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115-676: The Wicklow Militia , later the Wicklow Rifles , was an Irish Militia regiment raised in County Wicklow in 1793. It saw service during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 . It was later converted into a militia artillery unit before being disbanded in 1909. Although there are scattered references to town guards in 1584, no organised militia existed in Ireland before 1660. After that date, some militia forces were organised in

230-668: A Royal Charter giving it the status of a city. Following the Rebellion of 1641 , the Irish Catholic Confederation , also known as the "Confederation of Kilkenny", was based in Kilkenny and lasted until the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in 1649. James II of England spent most of the winter months from November 1689 until January 1690 at Kilkenny, residing in the castle. Stephens Barracks , built in

345-510: A Royal Charter , giving it the status of a city. Following the Irish Rebellion of 1641 , the Irish Catholic Confederation , also known as the "Confederation of Kilkenny", was based in Kilkenny and lasted until the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland in 1649. From 1840 onwards, Kilkenny has not been administered as a city under local government law, but the Local Government Reform Act 2014 provides for "the continued use of

460-426: A "city". Accordingly, a clause was added to the 2001 bill: the continued use of the description city in relation to Kilkenny, to the extent that that description was used before the establishment day. It remains both common and permissible in law to describe Kilkenny as a city; section 10(6) of the 2001 Act, as amended by the 2014 Act, provides that "the continued use of the description city in relation to Kilkenny, to

575-777: A change of policy all the RFRA units were scrapped during 1909, the disbandment of the Wicklow unit being announced in October. Instead the men of the RFA Special Reserve would form Brigade Ammunition Columns for the Regular RFA brigades on the outbreak of war. The following served as Colonel of the Regiment : Lieutenant-Colonels of the regiment (COs from 1852) included: The following served as Honorary Colonel of

690-738: A continuation of the Cardwell Reforms a mobilisation scheme began to appear in the Army List from December 1875. This assigned Regular and Militia units to places in an order of battle for the 'Active Army' or the 'Garrison Army', even though these formations were entirely theoretical, with no staff or services assigned. The Wicklow Militia's assigned war station was with the Garrison Army in the Portsmouth defences. The 1852 Act had introduced Artillery Militia units in addition to

805-484: A number of historical buildings and landmarks. Kilkenny is a well-preserved medieval town and is dominated by both Kilkenny Castle and St. Canice's Cathedral and round tower. Surviving examples of the city's medieval architecture include Kilkenny Castle and parts of the Kilkenny City Walls. These walls define the extent, layout and status of the medieval town. The town grew from a monastic settlement to

920-428: A population of 22,179 in 2006 which was an increase of 1444 persons over the 2002 figure of 20,735 or 7.0%. People from Kilkenny are often referred to as 'Cats'. Disposable household income per person as of 2005 was €18,032 and the index of disposable household was 89.4. Kilkenny is multilingual but predominantly English-speaking , with Irish being the second most commonly spoken language. In recent decades, with

1035-566: A quarter of the Wicklow Militia did so. In March 1800 the light battalions were reformed, the Wicklow Militia being warned to make sure that its light company comprised men who had served before. A composite corps of pioneers under the Quartermaster-General was also formed by detachments from the regiments. Each detachment comprised one subaltern , one sergeant, one corporal and 20 picked men, who received extra pay for

1150-544: A response to the threat of a French invasion during the Seven Years' War . Responsibility for raising and organising the force remained at county level, but funding was provided by central government. Officers were to be appointed from among the property-owning class. Men were to be chosen by ballot among the able-bodied men of the parish between the ages of 18 and 50, and would serve for three years (soon extended to five). If they wished not to serve, they could either provide

1265-505: A series of walls were built to protect the burghers of what became a Norman merchant town. William Marshall , Lord of Leinster , gave Kilkenny a charter as a town in 1207. By the late 13th century, Kilkenny was under Hiberno-Norman control. The Statutes of Kilkenny , passed at Kilkenny in 1367, aimed to curb the decline of the Hiberno-Norman Lordship of Ireland . In 1609, King James I of England granted Kilkenny

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1380-581: A substitute or pay a £10 fine. There was considerable opposition to the reforms, both in Parliament and in the country at large. Riots occurred in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and elsewhere in 1757. These stemmed chiefly from an ill-informed fear that conscription and compulsory foreign service were being covertly introduced. In fact, the acts, which applied in England and Wales only, restricted service to

1495-558: A successor to both the corporation established under this charter and of the borough of Irishtown. In 1899, under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 , the area became an urban district , but its council retained the style of a borough corporation. In 2002, under the Local Government Act 2001, Kilkenny Borough Corporation became a borough council. On 1 June 2014, under the Local Government Reform Act 2014 ,

1610-654: A thriving Norman merchant town in the Middle Ages. St. Canice's Cathedral and round tower are an example of the monastic settlement. Rothe House on Parliament Street is an example of an Elizabethan merchant townhouse located on the only completely surviving burgage plot in Ireland. It also features a restored 17th-century garden on an area of half an acre behind the house, complete with herbs, vegetables and an orchard. The black stone with decorative white fossils that forms

1725-601: Is 3.74 square kilometres (1.44 sq mi). The first edition of the Ordnance Survey map for Kilkenny was in 1837 and is held by the County Library. The climate of Kilkenny, like the climate of Ireland , is a changeable oceanic climate with few extremes. It is defined as a temperate oceanic climate , or Cfb on the Köppen climate classification system. Kilkenny lies in plant Hardiness zone 9 . At

