Gulliver's Travels author, Jonathan Swift, attended Kilkenny College in the late 17th century, and a building at the college was named after him in 2007. Swift's fellow students included playwright William Congreve and the philosopher George Berkeley – after whom California’s Berkeley College is named.
The gravestone of Daniel O’Connell in Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin is made from Kilkenny black marble, and the stone was also used in the construction of Cobh Cathedral in Cork
Kilkenny is 117 kilometres (73 mi) away the capital Dublin and 48 kilometres (30 mi) north from the nearest city Waterford. Wexford is 80 kilometres (50 mi) to the south-east and Limerick is 122 kilometres (76 mi) to the west.
Collectively, Kilkenny people are known as 'The Cats', most specifically in the arena of hurling
As of 2011, Kilkenny had played a total of 371 championship games, winning 265, drawing 16 and losing 90. They had played Dublin the most times(82) .
The annals tell of a terrible massacre which took place in Dunmore Caves, with 1000 people killed by attacking Vikings in 928AD. Over the years there have been numerous finds of human bones, which together with finding of the Viking artifacts, seem to bear out that terrible tale.
