﻿KILDARE. 



KILDARE. 



KtLDARE, MB inluid oounty ia the prorioos of Leiostar, in Ireland, 

 b bouodad N. by Maath, E. bjr the eotrntia* of Dublin and Wioldow, 

 8. by the oounty of Carlow, and W. by the Queen'* and King'* oonntiaa, 

 and Weatmeath. It ia ntoated betwen 68* 60' and 63* 35' K. lat, 

 6* 27' and 7* 10' W. long. Ita graateat length from north to louth 

 ia 40 mile*, from east to weat 27 milea. The area ii <t5S aquare 

 milea, or 418,4S6 aorea, of which 356,787 are arable, 61,854 unoul- 

 tirated, 8288 in plantation*, 490 in townii, and 1017 under water. Tha 

 population in 1841 wa* 114,488; in 1861 it wa* 95,688. 



Smifaet. — Tha aarface of Kildara oounty is almost leveL The only 

 eonaidarable eieration* are the hill* of Kathooole, which form the 

 wea tir n extremity of the rmnge of the Dublin Mountain*, and a dotaohed 

 group which occupies part of the aouthem margin of the Bog of 

 Allen. Of thia group the Hill, or Island of Allen, which ia detached 

 from the otheta, and tenuiuate* the nnge on the north-east, is sur- 

 rounded by tract* of bog, and rises in a conical hill in the contra to 

 •bout 300 feet abore the level of the surrounding country, wliich is 

 here 260 feet above the level of the sea. An open table-land extcmlH 

 ttvm the aouthem base of this group to the acclivities of the Wicklow 

 Mountain* on the south-eait, and divide* the middle and southern 

 part* of Kildara into two districta, one of which slopes gradually 

 towards the LiSey on the east, and the other towards the Barrow on 

 the weat. North from the Dunmurry range the upland district 

 apread* east and west, forming the southern boundary of the basin 

 of the Boyna on tha west, and the western and northern boundary of 

 the valley of the Lifiey on the east. It is here overlaid to an extent 

 of 36,000 acres by a portion of the Bog of Allen. 



The district which slopes towards the Barrow, comprising the 

 western part of the county from the Bog of Allen to the county of 

 Carlow, is divided into three open vales by low ranges of undulating 

 ground extendng in parallel directions from the central table-laud 

 towards the south-west. The most northern of these vales is drained 

 by the Feagile and Little Barrow, which uniting at the lower extre- 

 mity of the Talley, join tha Barrow near Honasterevan. At Honaste- 

 revan the Barrow is crossed by a branch of the Qrand Canal, which, 

 from Monasterevaa to Athy, is carried along the right bank of the 

 river. The country about Hooasterernn, on both sides of the river, 

 is well improved. Moore Abbey, on the left bank of the Barrow, 

 occupies the site of a Franciscan abbey founded here by St. Abban in 

 tha 7th century, and rebuilt in the 12th century. A series of low 

 detached hills, extending from Athy in a north-easterly direction to 

 Old Kilcullen, bounds uie basin of the Finnery on the south and 

 ■outh-eaxt. The lower part of thia district ia chieHy occupied by 

 bogs. The ancient town of Kildare is situated on the elevated tract 

 at the upper end of the vale. The surrounding country is open, and 

 generally under tillage, with the exception of the Curragh of Kildare, 

 a common containing about 4000 acres, which extends six miles along 

 the table-land between the towns of Kildara and Kilcullen. This is 

 a celebrated race-ground ; the turf throughout is close and elastic, and 

 the surface generally undulating. Southward and eastward from the 

 above range of hills lies a fertile tract watered by the rivers Uriese 

 and Leir, which fall into the Barrow at the southern extremity of the 

 county. 



