Kildare
Kildare
Cill Dara | ||
---|---|---|
Town | ||
Eircode routing key R51 | ||
Telephone area code | +353(0)45 | |
Irish Grid Reference | N726124 |
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1813 | 1,299 | — |
1821 | 1,516 | +16.7% |
1831 | 1,753 | +15.6% |
1841 | 1,629 | −7.1% |
1851 | 1,275 | −21.7% |
1861 | 1,399 | +9.7% |
1871 | 1,333 | −4.7% |
1881 | 1,174 | −11.9% |
1891 | 1,172 | −0.2% |
1901 | 1,576 | +34.5% |
1911 | 2,639 | +67.4% |
1926 | 2,116 | −19.8% |
1936 | 1,758 | −16.9% |
1946 | 2,109 | +20.0% |
1951 | 2,286 | +8.4% |
1956 | 2,617 | +14.5% |
1961 | 2,551 | −2.5% |
1966 | 2,731 | +7.1% |
1971 | 3,137 | +14.9% |
1981 | 4,016 | +28.0% |
1986 | 4,268 | +6.3% |
1991 | 4,196 | −1.7% |
1996 | 4,278 | +2.0% |
2002 | 6,893 | +61.1% |
2006 | 7,538 | +9.4% |
2011 | 8,142 | +8.0% |
2016 | 8,634 | +6.0% |
2022 | 10,302 | +19.3% |
[3][4][5][2][a] |
Kildare (Irish: Cill Dara, meaning "church of oak") is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. As of 2022[update], its population was 10,302,[2] making it the 7th largest town in County Kildare. It is home to Kildare Cathedral, historically the site of an important abbey said to have been founded by Saint Brigid of Kildare in the 5th century. The Curragh lies east of the town.
The town lies on the
History
Founding by Saint Brigid
Rich in heritage and history, Kildare Town dates from the 5th century, when it was the site of the original 'Church of the Oak' and monastery founded by Saint Brigid. This became one of the three most important Christian foundations in Celtic Ireland.[6][7]
It was said that Brigid's mother was a Christian and that Brigid was reared in her father's family, that is with the children of his lawful wife. From her mother, Brigid learned dairying and the care of the cattle, and these were her occupations after she made a vow to live a life of holy
Not too far away, on Dún Ailinne, lived the King of Leinster who had donated the site to the holy woman. A story told was that the King had offered Brigid as much land as her cloak would cover. When she spread her garment it miraculously stretched out to embrace the entire Curragh. True to his promise, the King gave her the fertile plain, and there the new community grazed their sheep and cows.
Carmelite Friary (White Abbey) Church, Kildare
The
In February 2016, the Carmelite Church and Friary were entrusted to the Indian Carmelites.[9]
Milestone in early motorsport
In July 1903, the
Annalistic references
- AI697.1 Kl. Repose of Forannán of Cell Dara. [AU 698].
- AI733.1 Kl. Repose of the daughter of Corc, coarb of Brigit.
- AI758.1 Kl. Murthán, abbots of Cell Dara, fell asleep.
- AI964.1 Kl. The plundering of Cell Dara by the foreigners of Áth Cliath; and the female erenagh died in the same year.
- AI1031.9 Cell Dara and Port Láirge were burned.
Places of interest
Kildare Town Tourist Office & Heritage Centre is situated in the Market House in Kildare Town.[15] St. Brigid's Cathedral and Norman tower House is also located in the town centre.
On the outskirts of the town are St Brigid's Well and Father Moore's Well (the latter on the Milltown Road).
Tourist destinations outside the town include the Irish National Stud and Japanese Gardens, Curragh Racecourse, and Kildare Village outlet centre. The latter is a shopping outlet located on the outskirts of Kildare and has become a shopping and tourist destination.[16][17][18]
Electoral geography
Kildare Town is in the
Sports clubs
Round Towers a local GAA club, was founded in 1888 and plays in the Kildare GAA league. Kildare Town A.F.C., a local association football (soccer) club, was founded in 1966 and plays in the Kildare & District Underage League.