1840-778: Is a city in County Kilkenny , Ireland . It is located in the South-East Region and in the province of Leinster . It is built on both banks of the River Nore . The 2022 census gave the population of Kilkenny as 27,184, the thirteenth-largest urban center in Ireland . Kilkenny is a tourist destination, and its environs include historic buildings such as Kilkenny Castle , St Canice's Cathedral and round tower, Rothe House , Shee Alms House , Black Abbey , St. Mary's Cathedral , The Tholsel , St. Francis Abbey , Grace's Castle, and St. John's Priory . Kilkenny

1955-483: Is a plan by the inhabitants of Kilkenny, Kilkenny Borough Council, the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, An Taisce, The Kilkenny Archaeological Society and The Heritage Council to ensure the long-term survival of the city's walls. St Canice's Cathedral , also known as Kilkenny Cathedral, present building dates from the 13th century and is the second longest cathedral in Ireland. The cathedral

2070-472: Is also known as Talbot's Bastion or Castle. It is the larger of the two surviving towers of the defences of the medieval High town of Kilkenny. There are walls on Abbey Street, and the adjoining Black Freren Gate is the only surviving gate/access remaining on the High town Circuit into the old city. A wall also runs through the brewery's grounds beside St. Francis Abbey . The Kilkenny City Walls Conservation Plan

2185-659: Is also known for its craft and design workshops, the Watergate Theatre, public gardens and museums. Annual events include Kilkenny Arts Festival , the Cat Laughs comedy festival and music at the Kilkenny Roots Festival. Kilkenny began with an early 6th-century ecclesiastical foundation within the Kingdom of Ossory . Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of Ireland , Kilkenny Castle and

2300-513: Is currently in operation within 1 km of the old site, and as of March 2010 , was providing live weather data to the general public and climate data to Met Éireann . Extremes recorded at the station include the highest air temperature of 31.5 °C (88.7 °F) on 29 June 1976 , the lowest air temperature of −14.1 °C (6.6 °F) on 2 January 1979 and the lowest ground temperature of −18.1 °C (−0.6 °F) on 12 January 1982 . The warmest and sunniest month on record in Kilkenny

2415-482: Is named after Saint Canice, who also gave his name to the town. Cruciform , the cathedral was built in the Early English , or English Gothic, style of architecture , of limestone , with a low central tower supported on black marble columns. The exterior walls, apart from the gables, are embattled , and there are two small spires at the west end. The cathedral is seventy-five yards long, and its width along

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2530-408: Is no mention of Cill Chainnigh in the lives of Cainnech of Aghaboe , Ciarán of Saighir or any of the early annals of Ireland suggesting that Cill Chainnigh was not of ancient civil importance. Kilkenny's foundation began with an early 6th-century ecclesiastical settlement, with a church built in honour of St. Canice . Now St. Canice's Cathedral , this was a major monastic centre from at least

2645-575: Is open to visitors. Part of the collection of the National Art Gallery is on display in the castle. There are ornamental gardens on the northwest side of the castle, and extensive land and gardens to the front. It has become one of the most visited tourist sites in Ireland. The first stone castle was begun in 1204 by William Marshall the site was completed in 1213; it was a symbol of Norman occupation and in its original thirteenth-century condition it would have formed an important element of

2760-614: Is significant in that it records some of the highest summer and lowest winter temperatures in Ireland. The highest air temperature ever recorded in Ireland was 33.3 °C (91.9 °F), at Kilkenny Castle on 26 June 1887 . The Met Éireann Kilkenny Weather Observing Station , 2 km north-west of the centre of Kilkenny, on the Duningstown Road, opened in May 1957 , and observations ceased in April 2008 . A climatological station

2875-585: The Acts of Union 1800 , Kilkenny City was represented in the United Kingdom House of Commons by one MP from 1801 to 1918, and as part of North Kilkenny from 1918 to 1922. In 1921, the Carlow–Kilkenny Dáil constituency was created. This continued until 1937, when there was a separate Kilkenny constituency, but from 1948 there has been a continuous constituency of Carlow–Kilkenny. While

2990-689: The Dominican Black Abbey , St. John's Church , Butler House , Kilkenny 'Slips' and St. Francis Abbey Brewery. Gardens include the Castle Rose Garden, Rothe House Garden, the Famine Memorial Garden and the garden of Butler House. In the county other attractions include Kells Priory , Jerpoint Abbey , Dunmore Caves , Woodstock Estate and Jenkinstown Park . Local Kilkenny marble or black marble

3105-948: The Jacobite rising of 1745 in Scotland, militias were raised in Argyll , the Isle of Skye and the northern counties. They are often confused with Loudon's Highlanders regiment and the Independent Highland Companies who also supported the Government. The Campbell of Argyll Militia also known as the Campbell militia , the Argyll militia , or the Argyllshire men , was an irregular militia unit formed in 1745 by John Campbell, 4th Duke of Argyll to oppose

3220-507: The Local Government Act 2001 , as amended by the Local Government Reform Act 2014 . In 2002, under the Local Government Act 2001, the former five county boroughs were redesignated as cities. At the same time, the historic city status of Kilkenny was acknowledged in law. When this legislation was being debated, local TDs Phil Hogan and John McGuinness successfully lobbied that Kilkenny could continue to be referred to as

3335-561: The Regular Army was fighting overseas, the coasts of England and Wales were defended by the embodied Militia , but Ireland had no equivalent force. The Parliament of Ireland passed a Militia Act, but this failed to create an effective force. However it opened the way for the paramilitary Irish Volunteers to fill the gap. The Volunteers were outside the control of either the parliament or the Dublin Castle administration . When

