County Kilkenny is a land-locked county in the south east of Ireland. The county takes its name from Kilkenny City, also known as the marble city due to the locally quarried marble that features in the city’s buildings and pavements.
The landscape of Kilkenny is an interesting mix of hills to the north-east, north-west and south while the middle areas of the county are relatively low. The highest peak in the county is Brandon Hill which rises to 515 metres above sea level. The county also has an extensive network of rivers, the most well known of which are the Barrow, the Nore and the Suir, known as the Three Sisters.
The rich history and landscape of Kilkenny makes for an interesting mix of archaeological sites dotted across the county. Highlights include Kilkenny Castle, built on a bend in the River Nore in Kilkenny City, Jerpoint Abbey and Dunmore Cave, a large limestone cave which was the site of a Viking massacre in 928 AD.