Kilkenny Cill Chainnigh
Coat of arms
Kilkenny Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 52°38′51.7″N 7°15′22.0″W / 52.647694°N 7.256111°W / 52.647694; -7.256111
Country	Ireland
Province	Leinster
County	County Kilkenny
Dáil Éireann	Carlow–Kilkenny
EU Parliament	East constituency
Area
• Total	3.74 km2 (1.44 sq mi)
Elevation	60 m (200 ft)
Population  (2011)[1]
• Total	24,423
• Borough	8,711
• Environs	15,712
Irish Grid Reference	S506563
Dialing code	+353
Vehicle registration code	KK
Website	www.kilkennycity.ie

Kilkenny (Irish: Cill Chainnigh, meaning "Church of Cainneach") is the county town (seat) of County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is on both banks of the River Nore, at the centre of County Kilkenny in the historic province of Leinster in the south-east of the country. Kilkenny City is administered by a borough council and has a Mayor form of government. The majority of the population of Kilkenny City live outside the borough boundary. It is the smallest city in the country, with only 25,000 people living there.

From being founded by the church, Kilkenny was the ancient capital of the kingdom of Ossory. The town was established, then a city, in 1609 by royal charter. Kilkenny was the capital of Confederate Ireland between 1642 and 1649. The seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Ossory and the Church of Ireland Bishop of Cashel and Ossory are in Kilkenny.

Kilkenny is famous for its medieval building and castle. The town has been referred to as the "Marble City" for centuries. People from Kilkenny are often referred to as 'Cats'.