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The Barrow Way Walking Routes

Here the Barrow Way is divided up into six sections, ranging in length from 23 kilometres to 6 kilometres. ( Photo taken from http://www.riverbarrow.net/barrow-way.html )

Why not go and enjoy this scenic route into the heart of rural Ireland by canoe, bike or on foot. Connect with friends and family as you escape to unique natural environments.

Explore The Barrow Way Website

A comprehensive website with map and walking route details it also features activities and attractions and much more.

Photo taken from flip book ( https://www.kildare.ie/kildaresp/TowpathTrails/?page=1)

Towpath Trails Online Booklet

For more information on the Barrow Way other walking routes have a look at the Towpath Trails Booklet online. It gives information on The Royal Canal, The Grand Canal and The Barrow Line. A beautifully illustrated book which gives you the km/ miles for each trail so you can choose one that suits you best.

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The Royal Canal Greenway Walking Routes

The Royal Canal Greenway

The Royal Canal Greenway is a walking route which starts from Maynooth and stretches as far as Enfield and beyond. It is a route along the canal and so is easy to access. There is lots to do along the route and plenty of nearby attractions.

Discover the Royal Canal Greenway, a 130km scenic walking and cycling route.

Click on the link below to bring you to the intokildare website for a printable map and more information

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Leixlip Castle

To find out more about Leixlip Castle call, +353 1 6246873.


Leixlip Castle was built soon after 1172 by Adam de Hereford, a follower of Strongbow, the Norman invader of Ireland. It has passed through many hands and has been in the ownership of Mr. Desmond Guinness and his family since 1958.

The Castle contains many items of antique furniture, tapestries, paintings and drawings and some unusual items. These include a large 18th century dolls' house originally came Newbridge House, a military bath (which is in current use), a cabinet made in Killarney circa 1880 which is inlaid with views of ruined abbeys and round towers, Irish wolfhounds and with harps and shamrocks in the decoration. Also of interest are drawings of the six Mitford sisters by William Acton. A Print Room has been made in the Library and a corridor upstairs has also been decorated with prints.

The garden has a conservatory and a temple and white iron gates at the far end of the lawn lead to the walled vegetable garden.

Opening Days 2022

Leixlip Castle will be open on the following date from 9am -1pm.

April: Friday 1st , Monday 4th -Friday 8th

May: Monday 9th -Fridaty 20th (every day)

June: Tuesday 7th-Friday17th (Every day)

August: Saturday13th -Monday 22nd (every day - Heritage Week)

September: Monday 5th -Sunday 11th (Everyday)

Admission: €8 Adults

Admission: €4 for Students, Children & OAPs

Tour times (9:15am ,10.15am,11.15am,12.15pm)

Please contact Leixlip Castle for appointments .

Landline : 01 624 44 30 Email : leixlipcastle@gmail.com

In line with the Government policy on covid 19, the venue is taking a similar approach in terms of properties opening to the public in 2022 . please check at the time.

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The Curragh


The name Curragh comes from the Irish word "currach" which translates as "plain", a place of the running horse.  The Curragh is Ireland's largest, finest, and possibly only, example of a surviving ancient lowland unenclosed grassland. The 5,000 acres stretch from Kildare Town to Newbridge. The Curragh is surrounded on all sites by good, fertile lands however, it itself supports nutrient poor acid grasslands, severely deficient in lime and phosphorous.

The Curragh is unique in terms of it's natural and cultural heritage.  This distinctive landscape houses the main training center for the Irish Army, a military museum, the premier racecourse for Ireland, Pollardstown Fen, Ireland's oldest golf club, and many ancient barrows and raths.

Many famous Irish characters, including St. Brigid, the patroness of Ireland, Fionn MacCumhail and in more recent times, Dan Donnelly, the boxer are synonymous with this special place. The Curragh is also the birthplace of motor racing as it is where the first ever formal road race in Britain & Ireland was held with the Gordon Bennett Rally, 1903.

Click here to learn more about The Story of The Curragh

Things to see and do at The Curragh

Accommodation

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How to get to The Curragh

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The Curragh is also very accessible from Kildare Town or Newbridge.


