Athy ( ; ) is a market town at the meeting of the River Barrow and the Grand Canal in south-west County Kildare, Ireland, 72 kilometres southwest of

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

. A population of 9,677 (as of the 2016 census) makes it the sixth largest town in Kildare and the 50th largest in the Republic of Ireland, with a growth rate of approximately 60 per cent since the 2002 census.

Name

Athy or ''Baile Átha Í'' is named after a 2nd-century Celtic chieftain, Ae, who is said to have been killed on the river crossing, thus giving the town its name "the town of Ae's ford". The ''Letters of the Ordnance Survey'' (1837) note that "The town is now called by the few old people who speak Irish there and in the Queen's County /nowiki>Laois">Laois.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Laois">/nowiki>Laois/nowiki>, ''"baile átha Aoi"'', pronounced Blahéé", where ''éé'' stands for English 'ee' [i:] as clarified by a note written in pencil in Irish as ''Blá thí''.

History

According to Elizabethan historian William Camden, Ptolemy's map of Ireland circa 150 AD names the Rheban district along the River Barrow as Ῥαίβα. Modern

cartography Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an ...

, however, dismisses the claim by using

triangulation In trigonometry and geometry, triangulation is the process of determining the location of a point by forming triangles to the point from known points. Applications In surveying Specifically in surveying, triangulation involves only angle ...

and flocking algorithms. This method establishes that Ptolemy's Ῥαίβα was actually located at Rathcroghan, the traditional capital of the

Connachta The Connachta are a group of medieval Irish dynasties who claimed descent from the legendary High King Conn Cétchathach (Conn of the Hundred Battles). The modern western province of Connacht ( Irish ''Cúige Chonnacht'', province, literall ...

. A castle existed at Rheban from the Norman period onward. The town at Athy developed from a 12th-century Anglo-Norman settlement to an important stronghold on the local estates of the FitzGerald earls of Kildare, who built and owned the town for centuries. Athy Priory, a Dominican monastery, was founded in 1253. The Confederate Wars of the 1640s were played out in many arenas throughout Ireland, and Athy—for a period of eight years—was one of the centres of war involving the Royalists, Parliamentarians and the Confederates. The town was bombarded by cannon fire many times and the Dominican Monastery, the local castles and the town's bridge (dating from 1417) all succumbed to the destructive forces of the cannonball. The current bridge, the Crom-a-Boo Bridge, was built in 1796, with the foundation stone laid by the Duke of Leinster. The first town charter dates from 1515 and the town hall was constructed in the early 18th century. The completion of the Grand Canal in 1791, linking here with the River Barrow, and the arrival of the railway in 1846, illustrate the importance of the town as a commercial centre. From early on in its history Athy was a garrison town loyal to the Crown. English garrisons stayed in the barracks in Barrack Lane after the

Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included t ...

and contributed greatly to the town's commerce. Home for centuries to English soldiers, Athy gave more volunteer soldiers to the Great War of 1914–18 than any other town of similar size in Ireland.

Centre of Hiberno-English

Athy has evolved as a centre for

Hiberno-English Hiberno-English (from Latin '' Hibernia'': "Ireland"), and in ga, Béarla na hÉireann. or Irish English, also formerly Anglo-Irish, is the set of English dialects native to the island of Ireland (including both the Republic of Ireland ...

, the mix of the Irish and English language traditions. A dialect starting with

old Irish Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic ( sga, Goídelc, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ga, Sean-Ghaeilge; gd, Seann-Ghàidhlig; gv, Shenn Yernish or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive writte ...

beginnings, evolved through Norman and English influences, dominated by a church whose first language was

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...

and educated through Irish. Athy in particular was a mixing pot of languages that led to modern Hiberno-English. Positioned at the edge of

the Pale The Pale ( Irish: ''An Pháil'') or the English Pale (' or ') was the part of Ireland directly under the control of the English government in the Late Middle Ages. It had been reduced by the late 15th century to an area along the east coast s ...