Transport
Kildare is served by the R445 and M7 roads. Aircoach operates an expressway service between Dublin and Cork which calls at Kildare, whilst Dublin Coach operates services to the Red Cow (with a connection to Dublin city centre), Dublin Airport and Portlaoise. The Dublin Coach service also has a stop at the "Kildare Village" retail outlet development. Go Ahead Ireland have two services through Kildare. 126 is Dublin-Kildare, 126e is Dublin-Rathangan.
Kildare railway station is located on the Dublin-Cork mainline railway line, with a connection to Waterford also, and options to change down the line for Limerick, Galway and Westport and Ballina. It is served by the south western commuter service as well. From the station, a community transport company serves Milltown, Nurney and Kildangan, there is a shuttle bus service to "Kildare Village" and on race days, also a shuttle bus to the Curragh Racecourse.
Notable people
- Seamus Aldridge (born 1935), Gaelic games administrator and former Gaelic football referee[19]
- Aisling Bea (born 1984), actress, comedian and writer
- Brigid of Kildare (451-525), founder of a double monastery in Kildare
- Michèle Burke (born 1959), makeup artist and winner of two Oscars, born in Kildare town
- George Cooper (1792–1867), the first Colonial Treasurer of New Zealand, born in Kildare
- Michael Corcoran (died 1819), parish priest of Kildare and afterwards Roman Catholic Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin
- Ray D'Arcy (born 1964), presenter for the RTE's show Ray D'Arcy Show
- David Egan (born 1999), jockey[20]
See also
- List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Kildare)
- List of towns and villages in Ireland
- Market Houses in Ireland
- Sainte-Marcelline-de-Kildare, two Canadian town named in part in honour of Kildare
Notes
a. ^ 1813 estimate of population is from Mason's Statistical Survey For a discussion on the accuracy of pre-famine census returns see JJ Lee "On the accuracy of the Pre-famine Irish censuses Irish Population, Economy and Society" edited by JM Goldstrom and LA Clarkson (1981) p54, in and also New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700–1850 by Joel Mokyr and Cormac O Grada in The Economic History Review, New Series, Vol. 37, No. 4 (Nov. 1984), pp. 473–488.
b. ^ According to Leinster Leader, Saturday, 11 April 1903, Britain had to choose a different colour to its usual national colours of red, white and blue, as these had already been taken by Italy, Germany and France respectively. It also stated red as the colour for American cars in the 1903 Gordon Bennett Cup.
References
- ^ "Population Density and Area Size 2016". Central Statistics Office (Ireland). Retrieved 21 February 2019.
- ^ a b c "Census 2022 | Profile 1 - Population Distribution and Movement | F1015 - Population". data.cso.ie. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
- ^ "Census 2016 Sapmap Area: Settlements Kildare". Central Statistics Office (Ireland). Retrieved 21 February 2019.
- ^ CSO census
- ^ "Historic Population for post 1821 figures". Archived from the original on 7 May 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
- ^ "History of Kildare Town – Kildare Local History . ie". Kildare Local History. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
- ^ "A Brief History of Co.Kildare". Kildare County Council. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
- ^ "Carmelite Friary, White Abbey, Kildare Town". carmelites.ie. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
- ^ "White Abbey, Kildare Town (Ireland) | O.Carm". ocarm.in. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
- ^ Circle Genealogic and Historic Champanellois Archived 5 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Leinster Leader, Saturday, 11 April 1903
- ^ Forix 8W – Britain's first international motor race by Brendan Lynch, based on his Triumph of the Red Devil, the 1903 Irish Gordon Bennett Cup Race. 22 October 2003
- ^ The Gordon Bennett races – the birth of international competition. Author Leif Snellman, Summer 2001
- ^ Bleacher report, The Birth of British motor racing
- ^ "Kildare Town Heritage Centre". Retrieved 1 June 2021.
- ^ "Designer Outlet Shopping Near Dublin | Kildare Village". www.thebicestercollection.com. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
- ^ "Kildare Village | Dublin | The Bicester Collection". www.valueretail.com. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
- ^ "Kildare Village". IntoKildare. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
- ^ Crampsie, Arlene (10 March 2011). "Seamus Aldridge". Oral History.
- ^ "'I can't believe it' – Kildare jockey David Egan wins world's richest race". Irish Examiner. 20 February 2021.