Confederation of Kilkenny

The Confederation of Kilkenny was a political and military alliance formed in 1642 during Ireland’s Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Irish Catholic nobles and leaders sought to create an autonomous government, opposing English Protestant rule. Based in Kilkenny, they established their own assembly to defend Catholic rights and manage internal affairs. The Confederation aimed to negotiate with England but also prepared for conflict, leading to a complex period of alliances, battles, and negotiations until English influence was reasserted in 1649. It was a significant attempt by Irish Catholics to govern themselves amid ongoing colonial and religious struggles.