1   Introduction

County Kilkenny is situated in the South East of Ireland. It has a land area of 2,062 sq. kilometres and a recoded population in the 2011 Census of 95, 419[1].

The main urban centre is Kilkenny City and Environs.  The next largest urban areas in the County are the Ferrybank area, adjacent to Waterford City, and the district towns of Callan, Castlecomer, Graiguenamanagh and Thomastown.