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Taghadoe Round Tower, Maynooth


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One of Maynooths oldest surviving monuments, Taghadoe Round Tower was part of an old monastic settlement and dates back to the 6th Century.

Its primary purpose was defence against local pillagers and Viking invasions but it was also used as a mark of the existence of a religious settlement. Among the ruins stands an early monastic church. The round tower itself has been renovated to some extent, however its roof was never replaced. A door stands 12ft above ground level where during times of invasion or plundering, when the warning was raised, the monks would gather all their sacred possessions and climb into the tower and pull the ladder up. This meant that there was only one entrance to defend which would have been relatively out of reach of the enemy.

The tower was used for about 1000 years but was left in ruins by the 17th Century.

The Taghadoe Round Tower is featured on the Kildare Monastic Trail available from  abarta.

How to get there

It lies east of the R407, 8km southwest of Maynooth. Access to the site is free & parking is extremely limited.

OSI Discovery Series Map 50: N 9234 3456.

Latitude: 53° 21' 12" N / Longitude: 6° 36' 47" W

 


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Oughterard


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Oughterard Round Tower and Cemetery

The site, in the community of Ardclough, is a National Monument; it includes a castle dating from 1636 and a church from c. 1189.  The Round Tower is set on an elevated site in a beautifully well-maintained graveyard with a ruined late medieval barrel vault chapel (c. 1400's).  Set into the side of the ridge with beautiful views of the Wicklow Mountains, Oughterard was the site of an important Anglo-Norman manor but there are no references to the castle here until 1636. The tower stands at 9.5 meters tall.

The parish church was granted to St. Thomas' Abbey in Dublin before 1189 and stayed in their possession for the next 400 years. In 1540 it was said to be in need of repair and in 1576 it was being leased to Sir Henry Ratcliff. In 1596 it was granted to Richard Hardings. This church on site houses vaults belonging to Arthur Guinness, who is now buried here.

The Oughterard Round Tower is featured on the Kildare Monastic Trail available from abarta.

How to get there

It lies east of the N7, 4km southeast of Sallins. Access to the site is free.

OSI Discovery Series Map 50: N 9566 2624.

Latitude: 53° 16' 41" N / Longitude: 6° 33' 57" W

Find out more about Oughterard here


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The Abbeys of Clane

Clane was at the centre of ecclesiastical operations in Kildare due to it's strategic location on the River Liffey and close to Dublin.

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St. Ailbhe's Monastery

The beginning of the history of Clane dates from about 520 AD, when St Ailbhe, Bishop of Ferns founded Clane Abbey which predates St. Patrick’s. This is one of Ireland's oldest monastic sites. It remained an important ecclesiastical site until the 13th Century when the Franciscan Friary was built in the town. The abbeys basic medieval structure was restored in the 1970's by Clane Community Council and the grounds of the abbey landscaped into a Garden of Remembrance. 

Find out more about St. Ailbhe here

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The Clane Friary

Founded in 1258 by Gerald Fitzmaurice Fitzgerald (Lord Offaly) as a friary for the Franciscian Order. The ruins of this abbey stand close to the river Liffey, just off the main street in Clane.  A damaged effigy of a knight on the site is said to be that of Lord Offaly himself. The friary was suppressed in 1536 by Henry VIII although the friars stayed on until the it was completely destroyed in c. 1550. There are information boards and plaques on the site to help interpret it for visitors to Clane as only the remains of the Friary Church are visible today.

Find out more about Clane Franciscian Friary here

 

Clane is featured on the Kildare Monastic Trail available from abarta heritage. 

How to get there

Clane lies southeast of the N4, find out how to get there on our Clane town page.

Access to both sites is free.

 

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Moone High Cross


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Moone High Cross

The Moone High Cross is the second tallest high cross in Ireland and it is said to be one of the best examples in the country.  It is divided into three parts, the upper, middle and base. In 1893 the middle part was discovered and reunited with the remaining parts which were originally found in the ruins of the medieval church in 1835.  Today, the complete cross stands at 17.5 feet (5.3 meters).