That part of the basin of the Liffey which is included within this 

 county is formed by the western slope of the Dublin Mountains on 

 the one side, and by the subsidence of the tableland of Kildare on 

 the other. Much of the land in this district is in a high state of 

 cultivation. The left bank of the river, from the point where it 

 enten Kildare to Leixlip on the Dublin boundary, is almost wholly 

 occupied by a succession of demesne lands surrounding numerous 

 residences of the best class. Among these ihe most remarkable are 

 Killadoon, the seat of the earl of Leitrim ; Castletown, the mansion 

 of Colonel Conolly ; and on the opposite side of the river, near the 

 line of the Orand Canal, Lyons Castle, tha residence of Lord Clon- 

 curry. The banks of the Liffey in the neighbourhood of Celbridge 

 and Leixlip are steep and well wooded, and the river for a considerable 

 distance runs in a series of rapids. A ledge of rock, about 10 feet in 

 heigfat, stretching across tha channel, forma a waterfall, called the 

 Salmon Leap, which ia an object of great attivotion. Close to May- 

 nooUi ia tha fine demesne and beautiful mansion of Carton, tha resi- 

 daooa of the Duke of Leinster. The Koyal Canal, oroaaing the Kye- 

 «■!■■' by an aqueduct a little above Leixlip, pasaea Maynooth and 

 Kiloock. Westward from Kiloook, which stands in the centre of one 

 of the most fertile and best cultivated tracts in Ireland, the Koyal 

 Canal croaaes tha BUckwatar and Boyna riven by aqueducts within 

 thl* oounty. The district traTeried by this canal is for the moat part 

 open and arable. 



U})dngrapk0 amd Oommmmeationt.—'V\ie northern border of the 

 oounty ia tnTened by tha Boyal Canal, which unites the Bay of 

 Dublin to the Shannon at Tarmonbarry ; by the western mail-ooaoh 

 road, which passes through Kiloock ; and by the Dublin and Ualway 

 railway. Tbe*e line* of communication run at very abort diatance* 

 and nearly panllal to each other, from Dublin to HulUngar. The 

 •astern diitriota an drained by the Liffey, which riaea in tha Wicklow 

 Moontain* only about 1 2 milea from ita mouth, entering thi* oounty 

 a little above Ballymora Eustaoa ; its course is nearly due west to 

 Kilcullen Bridga ; then north-wast to Newbridge ; afttrwards north- 

 east to Leixlip, whence it flows aaatward across the county through 



Um eity vA into the Bay of Dublin, aftar a total eouras of abonl 

 60 milea. The Orand Canal runs along Uie valley of the Liffey as far 

 as Sallins, where it turns to the west uid craaaes the Bog of Allen on 

 its way to join the Shannon at Shannon Harbour. The Oreat Southern 

 and Western railway, from Dublin to Cork, also i-uus up the valley of 

 the Liffey, and at Kildare aends off a branch southward through Athy 

 to Carlow and Waterford. The southern mail-co:ioh road fiom Dublin 

 divides at Naas into two branches, one through Kildare, leading to 

 Cashel and Cork ; another to Kilcullen Bridge, whenoe also two 

 branches run, ouo to Athy and the other through Castle-Dermot to 

 Carlow and Waterford. 



Otology. — 1'he clay-slate, which flanks the granite of the Dublin and 

 Wicklow mouutain*, occupies about one-fourth of the surface of 

 Kildare. It extends from the extremity of the Ilathooule group in 

 the county of Dublin across the valley of the Liffey, whenoe it runs 

 in a south-west direction towards Athy, forming the Kilcullen group, 

 and occupies the entire vall^ of tlie Qriese, with the exi;e|)tion of ita 

 lower extremity, where the verge of the limestone plain ia iiiterpowd 

 between it and the line of the Barrow. The granite tract of Callow 

 extends into the south-eastern extremity of Kildara as far as Castle- 

 Dermot where the clay-slate passes into mica-slate along the eastern 

 portion of their line of junction. The remainder of the county is 

 occupied by the limestone of the great central plain, broken only by 

 the group of Dunmurry and the Hill of Allen, which is composed of 

 a mass of grauular compact greenstone and porphyry protruded 

 through the limestone. At the northern extremity of the Hill of Allen 

 ia a low hill called the Leap of Allen, composed of red-sandstone con- 

 glomerate, which is quarried for millstones. Indications of copper 

 have been observed on Dunmurry HilL 



ClinuUt, Soil, and Prodttett. — The climate is rery moist and foggy 

 in the north-west. In the central district the air is pure and keen ; 

 and milder and more salubrious in the vallevsof the Liffey and Qriasa, 

 The soil is generally a rich loam, resting on limestone or clay-slate. 