3450-457: The River Nore , at the centre of County Kilkenny in the province of Leinster in the south-east of Ireland . It 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. The elevation is 60 metres (200 ft) above mean sea level. The area of Kilkenny borough

3565-731: The 'Localisation of the Forces' scheme introduced by the Cardwell Reforms of 1872, militia regiments were brigaded with their local linked regular regiments. For the Wicklow Rifles this was in Sub-District No 66 (Counties of Dublin , Wicklow, Kildare and Carlow ) in Dublin District of Irish Command : Although often referred to as brigades, the sub-districts were purely administrative organisations, but in

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3680-500: The 13th century onwards and one of the most important of these is Liber Primus Kilkenniensis . The Kings of Ossory , O'Carrolls and Fitzpatricks, had residence around Cill Chainnigh. The seat of the diocese of Kingdom of Osraige was moved from Aghaboe to Cill Chainnigh. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland , Richard Strongbow , as Lord of Leinster , established a castle near modern-day Kilkenny Castle . William Marshall began

3795-474: The 13th century to the end of the 16th, the chief magistrate was known as the sovereign, and since then as the mayor. It was granted a royal charter as a city in 1609 by James I of England and Ireland . This was a county corporate which included the borough of Irishtown , which fell within the city. The borough corporation established under the Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840 is

3910-542: The 24 members of Kilkenny County Council . This area is defined as the Municipal District of Kilkenny City. Local government bodies in Kilkenny have responsibility for such matters as planning, roads, sanitation and libraries and are governed by the Local Government Acts 1925 to 2019, the principal Act being the Local Government Act 2001 . Kilkenny's first council was elected in 1231. From

4025-530: The 8th century. The Annals of the Four Masters recorded the first reference Cill Chainnigh in 1085. Prehistoric activity has been recorded, suggesting intermittent settlement activity in the area in the Mesolithic and Bronze Age . Information on the history of Kilkenny can be found in newspapers, photographs, letters, drawings, manuscripts and archaeology. Kilkenny is documented in manuscripts from

4140-734: The Catholic population). It would subsequently be disarmed itself however in 1685 during the Monmouth Rebellion by Richard Talbot, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell . As a result of the ad-hoc nature of its formation the legal position of the pre-existing Militia in Ireland was only finally formalised when the Parliament of Ireland passed an act , the Militia Act (Ireland) 1715 (2 Geo. 1. c. 9 (I)), in 1716 raising regiments of militia in each county and county corporate . Membership

4255-636: The Cromwellian period with the raising of two regiments of Militia in Dublin in May 1659. In 1666 during the Second Anglo-Dutch War the establishment of a national militia was begun. This started as a proposal from Roger Boyle, 1st Earl of Orrery to James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormond the then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland . Orrey was Lord President of Munster and the establishment of militia

4370-520: The French force that landed in August, too late to change the outcome. Later in the year the regiment marched through Limerick to Ennis and Clarecastle . By March 1799 it was stationed at Birr . With the diminishing threat of invasion after 1799, the strength of the militia could be reduced. At the beginning of 1800 the surplus men were encouraged to volunteer for regiments of the line , and more than

4485-476: The Irish Cill Chainnigh , meaning Cell/Church of Cainneach or Canice . This relates to a church built in honour of St. Canice , an Ulsterman , on the hill now containing St. Canice's Cathedral and the round tower . This seems to be the first major settlement. The early Christian origin of the round tower suggests an early ecclesiastical foundation at Kilkenny. Ceall-Cainnigh was for

4600-496: The Militia Ballot might be used if the counties failed to meet their quotas). Training was for 56 days on enlistment, then for 21–28 days per year, during which the men received full army pay. Under the act, Militia units could be embodied by Royal Proclamation for full-time home defence service in three circumstances: The regiment was reformed as the Wicklow Rifles with four companies in 1855. The appointment of colonel in

4715-530: The Militia was re-embodied, the Wicklow regiment opening recruitment on 4 May and the recruits being embodied on 25 May, the rest of the regiment on 13 July. Although the short Waterloo Campaign had already ended by then, the bulk of the Regular Army remained abroad on occupation duty for some months. The Wicklow Militia was deployed to Derry from October 1815 to March 1816, when it returned to Wicklow and

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4830-591: The Ossory Pedestrian Bridge. Each of the bridges spans the River Nore . Green's Bridge, also known as the 'Great Bridge of Kilkenny', crosses the River Nore in St. Canices Parish in the townland of Gardens, and is an important element of the architectural heritage of Kilkenny City. First built before 1200, the bridge has been rebuilt several times since the twelfth century due to flooding, including

4945-719: The Southern Division, for example, but this related to where the need for coastal artillery was greatest, rather than where the units recruited. The Wicklow unit became the Wicklow Artillery (Southern Division) . In 1899 the garrison artillery units formally became the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA). During the Second Boer War militia artillery units were embodied to replace regular troops sent to South Africa. The Wicklow Artillery

5060-540: The Wicklow Militia moved from Wicklow to Arklow on 28 March 1817. The permanent staff were occasionally used in support of the civil powers – the Wicklow staff were permanently employed in this way (on full pay) between December 1821 and January 1823. The Col Forward (now 4th Earl of Wicklow), who had held the colonelcy of the disembodied regiment since 1810, resigned on 29 April 1833, and was succeeded in command by his kinsman Robert Howard of Castle Howard, Wicklow, who had been lieutenant-colonel even longer. However, he died

