Kildare
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kildare Cill Dara |
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| Irish Grid Reference N726124 |
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| Province: | Leinster | |
| County: | County Kildare | |
| Elevation: | 116 m (380 ft) | |
| Population (2002) | 5,694 | |
This article is about the town of Kildare, for the Irish county see County Kildare.
Kildare (Cill Dara in modern Irish, originally derived from Cell Dara in Old Irish, meaning "Church of the Oak") is a town in County Kildare in the Republic of Ireland. Although it gives its name to the county, Kildare is not the county town, that honour going instead to Naas. The town lies some 50 km west of Dublin, near enough for it to have become, despite being a regional centre in its own right, a commuter town for the capital.
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[edit] History
In pre-Christian times Kildare was the site of a shrine to the Celtic goddess Brigid. Following the introduction of Christianity in the 5th and 6th centuries it became the foundation of the Christian Saint Brigid who founded a unique monastery of monks and nuns on the site of the present cathedral.
[edit] Transport & Communications
- Rail: Iarnród Éireann provides the town with good rail links not only to Dublin but also to the south (Waterford), the southwest (Cork, Limerick, and Tralee), and west of the country (Galway and Mayo).
- Road: Kildare lies close to the M7 motorway from Dublin to Limerick (to which it is linked by the R445 along the route previously forming part of the N7). The M7 leads to the N8 Dublin - Cork route.
[edit] Places of Interest
Kildare is home to the Irish National Stud, the Japanese Gardens and St. Fiachra's Garden. Much of the surrounding countryside in County Kildare is used for horse breeding. The Curragh racecourse is not far from Kildare town.
The Kildare Hotel and Golf Club, more well known as The K Club, situated on the River Liffey at Straffan, County Kildare, played host to the 2006 Ryder Cup.
[edit] Socialising in Kildare Town
Kildare Town is home to many popular bars and restaurants, and you should be able to find somewhere that suits your tastes. The bars include:
- Silken Thomas: a multi-bar venue including the main lounge which has just been renovated and serves food all day, a traditional pub called Squires Gannons, a live music venue called Lil Flanagans and the Tiger Lillies nightclub. The Silken also renovated their restaurant recently, relaunching it as Chapter 16.
- Cunningham's: very popular pub, especially with the town's Gaelic Athletic Association (Round Towers), racing and rugby crowds. The pub is seen as the main watering hole for young affluent types around the town. The pub is also home to a restaurant Upstairs At Cunnighams (Usac).
- Mahons: Mahon's is owned by the same family firm that distribute drink to local publicans. The pub has a reputation for the best pint of Guinness in the town.
- Gobán Saor: home pub of the Ellistown GAA club.
- Bolands: One of a number of pubs owned by the Boland family around local towns. The pub has a big bar, but is usually quiet in the evenings. It's claims to fame includes Westlife being expelled for making noise and Alex Ferguson sneaking in for pints before he fell out with John Mulhern.
- Top Nolan's: home to regular traditional sessions. There is a pool hall at the back.
