ANTIQUITIES, KILKENNY, IRELAND. By T. NEWENHAM DEANE, Fellow. Read at the Ordinary General Meeting of the Royal Institute of British Architects, February 12th, 1866. THE Cathedral of Kilkenny being now in process of restoration, many things have been brought to light connected with its original design, which may make a short paper on the subject interesting to the Institute. In connexion with the description of the Cathedral, I purpose touching briefly on the other buildings of interest which still exist in Kilkenny-ecclesiastical, military and secular. Under the first of these heads I would enumerate the Cathedral; the Augustinian Abbey of St. John the Evangelist, whose charter, in the "Monasticon," is dated 1220, founded by William Marshall, the elder, Earl of Pembroke; the Dominican Abbey, founded by William Marshall, the younger, 1225, dedicated to the blessed Trinity, commonly called the Black Abbey; the Franciscan Abbey, founded 1230; St. Mary's Church, probably finished 1328; the Vicar's Hall, near the Cathedral, and other buildings forming part of the Cathedral establishment. Under the second head, the Castle forms the most interesting object of attention. Under the third head, I would mention the Hospital founded by Sir Richard Shee, 1581, and several houses dating from the Sixteenth Century and onwards. THE CATHEDRAL.-A full description of this beautiful and interesting structure has been given by the Rev. James Graves, in his book on the "History and Antiquities of Kilkenny," from which, and other authorities, I have made a few notes. St. Canice, to whom this church was dedicated, was a man of distinguished piety, the intimate friend of St. Columbkill, on the model of whose foundation at Iona he founded a monastery at Aghaboe, in Upper Ossory, which existed in 577. The earliest allusion to Kilkenny, in "The Four Masters," A.D. 1085, mentions that Cael Cainnagh, or the Church of Canice, was partly burnt-probably a wooden structure, which was shortly after rebuilt, and destroyed by fire 1114. After this second destruction, it appears to have been raised again, of more costly materials. Numerous carved stones, of twelfth-century work, have been found built into the walls, and under the paving of the present church; and extensive foundations at the eastern end of the Cathedral indicate that a church of that period existed. In 1189, William, Earl Marshall, the elder, through a marriage with Isabella, only child of Richard FitzGilbert, Lord of Ossory, became Earl of Pembroke and Lord of Leinster. With this nobleman commences the authentic history of Kilkenny. He was appointed Governor of the Kingdom of Ossory, by Prince John, 1191-Richard I. being then in exile. He erected the Castle 1192, returned to England 1194, came back to Ireland 1207, rebuilt the Castle of Kilkenny, and gave a charter to the town, under which it still enjoys certain privileges. In 1202, we find the see of Ossory at Aghaboe, St. Canice's original foundation, under the prelacy of Felix O. Dullany, who was succeeded by Hugh Rufus, or De Rous, an English Augustinian canon, and the first English Bishop of Ossory. This prelate exchanged the see lands of Aghaboe for others at Kilkenny, belonging to the Lord of Leinster, and probably used the church which he found on the site of the present cathedral, as it is stated "he did nothing further for his episcopal see." From manuscripts in the Ormonde Collection, we find that a cathedral existed in 1229. This may have been the ancient church of Dullany's time, or the choir of the present church, used as a cathedral prior to the completion of the structure. Bishop Hugh, de Mapleton carried on the work with great vigour from 1251 to 1256, and nearly brought it to a finish. Geoffry St. Leger, 1260, completed the Cathedral, at great N |