County Kildare - CURIOUS IRELAND

Oughterard Cemetery, Ardclough, County Kildare 6th-19th century

emmet2023-06-25T06:32:04+00:00

Burial Site of Arthur Guinness The tiny cemetery of Oughterard is located near the Lyons Estate on a small hill surrounded by verdant countryside. In the 1700s, this was once on the main [...]

Oughterard Cemetery, Ardclough, County Kildare 6th-19th centuryemmet2023-06-25T06:32:04+00:00

Castledermot, County Kildare c.9th-c.18th centuries

emmet2023-08-02T15:11:28+00:00

The site of the earliest known Irish Parliament Castledermot has many claims to fame. This was once one of the most important ecclesiastical centers in Ireland and you can still see many fine [...]

Castledermot, County Kildare c.9th-c.18th centuriesemmet2023-08-02T15:11:28+00:00

St. Bridget’s Cathedral, Kildare Town. County Kildare c.13th-19th centuries

emmet2024-10-21T21:34:12+00:00

Ireland's greatest female saint St Brigid is one of Ireland's three Patron Saints, along with St Patrick and St Colmcille. She, like St Patrick, was born into slavery in Dundalk in the year [...]

St. Bridget’s Cathedral, Kildare Town. County Kildare c.13th-19th centuries emmet2024-10-21T21:34:12+00:00

Taghadoe Round Tower & Church, Taghadoe. County Kildare c.10th century & 1831

emmet2023-05-09T07:38:38+00:00

The House of Tua Taghadoe derives its name from 'Teach Tua', meaning 'House of Tua'. St Tua was an abbot of Clane Monastery and established a monastery here. The tower dates to the [...]

Taghadoe Round Tower & Church, Taghadoe. County Kildare c.10th century & 1831emmet2023-05-09T07:38:38+00:00

Leixlip Castle, Leixlip. County Kildare 1172

emmet2023-05-10T06:55:38+00:00

One of the longest-inhabited buildings in Ireland Leixlip is located on the confluence of the River Liffey and the River Rye. This was the ancient border between the Kingdoms of Leinster and Brega [...]

Leixlip Castle, Leixlip. County Kildare 1172emmet2023-05-10T06:55:38+00:00

Barberstown Castle, Straffan. County Kildare c.1500

emmet2023-05-10T07:03:14+00:00

37 owners (so far) including Eric Clapton Barberstown Castle was built around c.1500 on the site of an earlier 13th-century Norman castle built by Nicholas Barby. Over the next 800 years, records show [...]

Barberstown Castle, Straffan. County Kildare c.1500emmet2023-05-10T07:03:14+00:00

White’s Castle, Athy. County Kildare 1417

emmet2024-10-21T18:23:38+00:00

Living on the edge Athy lies on the border of the medieval pale and has been a strategic location for thousands of years. It takes its name from a 2nd-century chieftain called 'Ae', [...]

White’s Castle, Athy. County Kildare 1417emmet2024-10-21T18:23:38+00:00

Griesebank House, Ballitore. County Kildare 1700

emmet2023-05-09T07:43:03+00:00

The Quakers of Ireland & The Leadbeater Papers Griesebank House was a former school for Quakers. It was founded by Abraham Shackleton 1726, the forefather of the great polar explorer, Ernest Shackleton. Quakers [...]

Griesebank House, Ballitore. County Kildare 1700 emmet2023-05-09T07:43:03+00:00

Shell Cottage, Carton House Estate. County Kildare 1750

emmet2024-02-26T19:04:33+00:00

Give me Shell Tour This stunning little house was built in 1750 for Emily Fitzgerald. She was a great-granddaughter of Charles II who married James Fitzgerald in 1747 of Carton House. When Emily's [...]

Shell Cottage, Carton House Estate. County Kildare 1750emmet2024-02-26T19:04:33+00:00

Kilkea Castle, Castledermot. County Kildare 1426

emmet2023-08-02T15:14:45+00:00

The Fitzgeralds & The Wizard Earl This was originally the site of a motte and bailey built by Sir Walter de Riddlesford in 1181. His granddaughter married Maurice Fitzgerald, and so The Manor [...]

Kilkea Castle, Castledermot. County Kildare 1426 emmet2023-08-02T15:14:45+00:00

The Moone High Cross, Moone. County Kildare c.10th century

emmet2024-03-11T19:12:39+00:00

One of Ireland's finest High Crosses This was originally the site of an early Christian monastery reputedly founded by St Colmcille in the 6th century AD. The name 'Moone' actually translates from ‘Maen [...]

