diff --git a/IPython/__init__.py b/IPython/__init__.py
index 5df72f8..5d656e4 100644
--- a/IPython/__init__.py
+++ b/IPython/__init__.py
@@ -140,5 +140,12 @@ def start_kernel(argv=None, **kwargs):
         Any other kwargs will be passed to the Application constructor,
         such as `config`.
     """
-    from IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp import launch_new_instance
+    import warnings
+
+    warnings.warn(
+        "start_kernel is deprecated since IPython 8.0, use from `ipykernel.kernelapp.launch_new_instance`",
+        DeprecationWarning,
+        stacklevel=2,
+    )
+    from ipykernel.kernelapp import launch_new_instance
     return launch_new_instance(argv=argv, **kwargs)
diff --git a/IPython/kernel/__init__.py b/IPython/kernel/__init__.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 70a05ed..0000000
--- a/IPython/kernel/__init__.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,35 +0,0 @@
-"""
-Shim to maintain backwards compatibility with old IPython.kernel imports.
-"""
-# Copyright (c) IPython Development Team.
-# Distributed under the terms of the Modified BSD License.
-
-import sys
-from warnings import warn
-
-from IPython.utils.shimmodule import ShimModule, ShimWarning
-
-warn("The `IPython.kernel` package has been deprecated since IPython 4.0."
-     "You should import from ipykernel or jupyter_client instead.", ShimWarning)
-
-
-# zmq subdir is gone
-sys.modules['IPython.kernel.zmq.session'] = ShimModule(
-    src='IPython.kernel.zmq.session', mirror='jupyter_client.session')
-sys.modules['IPython.kernel.zmq'] = ShimModule(
-    src='IPython.kernel.zmq', mirror='ipykernel')
-
-for pkg in ('comm', 'inprocess'):
-    src = 'IPython.kernel.%s' % pkg
-    sys.modules[src] = ShimModule(src=src, mirror='ipykernel.%s' % pkg)
-
-for pkg in ('ioloop', 'blocking'):
-    src = 'IPython.kernel.%s' % pkg
-    sys.modules[src] = ShimModule(src=src, mirror='jupyter_client.%s' % pkg)
-
-# required for `from IPython.kernel import PKG`
-from ipykernel import comm, inprocess
-from jupyter_client import ioloop, blocking
-# public API
-from ipykernel.connect import *
-from jupyter_client import *
diff --git a/IPython/kernel/__main__.py b/IPython/kernel/__main__.py
deleted file mode 100644
index d1f0cf5..0000000
--- a/IPython/kernel/__main__.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-if __name__ == '__main__':
-    from ipykernel import kernelapp as app
-    app.launch_new_instance()
diff --git a/IPython/kernel/adapter.py b/IPython/kernel/adapter.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 3b8c046..0000000
--- a/IPython/kernel/adapter.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-from jupyter_client.adapter import *
diff --git a/IPython/kernel/channels.py b/IPython/kernel/channels.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 8c7fe2a..0000000
--- a/IPython/kernel/channels.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-from jupyter_client.channels import *
diff --git a/IPython/kernel/channelsabc.py b/IPython/kernel/channelsabc.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 8894401..0000000
--- a/IPython/kernel/channelsabc.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-from jupyter_client.channelsabc import *
diff --git a/IPython/kernel/client.py b/IPython/kernel/client.py
deleted file mode 100644
index a98690b..0000000
--- a/IPython/kernel/client.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-from jupyter_client.client import *
diff --git a/IPython/kernel/clientabc.py b/IPython/kernel/clientabc.py
deleted file mode 100644
index e0cf06c..0000000
--- a/IPython/kernel/clientabc.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-from jupyter_client.clientabc import *
diff --git a/IPython/kernel/connect.py b/IPython/kernel/connect.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 5b6d40a..0000000
--- a/IPython/kernel/connect.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-from ipykernel.connect import *
-from jupyter_client.connect import *
diff --git a/IPython/kernel/kernelspec.py b/IPython/kernel/kernelspec.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 123419b..0000000
--- a/IPython/kernel/kernelspec.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-from jupyter_client.kernelspec import *
diff --git a/IPython/kernel/kernelspecapp.py b/IPython/kernel/kernelspecapp.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 28cd33a..0000000
--- a/IPython/kernel/kernelspecapp.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-from jupyter_client.kernelspecapp import *
diff --git a/IPython/kernel/launcher.py b/IPython/kernel/launcher.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 1953bc4..0000000
--- a/IPython/kernel/launcher.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-from jupyter_client.launcher import *
diff --git a/IPython/kernel/manager.py b/IPython/kernel/manager.py
deleted file mode 100644
index c88097c..0000000
--- a/IPython/kernel/manager.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-from jupyter_client.manager import *
diff --git a/IPython/kernel/managerabc.py b/IPython/kernel/managerabc.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 6b40827..0000000
--- a/IPython/kernel/managerabc.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-from jupyter_client.managerabc import *
diff --git a/IPython/kernel/multikernelmanager.py b/IPython/kernel/multikernelmanager.py
deleted file mode 100644
index ce576e2..0000000
--- a/IPython/kernel/multikernelmanager.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-from jupyter_client.multikernelmanager import *
diff --git a/IPython/kernel/restarter.py b/IPython/kernel/restarter.py
deleted file mode 100644
index dc24117..0000000
--- a/IPython/kernel/restarter.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-from jupyter_client.restarter import *
diff --git a/IPython/kernel/threaded.py b/IPython/kernel/threaded.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 4a1072f..0000000
--- a/IPython/kernel/threaded.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-from jupyter_client.threaded import *