5175-524: The Wicklow Militia was quartered at Strabane , with one company detached to Omagh , staying there until July 1795 when it moved to Sligo for 10 months. By November 1796 it was headquartered at Portarlington . Anxiety about a possible French invasion grew during the autumn of 1796 and preparations were made for field operations. A large French expeditionary force appeared in Bantry Bay on 21 December and troops from all over Ireland were marched towards

5290-555: The act called for lists to be drawn up of eligible men in each locality and with enlistees been drawn by ballot. The result of this was to cause widespread discontent in Ireland resulting in riots and close to 230 deaths over an eight week period. The list of Militia regiments as raised after the passing of the Militia Act (Ireland) 1793. The regimental numbers were assigned by ballot on the 8th of August 1794. Kilkenny Kilkenny ( Irish : Cill Chainnigh [ˌciːl̠ʲ ˈxan̠ʲəj] , meaning 'church of Cainnech ')

5405-415: The adjutant were all absent on recruiting duty in Co Wicklow. By January 1814 HQ was at Birr. Napoleon abdicated on 6 April 1814, and militia recruiting was halted on 27 April, Lt-Col Howard returning to Birr to resume command of he Wicklow Militia. The regiment marched out of Birr on 22 July, reaching Wicklow on 26 July, where it was disembodied on 1–2 August. Napoleon escaped from Elba early in 1815 and

5520-421: The army, the militia had no cavalry or, until 1853, artillery. The militia was constitutionally separate from the army, but from the 1790s militiamen were encouraged to volunteer for the army, and did so in large numbers. During the French Revolutionary Wars the militia expanded to a total strength of 82,000 men in February 1799, reducing to 66,000 through an act of Parliament of that year designed to reinforce

5635-425: The army. During the period to 1815, 110,000 men transferred to line regiments as against 36,000 prior to 1802. The militia continued to serve as a coastal defence force, as well as guarding dockyards and prisoners of war, and performing other duties including riot control during the Luddite unrest of 1811–1813. It was disembodied in 1815 but balloting continued until 1831. An incomplete list includes: In

5750-535: The backbone of many of Kilkenny's fine buildings was quarried locally, particularly from the quarry located 1.6 km south of the town on the R700. Kilkenny marble was used for the plinth of the new tomb of Richard III in Leicester Cathedral in England. Visitor attractions in Kilkenny and its environs include Kilkenny Castle and Gardens including the Butler Gallery , St. Canice's Cathedral and round tower, Rothe House and Garden, Shee Alms House , Kilkenny Courthouse , St. Mary's Cathedral , The Tholsel ,

5865-508: The ballot, and they was first embodied for duty on 10 June 1793. The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars saw the British and Irish militia embodied for a whole generation, becoming regiments of full-time professional soldiers (though restricted to service in Britain or Ireland respectively), which the regular army increasingly saw as a prime source of recruits. They served in coast defences, manned garrisons, guarded prisoners of war, and carried out internal security duties. By April 1794

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5980-430: The beginning of June. Kilkenny is also where the Irish ale , Smithwick's , was first brewed. Kilkenny is referred to as the Marble City , and people from Kilkenny are often referred to as ' Cats '. The seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Ossory is at St. Mary's Cathedral and the Church of Ireland Bishop of Cashel and Ossory is at St. Canice's Cathedral . Kilkenny is situated in the Nore Valley on both banks of

6095-442: The borough council was dissolved and administration of the town was amalgamated with Kilkenny County Council. County Kilkenny is part of the Southern Region . It is part of the Carlow–Kilkenny Dáil constituency and the South European Parliament constituency . In the Irish House of Commons , both Kilkenny City and the bishop's borough of St Canice (or Irishtown) were represented with two MPs each. From 1801, following

6210-423: The cathedral stands is believed to be the centre of the first major settlement at Kilkenny, and the round tower suggests an early ecclesiastical foundation. Dominican Black Abbey was founded in 1225, and lying just off Parliament Street. Kilkenny has four main bridges — Green's Bridge , John's Bridge, the Ossory Bridge and the St Francis Bridge — and two pedestrian/cycle bridges — the Lady Desart Bridge and

6325-409: The census, had a population of 27,184 in 2022. Changes as of the 2006 census, by the Central Statistics Office , Kilkenny Town Borough had a population of 8,661 which was an increase of 70 persons over the 2002 figure of 8,591 or 0.8%. The Town Environs had a population of 13,518 which was an increase of 1347 persons over the 2002 figure of 12,144 or 11.3%. Overall both the Borough & Environs had

6440-429: The centre of the county, Kilkenny is in a sheltered location, 66 kilometres (41 mi) inland and is surrounded by hills over 200 metres (660 ft), which ensures that it is not a windy location. The highest wind gust of 77 knots , from a south-west direction, was recorded on 12 January 1974 . Kilkenny is generally representative of wide river valleys in the region with low temperatures on cloudless nights, and

6555-527: The companies rejoined their regiments. The regiment was still at Athlone in November 1806 but had moved to Nenagh by June 1807. Militiamen were still being encouraged by generous bounties to transfer to the regulars (the 1807 quota from the Wicklow Militia volunteered for the 37th Foot stationed at Limerick) and in some cases the ballot had to be used to replace them. Wicklow was divided into four groups of parishes: one district raised all its quota (35 men) by ballot, in another only one parish balloted, for 5 men;

