County Kildare is located
to the southwest of Dublin in the province of Leinster.
Kildare is bordered by the counties of Carlow, Laois, Meath,
Offaly, Dublin, and Wicklow. Kildare is part of the "Greater
Dublin Area," a regional area surrounding Dublin.
County Kildare was first defined
as a diocese in 1111, shired in
1297 and assumed its present borders
in 1832. Its location in the Liffey
basin on the main routes to the
south and west meant it was a valuable
possession and important theatre
of events throughout Irish history.
An inland town on Ptolemy’s
map of Ireland of 100 CE may be
Rheban on the Barrow river, the
only written records from pre-Christian
County Kildare. The estimated date
for the abandonment of the sacred
pre-Christian site of Knockaulin/
Dún Áilinne is 400
CE, the traditional date for foundation
of the monastery at Cill Dara is
490, the date for the death of
first Bishop Conlaed ua hEimri,
(St Conleth) is 520, and the estimated
date for the death of foundress
Naomh Bríd/St Brigid, is
524 (also dated 521 and 526). The
rise of Kildare sept the Uí Dúnlainge
after 633 helped promote the cult
of Naomh Bríd, giving her
status as one of three "national
saints" of Ireland and increase
the status of the two monasteries
where they had influence, Kildare
and Glendalough.
The Uí Dúnlainge
claimed descent from Dúnlaing,
son of Enna Nia. Their positions
as Kings of Leinster were unopposed
following the death of Aed mac
Colggan in the Battle of Ballyshannon
on 19 August 738. The dynasty then
divided into three kindreds, amongst
which the kingship rotated from
c. 750 until 1050. This is unusual
in early Irish history, according
to Professor Francis John Byrne
of University College, Dublin,
for it was the equivalent of “keeping
three oranges in the air.” Fourteen
Uí Meiredaig kings (later
to become the O’Tooles) were
based at Mullaghmast/Máistín,
nine Uí Faelain kings (later
the O’Byrnes) were based
at Naas/Nás na Ríogh,
and ten Uí Dúnchada
kings (later the FitzDesmonds)
were based at Lyons Hill/Líamhain.
The influence of the family helped
secure place-myths for prominent
Kildare landmarks in the heroic
and romantic literature such as
the Dindeanchas, Dinnshenchas Érenn
as one of the “assemblies
and noted places in Ireland.”
In 833, Vikings raided Kildare
monastery for first of sixteen
times, the second and most destructive
raid following three years after,
and the power of the Uí Dúnlainge
waned after the battles of Gleann
Mama, beside Lyons Hill in the
north of the county in 999 and
Clontarf in 1014. After the death
of the last Kildare-based King
of Laighin, Murchad Mac Dunlainge,
in 1042, the Kingship of Leinster
reverted to the Ui Cinnseallaig
sept based in the south east.
Home to National Stud, County
Kildare covers 1694 square kilometres
of rich green limestone plains,
boglands, and cruising waterways.
Synonymous with horse racing and
breeding, County Kildare has three
race courses - Punchestown, Naas,
and The Curragh, famous for the
Irish Derby.
The river and canal systems offer
excellent boating holidays and
fishing. Kildare has the Grand
and Royal Canals passing through
the county. Pleasure cruising in
a traditional barge is one of the
most enjoyable ways to see this
charming county. The Rivers Liffey
and Barrow offer coarse and game
angling in spectacular scenery
of an unspoiled landscape.
The town of Kildare is the oldest
in the county and the most historic.
Naas (Nás na Rí in
Irish - meaning meeting place of
kings) is the county town.