, sandwiched between the Irish and English speaking partitions, Athy traded language between the landed gentry, the middle class merchants, the English working class garrison soldiers and the local peasantry. Many locals words borrow from the Irish tradition, such as "bokety", "fooster" or "sleeveen", while words like "kip", "cop-on" or even "grinds" have their origins in Old or

Middle English Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English ...

. This tradition of spoken word led to a lyrical approach to composition and perhaps explains the disproportionate number of writers Athy has produced. Athy becomes subject and object of creative endeavours – the traditional folk song, " Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye", is a prime example. Other songs in this tradition include " Lanigan's Ball" and "Maid of Athy". Another song of note from the area is called "The Curragh Of Kildare", the first song collected by Robbie Burns. Athy is also the surname of a minor character in

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the Modernism, modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important ...

's '' Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man'', who tells Stephen Dedalus, the protagonist, that they both have strange surnames and makes a joke about County Kildare being like a pair of breeches because it has Athy in it. Patrick Kavanagh alludes to Athy in his poem ''Lines Written on a Seat on the Grand Canal, Dublin'': "And look! a barge comes bringing from Athy / And other far-flung towns mythologies."

Birth of motor racing

On 2 July 1903, the Gordon Bennett Cup race routed through Athy. It was the first international motor race to be held in Britain or Ireland. The Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland wanted the race to be hosted in the British Isles, and Ireland was suggested as the venue because racing was illegal on British public roads. After some lobbying and changes to local laws, County Kildare was chosen, partly because the straightness of the roads would be a safety benefit. As a compliment to Ireland the British team chose to race in Shamrock green which thus became known as British racing green. The route consisted of several loops of a circuit that passed-through Kilcullen, The Curragh, Kildare, Monasterevin, Stradbally and Athy, followed by another loop through Castledermot,

Carlow Carlow ( ; ) is the county town of County Carlow, in the south-east of Ireland, from Dublin. At the 2016 census, it had a combined urban and rural population of 24,272. The River Barrow flows through the town and forms the historic bounda ...

and Athy again. The race was won by the Belgian racer Camille Jenatzy, driving a Mercedes.

Places of interest

Athy's courthouse was designed by Frederick Darley and built in the 1850s; it was originally the town's corn exchange. *O'Brien's Bar: One of the town's pubs, Frank O'Brien's Bar, is considered a tourist attraction and was voted one of the top ten Irish bars in the '' Sunday Tribune'' in 1999. Hardware merchants Griffin Hawe now occupy the town's 6 ft. wide and 12 ft. high 18th-century cockpit. *Kilkea Castle: Kilkea Castle is located just 5 km (3.1 mi) northwest of Castledermot, near the village of

Kilkea Kilkea () is a village in County Kildare, Ireland, about from Dublin, and from the town of Carlow. The R418 regional road from Athy to Tullow passes through the village. History Formerly the land of the Ó Tuathails (O'Toole), after ...

. It was a medieval stronghold of the FitzGeralds, Earls of Kildare. * Woodstock Castle: built in the early 13th century to protect the north end of the ford and its western approach. A stone cuboid. Athy White Castle 2013 09 03

* White's Castle: White's Castle was built in 1417 by Sir John Talbot, Viceroy of Ireland, to protect the bridge over the Barrow and the inhabitants of the Pale. Built into the wall on either side of the original entrance doorway are two sculptured slabs. On the right of the former doorway is the Earl of Kildare's coat of arms, signifying the earl's ownership of the castle in former days. The slab on the left bears the date 1573, and the name Richard Cossen, Sovereign of Athy. *The Moat of Ardscull: The Moat of Ardscull is the focal point of local legend about "little people". Assumed to have been built in the late 12th or 13th century, the first clear reference to the moat is in 1654 when the "Book of General Orders" noted a request from the inhabitants of County Kildare for the State to contribute £30 "towards the finishing of a Fort that they have built at the Moate of Ardscull". *Athy Workhouse: St Vincent's Hospital was formally the Athy Workhouse. The Athy Poor Law Union was formally declared on 16 January 1841 and covered an area of . The new Athy Union workhouse was erected in 1842–43 on a site half a mile (800 m) north-west of Athy. Designed by the Poor Law Commissioners' architect George Wilkinson, the building was based on one of his standard plans to accommodate 600 inmates. Roman Catholic Church of St