6670-614: The country of regular troops, provided the stimulus that brought the defaulters into line. By 1778 all English and Welsh counties had embodied their militias. Training of the disembodied militia took place over a period of several weeks each year, outside which officers and men would be largely free to pursue their civilian lives. When embodied, regiments would normally be quartered in public houses or barracks where available. Camps were also an option, and these were often sizeable affairs which brought troops together in large numbers for strategic and training purposes. Although overseas service

6785-429: The crucible of the Scottish Enlightenment . The Militia Act 1797 empowered the Lord Lieutenants of Scotland to raise and command militia regiments in each of the "Counties, Stewartries, Cities, and Places" under their jurisdiction. At first the Act was opposed due to some believing the militia ballot would be used to enable the Crown to remove men from Scotland. The earliest history of the Militia in Ireland dates to

6900-456: The defences of the town. There were four large circular corner towers and a massive ditch, part of which can still be seen today on the Parade. This was a square-shaped castle with towers at each corner; three of these original four towers survive to this day. Kilkenny Walls protected the medieval town of Kilkenny. The town was surrounded by walls with regular towers and gates. Remnants of the Town Walls survive such as Talbot Tower (1207), which

7015-410: The description city". Kilkenny was a brewing centre from the late 17th century, and still houses a number of breweries. The Heritage Council offices are at Church Lane in the former Bishop's Palace. The seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Ossory is at St Mary's Cathedral and the Church of Ireland Bishop of Cashel and Ossory is at St Canice's Cathedral . Kilkenny is the anglicised version of

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7130-423: The development of the town of Kilkenny and a series of walls to protect the burghers. By the late 13th century, Kilkenny was under Norman-Irish control. The original ecclesiastical centre at St. Canice's Cathedral became known as Irishtown and the Anglo-Norman borough inside the wall came to be known as Hightown. Kilkenny was the site of Ireland's earliest recorded witch trial. Occurring in 1324 and instigated by

7245-426: The disbanded 5th Brigade, North Irish Division, (the Galway Militia Artillery ) and the Wicklow unit's establishment was raised to six batteries in February that year. On 1 July 1889 the garrison artillery was reorganised again into three large territorial divisions ( Eastern , Southern and Western ). The assignment of units to them seemed geographically arbitrary, with all the Irish militia units being grouped in

7360-402: The extent that that description was used before 1 January 2002 and is not otherwise inconsistent with this Act". As of 2014, Kilkenny does not have an administration separate from the county. However, under Local Government Reform Act 2014 , the municipal district is distinctly acknowledged as "the Municipal District of Kilkenny City". Kilkenny's architectural heritage is represented through

7475-400: The fires that had been lit in the town. On 26 June Asgill's force attacked a body of rebels estimated at 4000 strong at Kilconnell Hill and overran it, killing many and capturing 14 cannon and other stores. The regiment received praise for its conduct in these two actions. Vinegar Hill broke the back of the rebellion; the Wicklow Militia was not engaged in the final part of the campaign against

7590-454: The following year and Sir Ralph Howard, 1st Baronet of Bushey Park, Wicklow, son of Hugh Howard and nephew of 2nd and 3rd Earls of Wicklow, was promoted to the command on 1 October 1834. The Militia of the United Kingdom was revived by the Militia Act of 1852 , enacted during a period of international tension. As before, units were raised and administered on a county basis, and filled by voluntary enlistment (although conscription by means of

7705-408: The ghosts of Alice and Petronella haunting downtown Kilkenny. Alice's house, Kyteler's Inn, still stands and is now a pub. The Hiberno-Norman presence in Kilkenny was deeply shaken by the Black Death , which arrived in 1348. The Statutes of Kilkenny passed at Kilkenny in 1367, aimed to curb the decline of the Hiberno-Norman Lordship of Ireland . In 1609, King James I of England granted Kilkenny

7820-504: The increase of immigration on an all-Ireland basis, many more languages have been introduced into Kilkenny. The main religion is Catholicism, however, there are Church of Ireland, Presbyterian, Methodist, Jewish and other religious traditions living in Kilkenny. Kilkenny is now administered as part of County Kilkenny . The local electoral area of Kilkenny contains the electoral divisions of Dunmore, Kilkenny No. 1 Urban, Kilkenny No. 2 Urban, Kilkenny Rural and St. Canice, and elects 7 of

7935-405: The international crisis caused by the Russo-Turkish War . From 1879 the annual training was carried out in a tented camp, using The Murrough near Wicklow, rather than having the men billeted in the town. For the 1880 training enough recruits came forward finally to complete the unit to its full establishment; however permission was refused to increase the establishment to five batteries. Owing to

8050-452: The invasion threat receded they diminished in numbers but remained a political force. On the outbreak of the French Revolutionary War In 1793, the Irish administration passed an effective Militia Act that created an official Irish Militia , while the paramilitary volunteers were essentially banned. The new Act was based on existing English precedents, with the men conscripted by ballot to fill county quotas (paid substitutes were permitted) and

8165-426: The late 17th century, while the Kingdom of Scotland was still an independent country sharing a monarch with England, there were calls for the resurrection of the country's militia, with the understated aim of protecting the rights of Scots in Great Britain. A historical account of the debate which followed on Fletcher's work is given in John Robertson's 1985 The Scottish Enlightenment and the Militia Issue . During

8280-664: The lots to determine an order of precedence for the whole of the United Kingdom. Those regiments raised before 1783 took the first 69 places, followed by the 60 regiments (including those in Ireland) raised for the French Revolutionary War: the Wicklow Militia took 92nd place, and this remained unchanged when the list was updated in 1855. When the Wicklow Rifle converted to artillery in 1877, the unit

