 the powerful Butler family acquired it, and they made it their seat for more than five centuries. In the 1640s Kilkenny was the base of the Confederation of Kilkenny, the Irish Catholic government formed after the 1641 rebellion, until the Cromwellian conquest. In 1967 the Butlers sold the castle for a symbolic fifty pounds to a local restoration committee for the people of Kilkenny, and it is now cared for by the Office of Public Works.

Kilkenny is famous for its passion for hurling, and the county team's black and amber colours are everywhere on match days. The city has a strong craft tradition, from pottery to textiles, and a calendar of arts, music, comedy and food festivals that draws visitors from across Ireland. Its small size and busy streets give it a friendly, village-like atmosphere.