Kildare

KILDARE, a county of Ireland in the province of Leinster, bounded west by Co. Leix (formerly Queen's County) and Co. Offaly (formerly King's County), north by Meath, east by Dublin and Wicklow, and south by Carlow. The area is 418,496 acres or about 654 sq.m. Pop. (1926) 58,035. The greater part of the county is formed of grey Carboniferous limestone, well seen in the flat land about Clane. Along the south-east the broken ground of Silurian shales forms the higher country, rising towards the Leinster chain, the granite core of which appears in the south round Castledermot. A parallel ridge of Silurian rocks rises from the plain north of Kildare town (Hill of Allen [3oo ft.] and Chair of Kildare), with some Old Red Sandstone on its flanks. The low ground- is diversified by eskers and masses of glacial gravel, notably at the dry sandy plateau of the Curragh ; but in part it retains sufficient moisture to give rise to extensive bogs.

The principal rivers are the Boyne, which with its tributary the rises in the north of the county, but soon passes into Meath; the Barrow, which forms the boundary of Kildare with Co. Leix, and receives the Greese and the Lane shortly after entering Kildare ; the Lesser Barrow, which flows southward from the Bog of Allen to near Rathangan; and the Liffey, which enters the county near Ballymore Eustace, and flowing north-west and then north-east quits it at Leixlip, having received the Morrel between Celbridge and Clane, and the Ryewater at Leixlip. Trout are taken in the upper waters, and there are salmon reaches near Leixlip.

History and

to the Book of Leinster the original name of Kildare was Druim Criaidh (Drumcree), which it retained until the time of St. Brigit, after which it was changed to Cilldara, "the church of the oak," from an old oak under whose shadow the saint had constructed her cell. Kildare was a liberty of Dublin until 1296, when it was constituted a separate county.

There are several large standing stones, the principal being those at Punchestown, Harristown, Jigginstown and Mullamast.

Among remarkable earthworks are the raths at Mullamast, Knock caellagh near Kilcullen and Ardscull near Naas, and the numerous sepulchral mounds in the Curragh. Of the round towers the finest is that of Kildare; there are remains of others at Taghadoe, Old Kilcullen, Oughterard and Castledermot.

There are remains of a Franciscan abbey at Castledermot. At Graney are ruins of an Augustinian nunnery and portions of a building said to have belonged to the Knights Templars. The town of Kildare has ruins of four monastic buildings, including the nunnery founded by St. Brigit. The site of a monastery at Old Kilcullen, said to date from the time of St. Patrick, is marked

by two stone crosses, one of which is curiously sculptured. On the Liffey are the remains of Great Connel abbey near Celbridge, of St. Wolstan's near Celbridge, and of New abbey. At Moone, where there was a Franciscan monastery, are the remains of an ancient cross with curious sculpturings. Among castles may be mentioned those of Athy and Castledermot, built about the time of the Anglo-Norman invasion ; Maynooth castle, built by the Fitzgeralds ; Kilkea, restored within the 19th century; and Timo lin, erected in the reign of King John.

Owing to a considerable degree to the large extent of bog, the climate of the northern districts is very moist, and fogs are frequent, but the eastern portion is drier, and the climate of the Liffey valley is mild and healthy. The soil is principally a rich deep loam inclining occasionally to clay, easily cultivated and very fertile if properly drained. About 40,00o acres in the northern part of the county are included in the Bog of Allen, which is, however, intersected in many places by elevated tracts of firm ground. To the east of the town of Kildare is the Curragh, an undulating down upwards of 4,800 acres in extent. The most fertile and highly cultivated districts of Kildare are the valleys of the Liffey and a tract in the south watered by the Greese. The demesne lands along the valley of the Liffey are finely wooded. The pastures which are not ploughed are generally very rich. Wheat is a scanty crop, but oats, barley, turnips and potatoes are all considerably cultivated. Cattle and sheep are grazed extensively. Of the former, crosses with the shorthorn or the Durham are the commonest breed. Leicesters are the principal breed of sheep. Poultry farming is a growing industry.

There are a few small cotton, woollen and paper mills, as well as breweries and distilleries, and several corn mills. Large quan tities of turf are exported to Dublin by canal. The lines of the Great Southern follow the northern boundary of the county, with a branch to Carbury and Edenderry, and cross the county by way of Newbridge and Kildare, with southward branches to Naas (and Tullow, Co. Carlow) and to Athy and the south. The northern border is traversed by the Royal canal, which connects Dublin with the Shannon at Cloondara. Farther south the Grand canal, which connects Dublin with the Shannon at Shannon Harbour, occupies the valley of the Liffey until at Sallins it enters the Bog of Allen, passing into Co. Offaly near the source of the Boyne. Several branch canals afford communication with the southern districts.

The administrative county of Kildare returns 3 members to Dail Eireann.