The podcast below will look at the life and times of Saint Canice and also examine St Canice’s Day, 11 October. This was a day our ancestors would have celebrated as it was a Holy Day of Obligation and a fair day in the town. So listen a listen to find out more on our local patron saint’
‘Our beautiful city and county; ‘Kilkenny’, took its name from a man called Cainnech or Canice, whose feast day is 11th October. The word ‘Kilkenny’ is the analgised version of two Irish words, ‘Cill’, the Irish for church, and ‘Cainnech’ being of course ‘Canice’. The latter word was translated by our English settlers into ‘Kenneth’ or ‘Kenny’. So, literally, ‘Church of Kenny’. But who actually was this Saint Canice fellow?! The annals tell us he was born in 515AD (or maybe 516AD). That’s a good 80-plus years after St Patrick’s arrival 432AD. And here’s the first revelation, he was born in modern day County Derry. So St Canice is a Derry man! He became leader of the See of Ossory for the last 20 years of his life, from around 578AD until his death around 600AD.
St-Canice----Who-was-Kilkennys-Patron-Saint.mp3 (size 12.5 MB)