 Manure of the best description is obtained from Dublin, by means of 

 which the lands of the central and western districts are kept in excel- 

 lent condition. The chief tract of pasture-land is the Curra(;h, which 

 is used as a sheep-walk. There are rich fattening lands in the north- 

 western and north-eastern portions of the county. An improved 

 system of agriculture has been introduced. The total extent of land 

 under crops in 1863 was 140,837 acres, of which 13,655 acres grew 

 wheat, 46,716 acres oats, 8853 acres barley, here, rye, beans, and 

 peas, 10,716 potatoes, 11,990 turnips, 2991 other green crops, and 

 27 acrea flax : the area uuder meadow and clover was 45,890 acres. 

 Of plantations there were 11,891 acres in 1841 growing chiefly oak, 

 ash, elm, and beech. In 1852, on 8557 holdings, there were 12,533 

 horses, 4127 mules and asses, 62,581 cattle, 110,132 sheep, 17,966 pigs, 

 2757 goats, nnd 169,148 head of poultry ; the value of the entire Uva 

 stock being estimated at 662,528^ The wheat grown in Kildare is 

 generally of prime quality ; it ia exported to Dublin and to Waterford. 

 The milling trade is extensively carried on. There are also some 

 woollen, cotton, and paper factories. Qreat quantities of turf are cut 

 in the Bog of Allen and conveyed to Dublin by the Grand Canal. 



Divitioiu and Toarn. — Kildare is divided into 14 baronies; Car- 

 berry on the north-west ; Ikeathy aud Oughterany on the north ; 

 North Salt on the north-east ; South Salt, which lies south of North 

 Salt ; North Naas on the east ; South Naas ; Kilcullen, also on the 

 east ; Narragh and Kheban East ; Narragh and Uheban West ; Kilkea 

 and Moone on the south ; Ophaly East ; Uphaly West ; Clane, imme- 

 diately west of South Salt ; aud Connell, to the west of North and 

 South Naaa. 



The following towns and villages, with their population in 1851 

 may be noticed : — 



Atbt has been already described. BoHymorc-Euitace, a amall town 

 of 673 inhabitants, is on the Liffey, near the eastern border of the 

 county. It grew up about Eustace castle, built by the Eustace 

 family shortly after the Anglo-Norman invasion, but now ruinous. 

 Fiurs are held six time* a year. Batlyiore, a neat clean little town, 

 chiefly inhabited by Quakers, 6 miles K from Athy on the right bank 

 of the Griese, haa 417 inhabitants. Edmund Burke received hi* early 

 education here. Near Ballytore are the old forts of Mullaghmaat and 

 the damenae of Narraghmore, part of tha estates of K. Latuuche, Esq. 

 Fain are held in March, May, August, and November. Ca(t^-(;ar6<rry, 

 a small village in a fine grazing district in the north-west of the oounty, 

 and near the source of the Boyne, is interesting for a ruined castle, 

 erected in the 14tb century, by the family of the Berminghauia, and 

 inhabited during the ITtli and part of the 18th centuries by the 

 ancestors of the Duke of Wellington. CatlU-Dermol, ]>opulation 1416 

 in 1841 and 666 in 1861, in the south of the county, on the Carlow 

 road, olaima to be a very ancient place, and contains many antiquities. 

 The town was formerly surrounded by a wall pierced l^ four gate*. 

 It is now merely an agricultural village. There are some remains of 

 a Norman castle built here in 1180. The parish churoh is of great 

 antiquity ; the eaatem part of the building is now used as a place of 

 worship, the rest is in ruins. An ancient ivy-clad round tower on the 

 north aide of the churoh is used as a belfry. In the burying-ground 

 ia a sculptured stone cross. The remains of a Franciscan abliey and 

 its church present good spocinicna of arohitecture ; the cbureh i« built 

 in the pointed (tyl^ Near the abbey is a strong square tower, locally 



