History
St Canice c. 520 – 599
St Canice was a great friend of St Columba (Colmcille), the Apostle of the Scots and founder of the monastery at Iona. The story is told that St Columba was once caught in a storm at sea. His fellow monks cried out for him to pray for them, but St Columba calmly replied that he would leave the praying to Canice in distant Aghaboe. His friend meanwhile leapt up so suddenly from his meal that his shoe came off as he rushed to the church to pray for his imperilled friend. The storm immediately passed, and St Columba told his green-faced companions 'the Lord has listened to Canice's prayer and his race to the church with one shoe has saved us'. St Canice established a monastery at Aghaboe (30 km north of Kilkenny), which became the seat of the bishop of Ossory.
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St Canice c. 520 – 599
St Canice was a great friend of St Columba (Colmcille), the Apostle of the Scots and founder of the monastery at Iona. The story is told that St Columba was once caught in a storm at sea. His fellow monks cried out for him to pray for them, but St Columba calmly replied that he would leave the praying to Canice in distant Aghaboe. His friend meanwhile leapt up so suddenly from his meal that his shoe came off as he rushed to the church to pray for his imperilled friend. The storm immediately passed, and St Columba told his green-faced companions 'the Lord has listened to Canice's prayer and his race to the church with one shoe has saved us'. St Canice established a monastery at Aghaboe (30 km north of Kilkenny), which became the seat of the bishop of Ossory.
History of the Area
In 1170, Diarmard MacMurrough, the Irish Lord of Leinster, invited the assistance of "Strongbow" (Richard Fitzgilbert, the Anglo-Norman Earl of Pembroke) to give him the edge over his enemies. Like many another visitor, Strongbow and his followers took an immediate fancy to Ireland. The Normans, later lead by William Earl Marshal – Strongbow's son-in-law – placed enormous importance on towns, with a penchant for constructing grand buildings as a symbol of their strong and permanent presence. Their standard practice was to build a great stone castle and a cathedral at opposite ends of the town. At Kilkenny, Marshal built a castle and established the 'High-town'. A new Cathedral was also constructed on the site.
There appears to have been at least three earlier churches on the site of St Canice's Cathedral. The surviving round tower suggests a not-insignificant religious site, though it may not have been a monastery. While Kilkenny (Cill Chainnigh = Canice's Church) is named after him, there is no evidence that he himself established a church here, and it is impossible to know whether early references are to Kilkenny, or to St Canice's monastery and cathedral at Aghaboe. The bishop's seat was transferred from Aghaboe to Kilkenny, c.1120.
Building of the Cathedral
Contemporary records of the Cathedral's construction are non-existent, but it would appear that it was done in two stages. The earliest record (16th Century) gives the honour of "first founder" to Bishop Hugh de Mapilton (1251-1260), who probably built the choir, transepts and crossing tower, with the completion of the nave left to Bishop Geoffrey de St Leger (1260-86). The Lady Chapel would have been (re-)built around the time the nave was finished. The completion date is often cited as 1285.
In 1332 the central tower collapsed in circumstances associated with the trial of Dame Alice Kyteler for witchcraft (see below), the most notorious event of Kilkenny's medieval history. The tower, much taller then, fell into the choir and side-chapels, substantially demolishing them. After a period of foreign travel, Bishop Ledrede (1318-61) returned to repair the cathedral. Apart from enlarging the tower piers, reducing the tower's size, and building up several of the adjoining arches, he installed a famously magnificent great East window. Stone vaulting was added under the tower in the 1470's.
During the English Civil War (1641-1651), Ireland was left in a political vacuum. In the chaos of the times, all the cathedral records were 'liberated' and St Canice's once again had a Roman Catholic bishop. The 'Confederation of Kilkenny' – a sort of unofficial parliament – offered some stability to Ireland and prosperity to Kilkenny from 1642-1648. When Oliver Cromwell took charge of the Parliamentary military campaign against Ireland, he captured Kilkenny and wrought extensive devastation on the Cathedral in 1650. It remained abandoned and roofless for twelve years.
Climbing the Round Tower
The Round Tower in Kilkenny is one of the only two round towers in the country that people may climb, the round tower at St Canice’s Cathedral provides a magnificent view of Kilkenny and the surrounding area on a clear day. The structure is 30m (100ft) high, tapering from 4.5 to 3.3m (15 to 11ft) in diameter.
When the tower was originally built it would have had a conical top, adding a further 5m (18ft) to its height. The present day lack of this conical top allows for access to a safe viewing platform at the tower’s summit, which may be reached via a series of internal ladders comprising seven floors and 121 steps in total. Each year, many local archaeologists, architects and town planners – as well as thousands of visitors – climb the round tower not only to climb up through a unique heritage, but to view a beautiful city and stunning landscape.
Round Tower History
The Kilkenny Round Tower - a particularly Irish feature - were built at major religious sites as places of refuge for body and treasure, during the times of the Viking raids from the end of the 8th century. St Canice’s round tower offers a breathtaking 360 degree view of the surrounding countryside from its summit - hardly surprising since that was the other reason they were built.
The presence of the round tower here is the clearest sign of the antiquity of St Canice’s as an important religious site. There is a reference that suggests a mid-9th century date for it, making it the oldest standing structure in the City. It carries the same protected status as the Cathedral, and similarly, is of national importance. Considering that it was built over fairly fresh burials and that the foundations are remarkably shallow, it is not so much the 0.7m (2ft) off-plumb that is remarkable, but the fact that it has remained standing at all!
