KILDARE, anciently Chili-dair, or the Wood of oaks, is an inland county of Ireland, in the province of Leinster. It is bounded on the north by Meath ; on the east by Dublin, and Wicklow ; on the south by Carlow ; and on the west by King's county and Queen's county. It extends from north to south 404. English miles, and from cast to west 264 En glish miles. forming an area of 389,198 English or statute acres, of which 41,035 are bog. There are no mountains in Kildare. The county is a fiat plain, exhibiting a gene ral appearance of desolation and misery, from the wretch edness of the cottages, and the want of gentlemen's seats. The Curragh of Kildare, the celebrated turfy plain on which the-races are held, is nearly 5000 acres in extent, affording pasture to an immense number of sheep. It consists of the softest turf, and lies on a fine dry loam.
The county of Kildare is full of springs and rivulets. The river Barrow forms its south-west border, and re ceives the Green. Southwards from Athy, where it meets the Grand Canal, it is a considerable stream, and is naviga ble, and is ornamented with many delightful retreats. The Liffey runs in a circular direction through the north-cast part of the county ; and the river Boyne rises in the Bog of Allan. The Grand Canal from Dublin crosses the Liffey on an aqueduct bridge ; and near Claire there is a collateral cut to the Shannon. The county derives great advantage from the Royal Canal, which passes through the northern part of it.
The chief towns are Naas, the assize town, Athy, Mo nasteraven, and Kildare. Naas, situated on the great post road between Dublin and 'Munster, lies near the Grand Canal. Near the entrance of toe town is one of the Danish
mounds, or Raths, at the foot of which are the remains of a house of Augustines; and in the center of the town are the remains of a monastery of Dominicans. Naas was once the residence of the kings of Leinster. Many of the houses testily the dreadful effects of the last civil war. Athy stands on the river Barrow, and is a neat little town. Kil dare is pleasantly situated on a rising ground. There are here the remains of several religious houses; and there is a round tower, in good preservation, and built of white gra nite, to about twelve feet from the ground. The rest of it is of blue stone. It is 130 feet high, and the door is 14 feet above the ground.
There is no burgh in Kildare of sufficient extent to return a member to parliament. The county is represented by two members; and the political influence belongs princi pally to the duke ol Leinster.
The population of the county is estimated at 11,205 houses, and 56,000 inhabitants. The Catholics are to the Protestants in the ratio ol 30 to 1. The proportion ol Ca tholics to Protestants calico on the grand jury, is as 40 to 41. See Beaulort's Memoir ; Rawson's Statistical Account of Kildare ; Wakefield's Account of Ireland ; and W. Shaw Mastas Statistical Account of Ireland, vol. i. p. 447, for an account ol the parish of Kilherry in, Kildare. See MAY' NOOTH) for an account of the Catholic college.