Population:22,500 Known as: the "Marble City", as streets are paved with locally quarried limestone flecked with white, crescent-shaped fossils from the ancient sea-bed.
Employment:Tourism is the city's biggest employer but Kilkenny is also home to leading food company Glanbia, a Diageo brewery, innumerable small crafts businesses, service companies such as the VHI and a growing number of IT and financial services companies. There has been some limited decentralisation of civil and public servants - the Heritage Council, which has fully relocated to Kilkenny and the Arts Council, which is planning to.
Hospitals:St Luke's (general), Kilcreene (orthopaedic) and Aut Even (private).
Education:Ten primary schools and six secondary schools. Nearest third-level at Institutes of Technology, Carlow (20 miles) and Waterford (30 miles). Closest universities are at Dublin, Cork and Limerick. The Crafts Council of Ireland runs training courses in ceramics, goldsmithing and jewellery.
Best aspects:compact size, architectural heritage, castle and park, cosmopolitan ambience.
Kilkenny is hot:the highest air temperature ever recorded in Ireland was +33.3°C at Kilkenny Castle on June 26th, 1887.
Main issue:plans to pedestrianise the city centre are on hold until roads network is completed.
Local authority:www.kilkenny.ie
Local radio: KCLR 96.6 FM