8395-470: The militia lapsed after the 1852 reforms, and Sir Ralph Howard became Honorary Colonel , with Edward Bayly, a former captain in the 34th Foot , as Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant. The outbreak of the Crimean War in 1854 and the despatch of an expeditionary force led to the militia being called out for home defence. The Wicklow Rifles were embodied on 27 January 1855. Recruits only came in slowly, and it

8510-410: The most part burned. The Annals of the Four Masters recorded Kilkenny in 1085. Prior to this time the early 6th-century territory was known as Osraighe, referring to the whole district or the capital. The Four Masters entry was the first instance where the capital was called Ceall-Cainnigh (modernised Kilkenny). Cill Chainnigh was a major monastic centre from at least the eighth century. There

8625-505: The offer was not taken up. By March 1805 the regimental headquarters (HQ) had moved to Clonmel . At this time the establishment was increased to 100 men per company, with a view to encouraging men to volunteer for the regulars. By September 1805 regimental HQ was at Ballinrobe , at Castlebar in March 1806, and at Athlone in June that year. In July 1806 the light battalions were broken up and

8740-411: The officers having to meet certain property qualifications. County Wicklow was given a quota of 356 men to find, to be organised into a battalion of six companies, and Robert Howard, 2nd Viscount Wicklow , was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel commanding on 25 April 1793 (he was later promoted to Colonel with the same date of seniority). The men were raised by enrolling volunteers rather than resorting to

8855-586: The other two districts were able to obtain sufficient voluntary recruits. The Wicklow Militia moved to Drogheda at the end of 1807 or beginning of 1808, and remained there for over two years, moving to Dublin in April 1810, where it remained part of the garrison for nearly a year. On 18–20 February 1811 the regiment marched in three 'divisions' from Dublin to Killarney , where it stayed until July 1812. It then transferred to Bandon, with detachments stationed at Listowel , Millstreet and Clonakilty . The strength of

8970-545: The peace, and in the event of a national emergency. It played a role in coastal defence during the second and third Anglo-Dutch Wars between 1665 and 1674, and contributed to the defeat of the Duke of Monmouth in 1685. The militia's usefulness as a military force, never great, declined thereafter, until by the middle of the 18th century it required a major overhaul. This was achieved by the Militia Acts 1757–1762, passed as

9085-556: The permanent staff moved back to Wicklow, where a storehouse and office in Main Street were hired for the regimental HQ by the county. Subsequently, the annual training (21 or 27 days) was held each May at Wicklow until 1865. During the Fenian crisis training was suspended, and the permanent staff mounted guard on the armoury until June 1870. Training resumed at Wicklow in May 1871 for 35 days, following 21 days' preliminary training for

9200-424: The present-day settlement is administered as a municipal district , the appellation "city" is an emotive subject in Kilkenny. Historically, city status in the United Kingdom , and before that in the Kingdom of Ireland , was a ceremonial designation awarded by the crown . It carried more prestige than the alternative municipal titles " borough " or " town ", but gave no additional legal powers (the qualifying factor

9315-472: The recruits. In subsequent years the preliminary drill lasted 56 days, followed by the main 27-day training period. The militia regiments now had a large cadre of permanent staff (about 30) and a number of the officers were former Regulars. Around a third of the recruits and many young officers went on to join the Regular Army. The Militia Reserve introduced in 1867 consisted of present and former militiamen who undertook to serve overseas in case of war. Under

9430-450: The regiment by November was 547 other ranks (ORs) out of an establishment of 600. In January 1813 it began moving by divisions to Cork , two companies not arriving until mid-February. On 5 and 7 April the regiment marched in two divisions to Clonmel, and then dispersed small detachments to surrounding villages. Late in the year Maj James Edwards was left in charge of regimental HQ at Clonmel while Col William Forward , Lt-Col Robert Howard and

9545-490: The regiment: Other notable officers included: The Wicklow Militia wore a red coat with black facings . The Wicklow Rifles retained black facings on their Rifle green jackets. On conversion to artillery the corps adopted the blue uniform and red facings of the Royal Artillery. From 1882 to 1889 the officers wore the standard North Irish Division helmet plate with 'WICKLOW ARTILLERY' on the lower scroll. Around 1900

9660-476: The regiments were disembodied. The men of the Wicklow Militia were paid off in May, leaving only the permanent staff of 70 non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and drummers under the regimental adjutant . However, the Peace of Amiens was short-lived, and on 3 January 1803 the commanding officers (COs) of militia regiments were authorised to enrol recruits to bring their regiments up to establishment strength. The Militia

9775-468: The regular army by encouraging militia volunteers through the offer of bounties for enlistment. In 1802 peace with France led to the disembodying of the militia, which was embodied again in 1803, when hostilities resumed. Britain's increasing overseas troop commitments during the Napoleonic Wars resulted in growing pressure on recruitment for the militia, both for home defence and as a feeder for

9890-594: The reign of King Charles II but it was not until 1715 that the Irish Militia came under statutory authority. During the 18th Century there were various Volunteer Associations and unofficial militia units controlled by the landowners, concerned mainly with internal security. During the War of American Independence , the threat of invasion by the Americans' allies, France and Spain, appeared to be serious. While most of

10005-697: The rising. Following the merger of Scotland into the new Kingdom of Great Britain, the British Militia Act 1757 did not apply in Scotland. There the traditional system continued, so that militia regiments existed in some places and not in others. This was resented by some, and the Militia Club, soon to become the Poker Club , was formed in Edinburgh to promote the raising of a Scottish militia. This and several other Edinburgh clubs became

