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Old 12-23-2013, 09:29 PM   #3908
Eugene Church
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Around the Town in the IPA

KILKENNY CATS

Owner: Smithwick's Brewing Company
GM: Kieran McKenna
Manager: Rusty Denicola

The town of Kilkenny has a population of 65,000 and is situated inland about 10 miles south of the Kelnyck Ocean in the northern part of Valdar Island. Irish immigrants settled here in the 1850s, the time of the Great Famine in Ireland. With an exquisite coastline that ranges from rolling green hills to low, craggy bluffs and hills, Kilkenny offers a relaxed pace of life and scenic beauty. It hasn't changed much in the last hundred years.

The people of Kilkenny love to laugh, sing and drink, so it seems logical that the brewing business would be primary here. It is the home of Smithwick's Brewery, which was established in Kilkenny's namesake in Ireland in 1710. Smithwick's (pronounced "Smithicks"...the "w" is silent) produces its famous ale along with Kilkenny Cream Ale.

Visitors can sample great ale, good food and experience Irish music in its traditional pubs. The pub lies at the heart of cultural, social and musical life in Kilkenny. Belly bustin' comedy can be enjoyed each weekend at Smithwick's The Cat Laughs Comedy Club, which features the best of Irish comedians, both native and imported. Smithwick's also owns the local IPA baseball franchise, the Kilkenny Cats. Prior to entry into professional baseball, the brewery had sponsored amateur and company leagues since the early 1900s.

Another important industry to the Kilkenny economy is marble. The "Black Quarry" is the source of fine black marble, which is one of Valdar Islands biggest exports. Many of the buildings in the town are constructed with the black marble. In fact, Smithwick's Stadium, the home of the Kilkenny Cats, is almost totally built with the marble. It is an old ballpark, built in 1968.

A trip to Smithwick's Stadium is a culinary delight. In addition to hot dogs, hamburgers, peanuts and crackerjacks, you can get Irish delicacies at Smithwick's...authentic Irish ales, Irish stew, Irish coffee, apple cakes and whiskey cakes...for the ladies they have tea and scones. To entertain the fans there is the team's mascot, the Kilkenny Cat and his Leprecaun friends. Standing on top of the dugouts or roaming throught the stands, they lead cheers and songs and dance Irish jigs throughout the ballgame.

Whenever the Cats win the ballgame, it is tradition at Smithwick's Stadium to stand and sing the Irish classic, "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling".

Chorus
When Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, 'tis like the morn in Spring.
In the lilt of Irish laughter
You can hear the angels sing.
When Irish hearts are happy,
All the world seems bright and gay.
And when Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, they steal your heart away.

The Valdar Island towns have never really cooperated with one another and don't really get along very well. Relations have always beened strained and competition is intense. The Kilkennyans are a boisterous bunch at the ballgame and can be quite rowdy and vocal.

To head up the Kilkenny foray into professional baseball, Smithwick's Brewery hired Kieran McKenna to head up the club. He has been active as a player, coach, manager in the Valdar Baseball League since the 1970's and is well-respected in Valdar Island baseball circles.

The current skipper of the Cats is a former third baseman Rusty Denicola, who played 16 years with the club from 2016 to 2031... Denicola was just a journeyman infielder with a .266 career batting average and 147 home runs and 753 RBIs in 1524 games.

Smithwick Stadium (1968)
Capacity: 7,650

Dimensions:
LF Line 330
LF 350
LCF 372
CF 397
RCF 372
RF 350
RF Line 330
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Last edited by Eugene Church; 12-23-2013 at 09:30 PM.
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