Kilcullen

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Kilcullen (Cill Chuilinn in Irish) is a small town in County Kildare, Ireland. Its population of 2,985 (2006 Census^[1]) makes it the 12th largest settlement in County Kildare and the fastest growing in the county, having doubled in population from 1,483 in the census of 2002. It is situated in the Barony of Kilcullen and subsidiary areas include Logstown, Harristown and Carnalway, Brannockstown, Gilltown, Nicholastown and Castlemartin.

Contents 1 Location 2 History 2.1 Historic houses and churches 3 Community and amenities 3.1 Religion 4 Business 5 Sport 5.1 River activities 6 Trivia 7 References 8 See also 9 External links

[edit] Location

Kilcullen is situated near the main Dublin to Waterford road, the N9 between Naas and Kilkenny and is centered on the crossroads of the R413 and R448 regional roads. (The R448 was part of the main road from Dublin to Carlow, Kilkenny and Waterford until the M9 motorway was opened in 1995, bypassing the town).

Kilcullen straddles the River Liffey and is about 50 km (31 mi) from Dublin. The six-arch bridge over the Liffey was last reconstructed c. 1850, and renovated and widened in the early 1970's. At the western edge of the town is the Pinkeen Stream, a minor tributary of the Liffey.

The town comprises one main street, with a few connecting roads. The main street slopes from the Newbridge Road down to the Liffey, and back up again, more steeply, in the southerly direction of Old Kilcullen. Schools and churches are concentrated at the south-western edge, businesses spread along the main street and near the old market square, and the town hall and theatre / cinema and a bank lie just to the north east of the bridge.

[edit] History

The town, officially known, mapped and recorded on legal documents, as Kilcullen Bridge, developed after 1319 when a bridge was constructed here across the River Liffey by a canon, Maurice Jakis, of Kildare. It took over, over succeeding centuries, from the previous hilltop settlement, now known as Old Kilcullen. This was itself related to Dun Aillaine, a ceremonial and possible palace site related to the kings of Leinster. It was influenced for much of its history by the Eustace family, one of whose seats was at Castlemartin.

The town was the site of the Battle of Kilcullen in the 1798 Rebellion, and Castlemartin the base of operations for the British Army in Kildare, under Dundas.

In 1837, the official town area had a population of 699, one principal street of 112 buildings, chiefly on the western bank of the Liffey, a market on Saturdays and fairs on February 2nd, March 25th, June 22nd, September 8th and 29th, October 2nd and December 8th. There was a police station and a dispensary, and petty sessions were held.^[2] At that time, the population of the rural area of Old Kilcullen still exceeded that of the town.

Until the mid-1800's, Silliot Hill, a townland just south of Kilcullen, was an enclave of County Offaly in Kildare.

[edit] Historic houses and churches

On a hill around three kilometres south and east from Kilcullen (Bridge) is the site of the original settlement, now known as Old Kilcullen, featuring an historic church and graveyard[2], with an extant round tower.

Old Kilcullen relates closely to the reputed site of a palace or ceremonial place of the Kings of Leinster at Dun Aillaine. Local groups have constructed an interpretative site for Dun Aillaine at Nicholastown, adjacent to the modern town centre, and it will be informally launched at the Spring Equinox, and formally on June 22 2008.

To the west of the town is Castlemartin Estate, where, to the north west, is Castlemartin House. This 18th century mansion, said to have around thirty rooms, was the principal home of Tony O'Reilly for many years, and now that he is tax-resident in the Bahamas, is the second home for himself and his wife, Lady Chryss Goulandris, and the place where the whole O'Reilly family gathers for Christmas. The house is successor to a series of older dwellings, perhaps dating back to the 13th century. The estate also includes St. Mary's Church ("Castlemartin Chapel"), a dependent chapel of Kilcullen Church, founded c. 1200, ruined for centuries and restored in 1979-1980, and a number of other houses. Two of these, and outlying buildings, opening off the northern part of Main Street, are to be redeveloped as apartments, restaurants and shops, with permission granted on February 15th 2008. While the estate itself is largely closed to the public, the new development is required to be without gates, and it was a condition of restoration of the old church that reasonable public access to this also be available.

Kilcullen has an early church of its own, around 1km outside the town, the New Abbey, surrounded by a church- and grave-yard and featuring some notable tombstones.

In the Brannockstown / Harristown area, near the five-way crossroads, is Harristown House, originally built in 1740 by Whitmore Davis as the country seat of the La Touche family, gutted by fire in 1891 (while some furniture was saved, most artwork was lost) and rebuilt by James Franklin Fuller in reduced form. The house was sold in 1920, and refurnished, and is now open as a tourist attraction. Features include a walled garden and formal walk, the library, French and Italian furniture and 18th century Chinese wallpaper.

[edit] Community and amenities

On a number of occasions from the mid-20th century, community groups have been formed, most notably Kilcullen Community Council, Kilcullen Community Development, and the current formation, Killcullen Community Action (KCA). These groups have achieved much for the town, including the establishment, and preservation under charitable trustees, of the Valley Community Park, which runs along the River Liffey and nearby roads.

The town and area have a number of primary schools, and one secondary school, Cross and Passion College. There is also a Steiner method school in nearby Dunshane.

Kilcullen district is home to two Camphill Communities, one at Dunshane and one in the town itself, which operates the An Tearmann facility, including coffee shop and Ireland's only Anthroposophical Bookshop.

There is also the small Riverside Park behind the Town Hall.

[edit] Religion

Kilcullen is a parish in the Roman Catholic Church, with two churches, and is part of the Union of Newbridge in the Church of Ireland (along with Newbridge Town, Athgarvan and Brannockstown), having one of that Union's three churches, St. John's.

Kilcullen also has a Baptist church and a Church of Ireland Church.

[edit] Business

The town has a range of shops and service outlets, including a petrol station and a coffee shop / bookshop run by the local Camphill Community.

Slightly to the east of the town, in parts of Brownstown and Carnalway, is a major private refuse disposal facility, KTK. The owner of the facility made available funding over many years, notably from 2000 to 2006, from a levy on dumping there, to support the work of local groups such as the Tidy Towns Committee.^[3]

[edit] Sport

Kilcullen is about 6 km (4 mi) from the Curragh, the center of Ireland's horse racing industry and is home to the Aga Khan's horse breeding operation, the Gilltown Stud, and to stud and cattle breeding operations belonging to Tony O'Reilly and his wife.

Kilcullen GAA is the local Gaelic Athletic Association club.

[edit] River activities

The area historically enjoyed a number of swimming locales in the Liffey, and walking routes by its banks, but access has become more difficult in recent years, and a bitter dispute over riverbank access took place at Carnalway from 2005 to 2007, featuring unauthorised construction of fencing and obstruction of rights of way.

The Liffey at Kilcullen is known for trout angling and the North Kildare TSAA manages fishing rights.

[edit] Trivia

The seats in Kilcullen's local cinema are all seats from Volvo S80 cars. Nobody leaves before the end of a play.^[4]

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• List of abbeys and priories in the Republic of Ireland (County Kildare)
• List of towns in the Republic of Ireland

[edit] External links

• A Kilcullen Diary, edited by journalist Brian Byrne

Coordinates: 53°08′N, 6°45′W