There are different scenes depicted on the cross; Daniel in the lions pit, the three children in the fiery furnace and the miracle of the loaves and fishes amongst them. The monastery is believed to have been founded by St. Palladius in the 5th century, dedicated to St. Columcille in the 6th and the cross, constructed from granite, is reputed to date from the 8th century.

The Moone High Cross is featured on the Kildare Monastic Trail available from abarta.

How to get there

Take N9 South for Carlow & follow signs for Moone.
Drive through Moone Village turning right at the sign for the High Cross.
(Please note, this site can be difficult to find - feel free to ask for directions once in Moone)

OSI Discovery OS. Map: 55 S 789 927.

Find out more about Moone High Cross here


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Castledermot Monastic Site & Friary


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Castledermot Monastic Site

The monastic site of Castledermot was founded by St. Diarmuid in c.812, although there is evidence to suggest that hermitages may have existed here since the 6th century.

St. James’ Church of Ireland Church now stands on the site of the original monastery. The construction of a 20m high round tower and the presence of two ornate 10th century high crosses indicate the site’s wealth and importance. A Romanesque stone church also formed part of the monastery. However, today only a well carved doorway survives. The community’s wealth attracted some unwanted attention, and Viking raids are recorded in the Annals for the years c.841 and 867. The hogsback stone burial in the graveyard is another indication of contact with the Vikings.

After the Anglo-Norman invasion of 1169, Walter de Riddlesford was granted the barony of Kilkea. Tristledermot, as it was then known, was established as a medieval borough beside the existing monastery. De Riddlesford constructed a castle in the town. This was then rebuilt in 1485 by the Earl of Kildare. It was at this time that the name of the settlement was changed to Castledermot. The castle was destroyed by Cromwellian forces in 1650 and no remains of the building have yet been found.

Tristledermot quickly became a place of administrative importance, particularly in the 14th century. From the early days of the Anglo-Norman colony, Great Councils were held where King’s officers met with the chief magnates of the land. These gradually evolved into parliamentary sessions. The first documentary reference to an Irish parliament was a meeting at Tristledermot in 1264. A structure known as the Parliament Building was located on the market square until the 18th century.

Although the settlement was on the main route from Dublin to Kilkenny, it was also a frontier town, close to native Irish territories. In 1275, the townspeople were given a royal ‘murage grant.’ This allowed them to collect tolls from people entering Tristledermot and pay for the construction and maintenance of town walls. The wall was completed around 1302 and gave Castledermot its distinctive lozenge shape. Access to the town was via three gates; Dublingate to the north, the Carlowgate to the west and the Tullowgate to the south. Despite the construction of protective walls, the town was sacked in 1316 by Edward the Bruce, in 1405 and 1427 by the McMurroughs, and was eventually taken over for a period by the Kavanaghs. By the late 15th century the town was at least nominally back in the hands of the English crown. In reality though, it was the Earl of Kildare that controlled the town. Castledermot as it was by then known was again sacked in 1530 by crown forces aiming to take it from Silken Thomas (son of the ninth Earl of Kildare).

Trade was always an important activity in the town with the first royal grant for a fair given in 1199. In 1393 Tristledermot was even granted permission for a mint to produce its own coins. Archaeological excavations have provided proof that the townspeople were involved in specialised craft activities including butchery, horn-working, blacksmithing and pottery making. There was even a locally made form of medieval pottery known as ‘Castledermot-ware’.

There were two religious houses in the town. The Priory and Hospital of St John the Baptist was founded by Walter de Riddlesford and his wife in 1210, just outside Dublingate. All that remains of this is a square tower. At the southern end of the town was the Franciscan Friary, of which the impressive church ruins remain. It was founded in c.1247. Inside is a rare cadaver grave stone dating to about 1520. Both of these houses were dissolved in 1541.

With the loss of both its administrative and religious functions the town became more dependent on its market function. By the mid-19th Castledermot was described as having ‘neither trade nor manufacture; the place is wholly dependent on agriculture, and on the traffic resulting from its situation on a public thoroughfare.’