*St Michael's Church: Originally built in the 14th century. Some of the vestry and side walls have disappeared, but there is still some of the original church remaining. A small cross lies within the church grounds and it is said that a cross or font is buried in a grave, within the ruins. There was at one time an arch that stood in front of St. Michael's but during some renovations many years ago, this was taken down. *Quaker Meeting House: Built in 1780 and standing on Meeting Lane. The first Quakers in Athy may have been Thomas Weston and his wife who in 1657 "received the truth" from Thomas Loe, an English preacher, who was visiting some friends in

County Carlow County Carlow ( ; ga, Contae Cheatharlach) is a Counties of Ireland, county located in the South-East Region, Ireland, South-East Region of Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Carlow is the List of Irish counties by ...

(and who later influenced

William Penn William Penn ( – ) was an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of England. He was an early advocate of democracy an ...

). They were soon joined by the Bonnett family, the first Quaker family to settle in Carlow. A Quaker meeting was settled in Athy by 1671, the year in which Athy was included in the list of towns where the Leinster Province Meeting was held. The local Quakers met for worship once a week on Wednesdays, and every month a district meeting was held in Carlow to transact church business. Athy, as part of the Carlow district, also sent delegates to the Province's quarterly meetings. *The Dominican Church: The Dominicans arrived in Athy in 1253 or 1257. They settled on the eastern bank of the Barrow, first in thatched huts of wood and clay, later in a stone priory and church dedicated to

St Peter Martyr Peter of Verona (1205 – April 6, 1252), also known as Saint Peter Martyr and Saint Peter of Verona, was a 13th-century Italian Catholic priest. He was a Dominican friar and a celebrated preacher. He served as Inquisitor in Lombardy, was kille ...

, one of the earliest saints of the Order. Today, it is the opposite bank of the river that is dominated by the Dominican Church. In November 2015 the Dominicans finally left Athy due to a lack of friars, and the church and lands have been bought by Kildare County Council. It now operates as the town's local library. *Athy Heritage Centre: Athy contains the only permanent exhibition on

Ernest Shackleton Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922) was an Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic. He was one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of A ...

, who was born at Kilkea House. The exhibit is housed in the heritage centre, which has a collection of artefacts from Athy's past as well as artefacts from Shackleton's expeditions. Among the most impressive is a scale model of the ''

Endurance Endurance (also related to sufferance, resilience, constitution, fortitude, and hardiness) is the ability of an organism to exert itself and remain active for a long period of time, as well as its ability to resist, withstand, recover from an ...

''. Each year the Centre arranges and hosts the Shackleton Autumn School, with speakers from around the world discoursing on different aspects of

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest co ...

and Shackleton's life. * Aontas Ogra

Aontas Ógra: The local youth club in Athy which was set up, originally, as an Irish-speaking revival in 1956. It soon developed into a youth club and was the first boy-girl youth club in Ireland. It is still well-established to this day as an independent youth club in Kildare and is located now, beside ARCH on the Ballylinan road. *1798 Rebellion Memorial: This landmark is located in Emily Square and is dedicated to Athy's role in the 1798 Rebellion, as well as a memorial to local people who died during the famine years.

Population

From the first official records in 1813 (population 3,192) until 1891 (population 4,886) and again in 1926–46 and 1951–61 Athy was the largest town in Kildare. In 1837 the population was 4,494. The 2016 census established the population of Athy at 9,677.

