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’, who is said to have been killed at this point on the river. In the 12th century, Athy became an important Anglo-Norman settlement and became part of the FitzGerald Estates. White’s Castle was built in 1417 for Sir John Talbot, Viceroy of Ireland, and later played a prominent role in the 1640s during the Confederate Wars. It served as a prison for the captured rebels of 1798 and later became a garrison for British troops, a constabulary barracks, and a private residence. On the entrance door are 2 interesting coat of arms sculptures, one is the Earl of Kildare’s and the other is Richard Cossen’s, Sovereign of Athy in 1573.