In December 2010, Kilkenny was selected in Australia's 23-man squad for the 2011 Asian Cup. Kilkenny came on as a second-half substitute against United Arab Emirates in a warm-up game for the Asian Cup. He played his first game in the Asian Cup when he came on as a second-half substitute against Bahrain. In the quarter-final match, against reigning champions Iraq, Kilkenny made an appearance in the 109th minute, during a 1–0 win. He was a late substitute in the final, which Australia lost 1–0 to Japan after extra time.