10120-466: The territory of Great Britain. However some militia regiments did volunteer for service in Ireland during the Rebellion of 1798 . Local opposition to the acts resulted in some counties being slow to implement them. Six counties – Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Staffordshire, Sussex and Worcestershire – were in default for many years, also defaulting on a large part of the fines imposed on them in consequence. The American Revolution , which drained

10235-464: The then Bishop of Ossory , Richard de Ledrede , the trial involved Dame Alice de Kyteler and her servant Petronella de Meath . Petronella would be the first person recorded in Ireland to be burned alive at the stake for witchcraft, after Dame Alice presumably fled the country. This trial was also one of the earliest recorded witch burnings in Europe and inspires much folklore about the possibility of

10350-464: The threatened area. A detachment of the Wicklow Militia started out from Portarlington to Mitchelstown on 26 December. Soon afterwards news arrived that the French fleet had been scattered by the winter storms. Several ships had been wrecked and none of the French troops succeeded in landing; there was no sign of a rising by the United Irishmen . The invasion was called off on 29 December, and

10465-638: The traditional infantry regiments. Their role was to man coastal defences and fortifications, relieving the Royal Artillery (RA) for active service. On 1 April 1877 the Wicklow Rifles were converted into the Wicklow Artillery Militia , with headquarters at Wicklow. The establishment was reduced to 360 men, forming four 90-strong batteries. The annual training (including the new gunnery skills required) followed from 23 April that year. The Militia Reserve were called out in 1878 during

10580-407: The transepts is forty-one yards. Beside the cathedral stands a 100 ft 9th century round tower. St. Canice's tower is an excellent example of a well-preserved early Christian (9th century) Round Tower . Accessible only by a steep set of internal ladders, it may once have been both a watchtower and a refuge, and the summit gives a good view of Kilkenny and the countryside around. The hill on which

10695-507: The troop concentration was dispersed in early 1797. The Wicklow detachment returned to Portarlington on 27 January. The regiment later moved to Mullingar , where it carried out operations in. support of the civil powers and the revenue service across County Westmeath , for which each militiamen was awarded a silver medal by the county authorities. Early in 1797 the light companies of the militia were detached to join composite battalions drawn from several militia regiments. The Wicklow contingent

10810-651: The uniform bore the embroidered shoulder title 'WICKw', and about 1907 the ORs bore the brass titles 'RGA' over 'WICKLOW' on the shoulder straps of the khaki service dress. On the outbreak of the French Revolutionary War the English counties had drawn lots to determine the relative precedence of their militia regiments. In 1798 the new Irish militia regiments received their own table of precedence, in which County Wicklow came 37th. In 1833 King William IV drew

10925-630: The unsettled state of Ireland during the Home Rule debate , no training was held by the Wicklow Artillery in 1881 or 1882. In 1881 the regimental HQ was moved from the Main Street in Wicklow to the 'Marine Hotel' on the Murrough, which was converted into a barracks. The Royal Artillery (RA) was reorganised in 1882, and 11 territorial divisions of garrison artillery were formed, each with a brigade of regular artillery. The Militia Artillery

11040-515: The work. The Wicklow contingent served in the '3rd Division'. In the autumn of 1801 the Wicklow Militia was stationed at Boyle . By then peace negotiations with the French were progressing, and recruiting and re-enlistment for the Irish Militia was stopped in October. The men received the new clothing they were due on 25 December, but the Treaty of Amiens was signed in March 1802 after which

11155-615: The years following the 1798 Rebellion , was completed between 1800 and 1803. The Kilkenny Design Workshops were opened in 1965 and in 1967 the Marquess of Ormonde presented Kilkenny Castle to the people of Kilkenny. Today, it has a lively cultural scene, with annual events including the Kilkenny Arts Week Festival in the last two weeks of August, and the Cat Laughs Comedy Festival at

11270-410: Was August 1995 with a total of 274.9 hours sunshine and very high temperatures throughout. The maximum daily sunshine was 16.3 hours on 18 June 1978 . The overall trend in temperatures has been on the rise with a marked increase from 1988 onwards. Annual temperatures are running over 0.5 degrees or 0.9°F above 20th century levels. The maximum daily rainfall recorded at Kilkenny station

11385-428: Was 66.4 millimetres (2.61 in) on 17 July 1983 . The late 1950s and early 1960s were wet but rainfall had been steady throughout the century. 2002 was a very wet year and since 2005 annual rainfall has been increasing steadily, with 2009 being the wettest year since records commenced in 1958. The majority of the population of Kilkenny live outside the borough's boundary. The urban centre of Kilkenny, as defined by

11500-420: Was assigned to form the junior brigades of these divisions, the Wicklow Artillery becoming 7th Brigade, North Irish Division, RA , on 1 April 1882. Although the Army List stated that the brigade consisted of the Wicklow Artillery', its contemporary historian regretted that the old title could not be used more widely, particularly when recruiting. In 1888 the 7th Brigade absorbed some of the permanent staff from

11615-462: Was attached to 1st Light Battalion, stationed at Kilkenny . The militia regiments were each issued with two light six-pounder 'battalion guns', with the gun detachments trained by the Royal Artillery . When the militiamen of 1793 reached the end of their four-year enlistment in 1797, most of the Irish regiments were able to maintain their numbers through re-enlistments (for a bounty). The Wicklow Militia