This information is courtesy of www.irishwalledtownsnetwork.ie, for more contact;

Castledermot Local History Group
castledermothist@gmail.com

Find out more about Castledermot here


 

Cathedral

St. Brigid's Sacred Sites & Stories

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St. Brigid

Mary of the Gael – is the patroness of Ireland. Her feast day St. Brigid's Day,  is on the 1st February (she died around 523 or 524 AD) and is celebrated each year in the town under the auspices of the Brigidine Sisters during the festival called Féile Bride (Festival of St. Brigid).

This festival, which takes place around St. Brigid's Day, 1st February, is a five day event organised by the Brigidine Sisters. It features a pilgrimage to St. Brigid's Well on the eve of the feast day and a peace and justice conference. Local schools are involved in bringing the story of St. Brigid to life through weaving of crosses and dramatisations of her life.


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The celebration of the Eucharist and other creative rituals are conducted in the local churches and at St Brigid’s Well. Artists entertain those who come to a feast of poetry, music, song and dance. Locals and visitors together explore places associated with Brigid in Kildare Town and The Curragh.  Féile Bríde attracts participants from many countries.

St. Brigid is forever associated with Kildare Town and The Curragh is known as St. Brigid’s Pastures. According to legend, it was granted to St. Brigid by the King of Leinster in return for reducing the size of his ears. Having agreed to settle for a portion of land that her cloak would cover, Brigid threw down her cloak and it spread until it encompassed the whole Curragh (5,000 acres).



Text taken from "The Hundred Acres, Kildare Town Slí na Sláinte and Heritage Trail” by Mario Corrigan & “Rekindling the Flame” by Rita Minehan (Both available in our gift shop)

St Brigids Cathedral

 St. Brigid's Cathedral & Round Tower

NOTE: St Brigids Cathedral and Round Tower are open May to September

Please Note the Round Tower is not accessible to the public until further notice from May 2023 as it is undergoing restoration works please contact the Cathedral directly for any further questions .

www.stbrigidscathedral.com

This marks the original site of the Church of St Brigid (Patroness of Ireland) which was established under an oak tree. The original stone Cathedral was built by Ralph De Bristol, Bishop of Kildare in 1223 AD. The modern Cathedral was almost completely rebuilt in the late 19th Century. Within the grounds you have Ireland's Highest accessible Round Tower (12th Century) and the remains of St. Brigid’s Firehouse where her inextinguishable fire was kept by her Sisters until the time of the reformation. In 1993, the sacred flame was symbolically relit in Market Square in Kildare Town by Mary Teresa Cullen, the then leader of the Brigidine Sisters.  Kildare County Council commissioned a sculpture to house the flame in Kildare Town Square in 2005. President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, presided at the lighting of the Perpetual Flame in the Town Square on St. Brigid’s Day 2006. The Sacred flame was lit from the flame tended by the Brigidine Sisters in the new Solas Bhríde Centre on Tully Road in Kildare.

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Cathedral & Round Tower Opening Times

Please contact the Cathedral direclty with any queries on kildarecathedral@gmail.com

1st of May until 30th September

Monday-Saturday, 10am - 1pm & 2pm - 5pm

Sundays 2pm to 5pm. Last entrance is 4.45pm daily.

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Upcoming Events

  1. Afterschool - Kildare Town

    April 17 @ 1:30 pm - June 30 @ 4:00 pm
  2. Kildare Derby Festival 2023

    June 26 @ 8:00 am - July 1 @ 5:00 pm
  3. Legends Museum - The Story of the Horse in Kildare

    June 26 @ 10:00 am - July 1 @ 4:00 pm

Upcoming Events

Contact Info

Kildare Town Heritage Centre, Market Square, Kildare Town, Co. Kildare, Ireland.

Tel: +353 45 530 672
Mobile: +353 871900945
Email: info@kildareheritage.com

Opening Hours

(Lunch 01:00-02:00pm Daily)

Monday 09:30am - 05:00pm

Tuesday 09:30am - 05:00pm 

Wednesday 09:30am - 05:00pm

Thursday 09:30am - 05:00pm

Friday 09:30am - 05:00pm 

Saturday 09:30am - 05:00pm

Sunday Closed