Transport

Road

The town is located on the N78

national secondary road A national secondary road ( ga, Bóthar Náisiúnta den Dara Grád) is a category of road in Ireland. These roads form an important part of the national route network but are secondary to the main arterial routes which are classified as national ...

where it crosses the R417

regional road The term regional road (or route) is used in a number of places to designate roads of more than purely ''local'' but less than ''national'' strategic importance in a country's highway network. It is used formally and officially in reference to: *R ...

. In 2010 the N78 was re-aligned so that it no longer heads from Athy towards Kilcullen and Dublin via Ardscull, but now connects with the M9 motorway near Mullamast. The old Athy-Kilcullen section of the road previously known as the N78 is now the R418. As in December 2021, the N78 Athy Southern Distributor Road (Bypass) has been awarded tender, and is about to go to construction. This should be open to traffic by the end of 2023, and will take up to 8000 vehicles a day out of the town centre.

Rail

Athy is connected to the Irish rail network via the

–

Waterford "Waterford remains the untaken city" , mapsize = 220px , pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe , pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe , pushpin_relief = 1 , coordinates ...

main line. Athy railway station opened on 4 August 1846 and closed for goods traffic on 6 September 1976. There is a disused siding to the Tegral Slate factory (formerly Asbestos Cement factory). This is all that is left of the former branch to Wolfhill colliery. This side line was built by the United Kingdom government in 1918 due to wartime shortage of coal in Ireland. The concrete bridge over the River Barrow on this branch is one of the earliest concrete railway under-bridges in Ireland.

Bus

Bus Éireann route 7 and JJ Kavanagh's route 717 also provide frequent services to Athy. Bus Éireann route 130 also serves the town but in one direction only. South Kildare Community Transport also operates two routes from the town serving outlying villages and rural areas

Sport

Among the longer-standing sports clubs in the area is

Athy Cricket Club Athy Cricket Club was founded in 1872 and was one of the first cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising t ...

, which was founded in 1872 and was one of the first cricket clubs in Kildare. Athy Rugby Club was founded in 1880 and is a five-time winner of the Leinster Towns Cup. Athy GAA was formed in 1887, and its playing pitches in the early days changed several times until 1905. In 1905 the club rented a field at the Dublin road from the South Kildare Agricultural Society—the present day Geraldine Park. The club had the initiative in those early days to erect a paling around the pitch and was the first club in Leinster to do so. This initiative and the club's effort were rewarded when the All-Ireland finals were played in Athy in 1906. Athy Golf Club was formed in 1906 as a nine-hole course and was extended to 18 holes in 1993. The course had a par of 71 and it extended to 6,400 yards from the medal tees. It is situated at Geraldine, a mile from town on the Kildare Road. Tri-Athy is a

triathlon A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of swimming, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the time transitioning between the d ...

event held in Athy on the June Bank Holiday weekend. Other sports clubs serving the area include Athy Tennis Club, Athy Town AFC, St Michael's Boxing Club, and Athy Rowing Club.

Twinning

In 2004, the town was twinned with the French town of Grandvilliers in the

Oise Oise ( ; ; pcd, Oése) is a department in the north of France. It is named after the river Oise. Inhabitants of the department are called ''Oisiens'' () or ''Isariens'', after the Latin name for the river, Isara. It had a population of 829,419 ...

-Picardy '. The French twinning committee is named "La Balad'Irlandaise", and official visits take place every two years, while musical and student exchanges take place more regularly.

