Lewis Topographical Dictionary - OSi Online Shop

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covered for betraying the city and the supreme council
into the hands of the nuncio and the party of O’Nial.
Cromwell, relying on the. promises of an officer of the
garrison, advanced before the city though unprepared
to besiege it, in the hope of obtaining it by treachery;
but the plot was discovered and the agent executed.
Having, however, received large reinforcements under
Ireton, he again appeared before it on the 23d of
March, 1650, and commenced a regular siege; the
garrison, originally consisting of 200 horse and 1000
foot, but reduced by the plague to 300, made a resolute
defence under Sir Walter Butler, who had been ap-
pointed governor by Lord Castlehaven, but was
at length compelled to surrender upon honourable
terms.
The city, which occupies an area of nearly a square
mile, is intersected from north to south by the river
Nore, dividing it into two very unequal portions, of
which the larger, containing the castle, is on its western
bank; and near the northern extremity, on the same
side of the river, is that portion of it called Irishtown,
containing the cathedral, and separated from the former
by the small river Breagh, which here falls into the
Nore. The streets are very irregular, but the city has
an air of venerable magnificence, from its castle, ca-
thedral, and the numerous and imposing remains of its
ancient religious edifices, and is seen to great advantage
from the high eastern bank of the river, and from the
rising ground on the road to Clonmel. The houses in
the principal streets are generally built of stone, and
many of them are spacious and handsome, especially in
that part of it properly called Kilkenny, in which the
chief modern improvements have taken place; the total
number of houses, in 1831, was 2800, since which time
the number has increased. There are two elegant
stone bridges over the Nore, erected after designs by
Mr. G. Smith, to replace two which were destroyed in
1763 by a great flood; St. John’s bridge consists of
three arches, and Green’s bridge connects Irishtown
with the opposite bank. The environs are in many
parts extremely pleasing, and there is a fine promenade
called the Mall, extending nearly a mile along the bank
of a canal commenced many years since, but never com-
pleted, and also along the banks of the Nore and the
base of the castle, beautifully planted with ornamental
trees of fine growth. At a short distance from the city
are infantry barracks for 15 officers and 558 non-com-
missioned officers and privates, a neat range of buildings
of modern erection; there is also a temporary barrack
for one squadron of horse. The library, established in
1811 by a proprietary, and supported by subscription,
contains more than 4000 volumes, and has a news-
room attached to it; it is open to strangers introduced
by a subscriber. The Mechanics’ Friend Society,
established in 1835, for diffusing information among
the working classes, and supported by subscription,
has a library of 700 volumes, and a room in which
lectures on the arts and sciences are gratuitously de-
livered. The Horticultural Society holds two meetings
in the year; and races are held in September on a
course at a short distance from the town, and are
generally well attended. The Kilkenny Hunt has been
long established, and is considered as the most cele-
brated in Ireland. The savings’ bank, established in
1816, under the patronage of the Earl of Ormonde,
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had, in 1835, deposits to the amount of £23,784, and
801 depositors.
In the 16th century, Piers, Earl of Ormonde, with
a view to benefit the town by the introduction of
manufactures, brought over several artificers from
Flanders and the neighbouring provinces, whom he
employed in working tapestry, diapers, and carpets,
but the manufacture did not extend beyond the supply
of the castle and was soon discontinued. The manu-
facture of coarse frieze was extensively carried on
here in the reign of Chas. II., but was withdrawn to
Carrick-on-Suir, and succeeded by the wool-combing
and the worsted trade, which, about the middle of the
last century, were superseded by the manufacture of
blankets, which became the principal trade both of the
city and the county. In 1821, from 3000 to 4000 per-
sons were employed in this manufacture; but on the
expiration of the protecting duties, the trade became
greatly depressed, and at present not more than 600
persons are employed in it, and even these at greatly
reduced prices; the blankets made here are still in
great repute, and are purchased for the supply of the
army. There is also a small manufacture of coarse
woollen cloth, but the principal trade is in corn, and in
the immediate neighbourhood are several very extensive
flour-mills, three large distilleries, four breweries, two
tanneries, some extensive yards for curing bacon, some
salt-works, and several considerable starch-manufac-
tories. Coarse linens are woven by the country people
for domestic wear, and there is a large bleach-green.
About half a mile from the city are quarries of the well-
known Kilkenny marble, which has a black ground
with white veins interspersed with shells and marine
exuviae, and is susceptible of a very high polish. It is
mostly worked into mantel-pieces of great beauty, and
is cut and polished in a mill moved by water power,
erected on the bank of the river, about two miles from
the town, in the parish of Blackrath; great quantities
of the marble are exported. Limestone is also quar-
ried in various parts of the county of the city. The
amount of excise duties paid in the district of Kil-
kenny, for the year 1835, was £70,665. 16. 11½. The
markets are on Wednesday and Saturday, and are
amply supplied with corn and provisions of every kind.
Two great fairs are held on March 28th and Corpus
Christi day; they are great cattle and wool fairs, which
regulate the prices of all the others, and are attended
by graziers from all parts of Ireland: there are also
several other fairs, established by recent patents. An
area in the lower part of the spacious old building
called the Tholsel is appropriated as a market-house.
The charter granted to the burgesses by William Le
Mareschal was confirmed, with all its privileges, by
Edw. III., in the 1st year of his reign; and in the
51st of the same reign the sovereign, portreeve, and
commonalty of Kilkenny were by a roll enjoined not to
interfere with the freedom of the market of Irishtown,
the inhabitants of which obtained from Edw. IV. a
confirmation of the grant of their market, and the privi-
lege of choosing a portreeve annually, independently of
Kilkenny. Edw. VI. confirmed all the ancient privileges
of the burgesses of Kilkenny, as enjoyed by them during
the reign of Hen. VIII., and granted them the dissolved
priory of St. John, with all its possessions, at a fee-farm
rent of £16. 6. 4. Elizabeth, in 1574, confirmed the