County Kilkenny in the context of "Leinster"

Christianity has been the largest religion in Ireland since the 5th century. After a pagan past of Antiquity, missionaries (most famously including Saint Patrick) converted the Irish tribes to Christianity in quick order. This produced a great number of saints in the Early Middle Ages, as well as a faith interwoven with Irish identity for centuries since − though less so in recent times.

Most Christian churches are organized on an "all-Ireland" basis, including both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. In the 2022 census, 76.1% of residents in the Republic of Ireland identified as Christians: 69.1% as Catholics, 4.2% as Protestants, 2.1% as Orthodox Christians and 0.7% as other Christians. In the 2021 Northern Irish census, 79.7% of residents identified as Christians: 42.3% as Catholics, 16.6% as Prebysterian, 11.5% as Church of Ireland members, 2.4% as Methodist and 6.9% as other Christians. Orthodoxy has been the fastest growing branch of Christianity in Ireland since 1991.

Bluestone is a cultural or commercial name for a number of natural dimension or building stone varieties, including:

• basalt in Victoria, Australia, and in New Zealand
• dolerites in Tasmania, Australia; and in Britain (including Stonehenge)
• feldspathic sandstone in the US and Canada
• limestone in the Shenandoah Valley in the US, from the Hainaut quarries in Soignies, Belgium, and from quarries in County Carlow, County Galway and County Kilkenny in Ireland
• slate in South Australia

It is unrelated to human-made blue brick.

Jerpoint Abbey (Irish: Mainistir Sheireapúin) is a ruined Cistercian abbey, founded in the second half of the 12th century in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located 2.5 km south west of Thomastown on the R448 regional road. There is a visitor centre with an exhibition. It has been declared a national monument and has been in the care of the Office of Public Works since 1880.

Scholars believe that Domnall Mac Gilla Pátraic (d.1176), the son of Cerball Mac Gilla Pátraic was possibly the founder of Jerpoint Abbey. Jerpoint Abbey may have been in existence since the 1160s but was only formally affiliated to the Cistercian order in 1180. It was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. Jerpoint is notable for its stone carvings, including one at the tomb of Felix Ua Duib Sláin, Bishop of the Diocese of Ossory and Cistercian founder of the abbey. The abbey flourished until the dissolution of the monasteries by the English king Henry VIII.

The Three Sisters (Irish: An Triúr Deirfiúr) are three rivers in Ireland: the River Barrow, the River Nore and the River Suir. The Suir and Nore rise in the same mountainous area in County Tipperary, near the Devil's Bit, while the Barrow rises in the Slieve Bloom Mountains in County Laois. The Nore flows into the Barrow about 17 km before the Suir and Barrow join to form an estuary called Waterford Harbour east of the city of Waterford. The rivers fan out to drain a large portion of the southern part of the island, including Counties Tipperary, Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford and Waterford, among others.

The lengths of the three rivers of the Three Sisters are the Barrow - 192 km (119 mi), the Suir - 185 km (115 mi) and the Nore - 140 km (87 mi).

St. Mary's Bay is one of many bays in Newfoundland, Canada, where bay is taken as a regional subdivision, somewhat along the lines of county divisions (Newfoundland, a largely maritime society, lacks counties). It is the most southern and eastern of Newfoundland's major bays.

It is located on the southern shore of the Avalon Peninsula and is the heartland of the Irish Newfoundlanders, who live all along its shores, stretching west to the Cape Shore and Placentia and northeast to the Southern Shore and St. John's. Like most Irish Newfoundlanders, area residents trace their ancestry to County Waterford, County Wexford, County Kilkenny, south County Tipperary and east County Cork. In addition to being Irish, the region is also overwhelmingly Roman Catholic.

County Carlow (/ˈkɑːrloʊ/ KAR-loh; Irish: Contae Cheatharlach) is a county located in the Southern Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. Carlow is the second smallest and the third least populous of Ireland's 32 traditional counties. Carlow County Council is the governing local authority.

The county is named after the town of Carlow, which lies on the River Barrow and is both the county town and largest settlement, with over 40% of the county's population. Much of the remainder of the population also reside within the Barrow valley, in towns such as Leighlinbridge, Bagenalstown, Tinnahinch, Borris and St Mullins. Carlow shares a border with Kildare and Laois to the north, Kilkenny to the west, Wicklow to the east and Wexford to the southeast.

Thomastown (Irish: Baile Mhic Andáin), historically known as Grennan, is a town in County Kilkenny in the province of Leinster in the south-east of Ireland. It is a market town along a stretch of the River Nore which is known for its salmon and trout, with a number of historical landmarks in the vicinity. Visitor attractions include Jerpoint Abbey, Kilfane Glen gardens, and Mount Juliet Golf Course. The town is in a civil parish of the same name. As of the 2022 census, Thomastown had a population of 2,305, making the town the third most populous in the county.

Kilkenny (Irish: Cill Chainnigh [ˌciːl̠ʲ ˈxan̠ʲəj], meaning 'church of Cainnech') 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 centre 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 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 County Council (Irish: Comhairle Chontae Chill Chainnigh) is the local authority of County Kilkenny, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, and environment. The council has 24 elected members. Elections are held every five years and are by single transferable vote. The head of the council has the title of Cathaoirleach (chairperson). The county administration is headed by a chief executive, Lar Power. The county town is Kilkenny city.