The Moone High Cross, Moone. County Kildare c.10th centuryemmet2024-03-11T19:12:39+00:00

Carton House, Maynooth. County Kildare 1739

emmet2023-05-09T08:13:22+00:00

Once home to the most powerful family in Ireland Carton House was built in 1739 for the powerful Fitzgerald family who became the Lords of Maynooth and the Earls of Kildare. The house [...]

Carton House, Maynooth. County Kildare 1739 emmet2023-05-09T08:13:22+00:00

Castletown House, Celbridge. County Kildare 1729

emmet2024-10-14T18:09:29+00:00

The largest, finest, and earliest Palladian house in Ireland Castletown House was built between 1722 and 1729 for William 'Speaker' Conolly. Conolly was the wealthiest commoner in Ireland owning over 100,000 acres of [...]

Castletown House, Celbridge. County Kildare 1729 emmet2024-10-14T18:09:29+00:00

The K Club, Straffan. County Kildare 1832

emmet2023-05-09T08:14:28+00:00

The largest private collection of paintings by Jack B Yeats The original house here was built in 1832 by Hugh Barber, owner of the wine firm 'Barber and Guestier'. Its design was unsurprisingly [...]

The K Club, Straffan. County Kildare 1832emmet2023-05-09T08:14:28+00:00

Brennan’s Inn, Kilteel. County Kildare Est.1900

emmet2024-02-26T18:21:18+00:00

Kildare's highest pub Brennan's Inn sits at an altitude of 700 feet and is a proper 'olde world' pub that boasts antique red brick walls, pitch pine woodwork, a back bar, tiled floors, [...]

Brennan’s Inn, Kilteel. County Kildare Est.1900emmet2024-02-26T18:21:18+00:00

The Great Motte, Rathmore. County Kildare c.12th century

emmet2023-06-24T13:55:51+00:00

One of Ireland's largest motte & bailey mounds This impressive structure is an early Norman fortification known as a motte-and-bailey. These were relatively easy to build and can be found across northern Europe [...]

The Great Motte, Rathmore. County Kildare c.12th centuryemmet2023-06-24T13:55:51+00:00

Kilteel Monastic Ruins, Kilteel. County Kildare c.12th

emmet2023-07-30T05:50:47+00:00

A unique Romanesque arch with sculpted figures Kilteel is a small village in Kildare that is located on a strategic mountain pass connecting Dublin and Cork. It contains 2 racecourses, the ruins of [...]

Kilteel Monastic Ruins, Kilteel. County Kildare c.12th emmet2023-07-30T05:50:47+00:00

Punchestown Longstone, Punchestown. County Kildare 500-1500BC

emmet2024-10-21T16:48:08+00:00

Ireland's tallest standing stone The Punchestown Long Stone is located near the entrance to the Punchestown Racecourse. It stands 22 feet high making it the tallest in the country. It is always difficult [...]

Punchestown Longstone, Punchestown. County Kildare 500-1500BCemmet2024-10-21T16:48:08+00:00

Conolly’s Folly, Celbridge, County Kildare 1742

emmet2023-05-09T08:23:03+00:00

One of Ireland's most striking memorials This strange-looking structure was built in 1742 and is known as 'Conolly's Folly' or ‘Conolly’s Obelisk’. It stands 140 feet high and is composed of several arches [...]

Conolly’s Folly, Celbridge, County Kildare 1742 emmet2023-05-09T08:23:03+00:00

The Craddockstown Longstone, Craddockstone. County Kildare 500-1500BC

emmet2023-06-24T06:42:46+00:00

Ireland's most elegant standing stone The Craddockstown standing stone stands hidden in plain view facing the entrance to Punchestown Racecourse in County Kildare. This elegant long stone stands 15 feet high and would [...]

The Craddockstown Longstone, Craddockstone. County Kildare 500-1500BCemmet2023-06-24T06:42:46+00:00

The Wonderful Barn, Leixlip. County Kildare 1742

emmet2023-04-26T20:49:08+00:00

Ireland’s oddest building This odd-looking structure is The Wonderful Barn. It was commissioned as a famine relief project by Katherine Conolly in the years immediately after the much-forgotten famine’ of 1740-41. The Irish [...]

The Wonderful Barn, Leixlip. County Kildare 1742emmet2023-04-26T20:49:08+00:00