ORIGIN OF THE "KILKENNY CATS"

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2289, 28 November 1889, Page 3

ORIGIN OF THE " KILKENNY CATS"

< The Irlah scry of the two cats of Kilkenny wfco fought aod fought till there was ranght left bat their tvi!s l:as tta O'igla m fsct, ik told In " Lipplc ontt'K Mtgazloe; In 1798. during tho Irlrh rebellion, Kilkenny wai gacr ironed by Hessians. The eoldtera used to nmnse themselves by tying two o»t» together by their tails and banging them ov<>r a olothea line, when they fight desperately till one or otbor, or bnth, perhaps, were kU!eii. Whim this crcelty beoame kno-n to the offiora they cetermined to atop It, and so cent an cffi3cr every day to wfttch for acy off-noe of this kind, and to pnnish >ha tfisnipr. The soldiers would keep 8 xmn on the vjbio' 1 theaiseivfß, and when the word wasplven of tha approach of an < ffioer tbe ca<s wonld be let 10060. One day the man neglected - to keep 5 1' ok out, »nd ths efficne comJi:g upon them suddenly, ooe c f 'be coldlers divided the c»*R r *a l iß with he stord, and the cs.tß ted < S " (shying thur :&ile bi'hin.i? them," Hkeßo-Peep'o shepp The ifficet fnqoited j^bont the carious Hithf oi two cats' tails h*ngirg nn the lice, a<.d v>^b told that two cats b\d fooght deppe'atelr, ■destroyed each othar all bat tho ts 1 !* f •»r;d the Boldiers tad picked op their

nppendtgeH r<nd fcanz them <n<heHn'. •To etalo ' th«. s ory, aocordir;*! Io Inch •othoritifß, Brewer B*yn "Th a Is nn •lltgory of Ibe rhon'cip^Htlca of Kilkerny

and Irißhtowr , who comnnded feo Btrntty

•brat bonndstrien urd rlgh'.s to tJiH end of J}.e ?fvo?.!emtfc c-'Otnry \> &'■ tbuy mctua.'iy lmp::f .-riabed e-.rh other — atr> upof ob o'.h.^r, leavii g only a tail bebkd." " De Gube.'naiia." cays Oocw«y In hia Z.-o-l<>K?cal Mythology, " has a enrioos fipocnlatlon concerning tb.3 origin "f oar iamV.hr fable 'The KlketM y O*t*,' whtch he trs.ocß to the Gorroan eupersiftion whioh dreads the combit betwoon onto 88 preKOglng death to tho oc<e who Fltn«tßC9 It,"