Kildare’s Story

Kildare - 24th largest of Ireland’s 32 counties. Famous for the Curragh race course, the National Stud and Japanese Gardens, the K Club, and Maynooth University, the history of the area dates back some 5,000 years. Over time Kildare has developed its own culture, heritage, and identity. Ancient ring forts, monastic settlements, canals and railways, Bord na Mona, the Lillywhite GAA team, local businesses and attracting foreign companies such as Eddie Rockets, Intel, or Grant Thorton; have all help shape the character of Kildare.

At the heart of any community is its people. Kildare is famous for people including: the Bartons of Straffen, the FitzGeralds of Maynooth, Johnathan Swift, Speaker William Conolly, Arthur Guinness, Emily Lawless, John Devoy, Jack Kelly, Molly Keane, and Ernest Shackleton. But who were the people who lived in the monasteries, or worked the bog 150 years ago, or played on the local sports teams even 100 years ago? While many of these stories are lost to history, we still have a chance to capture and record the stories of the area from people who were born in the area as far back as the 1920s, they can offer us a window into our past before it is lost. At the same time capturing and telling the stories of those that make up the community today: the athletes, the business owners, the diaspora, our Garda, the postmaster, our teachers. Together these stories are all part of Kildare’s culture, heritage and identity.

Please note that the details of events listed above are provided by the relevant Local Authorities.