11730-666: Was augmented in July 1797 and its establishment now totalled 460 all ranks. Viscount Wicklow resigned his command in August 1797, and his brother, Major ( Brevet Lt-Col) the Hon Hugh Howard , was promoted to substantive lieutenant-colonel and colonel to succeed him. The expected Irish Rebellion broke out in 1798. At the time the Light Company of the Wicklow Militia, commanded by Captain William Richardson,

11845-477: Was called out on 15 March, the Wicklow regiment being re-embodied on 25 March 1803. By March the following year the regiment was stationed at Bantry , with detachments at Bearhaven and Skibbereen , and the light company detached to Bandon as part of a new light battalion. In April 1804 the men of the Wicklow Light Company volunteered to extend their service to any part of Great Britain , but

11960-725: Was carried out. Under the sweeping Haldane Reforms of 1908, the Militia was replaced by the Special Reserve (SR), a semi-professional force whose role was to provide reinforcement drafts for Regular units serving overseas in wartime, rather like the former Militia Reserve. All 12 officers and 378 of the 456 ORs of the Wicklow RGA transferred to the SR and the unit became the Wicklow Royal Field Reserve Artillery (RFRA) on 24 May 1908. However, in

12075-415: Was disembodied on 29 March. After Waterloo there was a long peace. Although officers continued to be commissioned into the militia and ballots might still be held, the regiments were rarely assembled for training and their permanent staff (originally 74 warrant officers, non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and drummers under the adjutant) for the Wicklow regiment) were progressively reduced. The regimental HQ of

12190-745: Was embodied from 11 May to 9 October 1900 The Wicklow Artillery formally became the Wicklow Royal Garrison Artillery (Militia) in 1902. After the Boer War, the future of the Militia was called into question. There were moves to reform the Auxiliary Forces (Militia, Yeomanry and Volunteers ) to take their place in the six Army Corps proposed by St John Brodrick as Secretary of State for War . Some batteries of Militia Artillery were to be converted to Royal Field Artillery (RFA). However, little of Brodrick's scheme

12305-428: Was excluded from the militia's duties, embodied regiments were usually required to serve away from their home counties, and were frequently moved from one station to another. This was intended to reduce the risk of the men sympathising with the populace if they were required to quell civil unrest. Pay and conditions were similar to those of the regular army, with the additional benefit of money for family dependants. Unlike

12420-453: Was in contact with the rebels at Kilcavan Hill on 18 June, and then formed the advanced guard at the decisive Battle of Vinegar Hill on 21 June, storming the rebel position on the heights. Meanwhile, on 23 June the rest of the Wicklow Militia marched out of Kilkenny, where it was stationed, as part of a force under Major-General Sir Charles Asgill sent to retake Castlecomer , which had fallen into rebel hands. The militia then extinguished

12535-467: Was not until 28 November that the regiment finally left Wicklow for its war station at Cork. The war was ended by the Treaty of Paris of 30 March 1856, and the militia prepared to be disembodied. The Wicklow Rifles marched to Wexford at the end of June where it stayed a month before returning to Co Wicklow on 5 July. It was disembodied on 11 August 1856. In July 1858 the regiment assembled at Arklow for its 21 days' annual training. On 3 November that year

12650-657: Was put at the end of the artillery militia list, at 34th. Most regiments took little notice of the numeral. Irish Militia Following the restoration of Charles II in 1660, Parliament passed several acts empowering the lord-lieutenant of each county to appoint officers and raise men for the English Militia . Although the king commanded the forces, they were not centrally funded. The burden of supplying men and equipment fell on property owners, in proportion to their income from land or their property value. The militia could be called out for local police actions, to keep

12765-440: Was restricted to Protestants between the ages of sixteen and sixty. In 1793, during the Napoleonic Wars , the Irish militia were reorganized by the Militia Act (Ireland) 1793 (33 Geo. 3. c. 22 (I)) to form thirty-eight county and city regiments. While officers of the reorganized force were all Protestants, membership of the other ranks was now opened up to members of all denominations, including Roman Catholics. The provisions of

12880-564: Was stationed at Dunlavin , and took part in the defence of the town on 24 and 25 May. As the rebellion developed, the Wicklow Company with the 1st Light Battalion was heavily engaged in the operations against the rebels in County Kildare and then moved into County Wicklow. It was part of the force assembled by Lt-Gen Gerard Lake to take the main rebel camp at Vinegar Hill, forming part of David Dundas 's column. The battalion

12995-440: Was the most advanced there, this was partially driven by fears of a Dutch attack on Kinsale. Ormonde however in general wasn't hugely enthusiastic about the militia given the large number of Cromwellian settlers within it. As a result the militia was established on an ad-hoc basis and was only called out three times during the period in 1666, 1672 (renewal of war with Dutch) and 1678 ( Popish Plot - where they were used to disarm

13110-471: Was the presence of a cathedral , resulting in some very small cities such as Wells , with a population 12,000 as of 2018 and St Davids , with a population of 1,841 as of 2011). A city in Irish law has special legal meaning with corresponding powers for local government. From a local government perspective, Kilkenny has not been administered as a city since at least 1840. The present-day legal, political and administrative jurisdictions in Ireland are set out in

13225-525: Was used to decorate many of the city's buildings, and Kilkenny referred to the "Marble City" for this reason. Kilkenny Castle in Kilkenny city was the seat of the Butler family. (Formerly the family name was FitzWalter.) The castle was sold to the local Castle Restoration Committee in the middle of the 20th century for £ 50. Shortly afterwards it was handed over to the State, and has since been refurbished and

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