Round Tower Excavation
In 1846 – 1847, the base of the Kilkenny Round Tower underwent excavation, confirming that the foundations are only 0.6m deep. In addition, a pavement was discovered; and underneath that a number of skeletons were also found – that of two adults and two children. The skeletons had been interred in a traditional Christian manner: With their feet to the East and their heads facing West. A variety of different animal remains was found in proximity also.
Round Tower Kilkenny Opening Hours
October to April (Weather Permitting)
Monday to Saturday: Open from 10.00am to 5.00pm (Last Climb 4.30pm)
Sunday: Closed
May-September (Weather Permitting)
Monday to Saturday : The Tower is open from 9.00am - 6.00pm (Last Climb 5.30pm.)
Sundays: The Tower is open from 1.00pm to 6.00pm (Last climb 5.30pm.)
In the summer season, please note that the Round Tower is very busy from11am to 4pm . Best time to climb is from 9am to 11am. The tower remains closed Sundays mornings due to worship in the Cathedral.
St. Canice’s Cathedral Close
St. Canice’s Cathedral Close is the best-preserved surviving medieval cathedral close in Ireland. The two most well-known buildings are the Cathedral and Round Tower, but a number of other buildings and monuments also make up this historic site. Keep reading below to find out more.
St. Canice’s Deanery and Coach House
Just outside the main gates of the Cathedral, you will see a large Georgian house. This is the Deanery, built in 1729, where the Dean of Ossory still lives today. The wrought-iron gates originally came from the 16th Century Shee mansion, which stood on Parliament Street. The Shee mansion later became known as Confederation Hall, due to its use as a meeting house for the Confederate Government of Ireland 1642-1650. A matching set of gates from the rear of the mansion were moved to the Castle Road, where they now form one of the entrances to Kilkenny Castle Park. Part of the gateway can still be seen today at the entrance to the Market Yard.
Vicar’s Residence, Library, and Organist’s Apartment
In the graveyard, you will see what looks like three terraced houses behind a railing. These buildings are the Vicarage and Library. St. Canice’s Library contains the ruins of Blackrath Castle, dating from 1280, and was used as a Manse House for the Prebendary of Blackrath until around 1412. In 1539, this building became a Grammar School, founded by Lady Margaret Butler, Countess of Ormonde, in honour of her late husband, the 8th Earl of Ormonde. Sometime in the 1690s, the building was converted into a library. Although many of the books have since been moved elsewhere, it is still known as St. Canice’s Library today, and now incorporates offices and an apartment for the Organist/Musical Director.
Robing Room/Summer House
Towards the back of the graveyard, you will see a small gate that leads out into Church Lane. Just over the wall you will see a small building. This is known as the Robing Room or Summer House and was built in the 1750s at the request of Bishop Pococke. A flue system leading from a fireplace in the basement was used to heat the timber benches on the ground floor. A covered walkway, leading to the North Door of the Cathedral and known as the Colonnade, was built by William Colles in 1756. This proved to be controversial as it obstructed certain Medieval features of the Cathedral. The Colonnade was eventually removed and sold by the Cathedral Chapter in 1865. The North Door, which displays both a rounded, Romanesque doorway and a pointed Gothic arch, can now be seen in all its glory.
Bishop’s Palace/ Heritage Council HQ
From the back of the graveyard, you can see a large Georgian building across the lane. This was the Bishop’s Palace for the Diocese of Cashel, Ferns, and Ossory until 2008, when it was sold to the government for use as the headquarters of Ireland’s Heritage Council. A new Bishop’s residence was built towards the back of the property, which is where the Bishop of Ossory lives today. The original palace was built in the 14th Century by Bishop Richard LeDrede, using stone from three disused churches whose congregations had been decimated by the Black Death in 1348.
St. Canice’s Steps and Velvet Lane
As you approach the Cathedral, you might walk up St. Canice’s Steps, which date from the 17th Century. The steps and archway were built by the Cathedral Procurator Robert Wale using locally sourced limestone. A row of terraced houses once stood alongside the steps, on a street known as Velvet Lane. Only a fraction of the lane now remains, as the houses were sadly demolished in the 1970s.
The Sexton’s House
At the top of St. Canice’s Steps are a pair of semi-detached houses. The one nearest the steps is the Sexton’s house, where the Cathedral Sexton/Verger lives. Originally this was the Precentor’s Manse House and Garden, built in 1640. The Precentor was the first singer and leader of the Cathedral choir. The house was renovated in the 19th century, but some remnants of the 17th century building can still be seen. The original entrance door can be seen in the gable wall next to the steps. There are also several 16th century carvings and effigies visible in the same wall.
The Graveyard
Burials have been taking place on this site for over a thousand years. The earliest burials as yet identified through excavations and radiocarbon dating are the five sets of human remains discovered beneath the Round Tower in 1847, which pre-date the tower itself (c.1111).
A sarcophagus, once used by monks to prepare bodies for burial, can be seen leaning against the back wall of the graveyard. Holes carved into the bottom allowed for drainage during the decomposition process.
If you need help locating a particular grave, please ask inside the Cathedral. There are some records and graveyard plans available.