Notable people

* Joseph Bermingham, politician * Walter Borrowes, MP * Thomas Burgh, MP * Walter Hussey Burgh, MP * Joey Carbery, international rugby player * Seamus Clandillon, Irish musician, civil servant, and first director of radio broadcasting at 2RN * Thomas Condon, senator *

Sister Consilio Sr Consilio 'Eileen' Fitzgerald (born 9 January 1937) is an Irish nun who set up Cuan Mhuire, a charitable drug, alcohol and gambling rehabilitation organisation in Ireland.Dál Cormaic, Gaelic dynasty located in South Kildare * Francis Cosby, English soldier and settler in Ireland; implicated in the Massacre of Mullaghmast * Philip Crosthwaite, businessman and politician * Paul Cullen, Archbishop of Dublin and the first Irish cardinal * Des Dalton, politician *

The Danzigers Edward J. Danziger (1909–1999) and Harry Lee Danziger (1913–2005) were American-born brothers who produced many British films and TV shows in the 1950s and 1960s. According to one profile "throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, their second fea ...

, American film producers who lived in Bert House * Cecil Day-Lewis, poet laureate * William de Burgh, MP, anti-slavery campaigner and colleague of

William Wilberforce William Wilberforce (24 August 175929 July 1833) was a British politician, philanthropist and leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780, eventually bec ...

* Robert Digby, courtier * Robert Dillon *

Eric Donovan Eric Donovan (born 26 July 1985) is an Irish professional boxer. As an amateur he was a five-time Irish national champion and won bronze medals at the 2009 European Union Championships and the 2010 European Championships. His new website has ...

, Irish boxer and European championships bronze medal winner * Patrick Dooley, politician * Johnny Doran, musician *

Charles John Engledow Charles John Engledow (30 September 1860 – 18 December 1932) was a British military officer and an Irish nationalist politician and Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom for the North Kildare, where he sat as an ...

* Maurice Eustace (d. 1665), previously MP for Athy and County Kildare *

Helen Evans Helen de Lacey Evans ( Carter; 1833/1834 – 4 October 1903) was the fifth member of the Edinburgh Seven, a group of women who enrolled at the University of Edinburgh in 1869, and who sought to qualify as physicians. She married the editor of ' ...

, ground-breaking academic, activist and member of the

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, footballer *

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, Irish postwar and contemporary portrait artist * Frederick Falkiner, MP * Lord Edward FitzGerald, politician and revolutionary * Lord Henry FitzGerald *

James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster Lieutenant-General James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster, PC (Ire) (29 May 1722 – 19 November 1773), styled Lord Offaly until 1743 and known as The Earl of Kildare between 1743 and 1761 and as The Marquess of Kildare between 1761 and 17 ...

* William FitzGerald, 2nd Duke of Leinster *

James H. Flack James H. Flack is a contemporary Irish watercolour painter. He was born in County Armagh, Northern Ireland in 1941 and settled in Athy, County Kildare in the early 1970s. He is a member of the Water Colour Society of Ireland, the Ulster Watercolou ...

* Michael Foley, Kildare footballer * Lydia Foy, Irish trans activist * William Russell Grace, businessman and politician *

Thomas Colley Grattan Thomas Colley Grattan (1792 – 4 July 1864) was an Irish novelist, poet, historian and diplomat. Born in Dublin, he was educated for the law, but did not practise. He wrote a few novels, including '' The Heiress of Bruges'' (4 volumes, 1 ...

John Nassau Greene John Nassau Greene (8 March 1890 – 11 February 1973) was an Irish politician. A farmer from Athy, he was elected to Kildare County Council in the 1925 local elections, standing for the Farmers' Party in the Athy local electoral area. He was ...

, politician * William Hare, 1st Earl of Listowel *

John Vincent Holland John Vincent Holland VC (19 July 1889 – 27 February 1975), was World War I Irish soldier, and the recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces ...

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

recipient *

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, footballer *

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, British actor who settled in Ballintubbert House *

John S. Jackson John S. Jackson (21 February 1920 – 19 November 1991) was an Irish geologist and environmentalist, and is believed to be the first environmental consultant in Ireland. Life John Semple Jackson was born 21 February 1920 in Dublin, the fifth c ...

, Irish geologist and environmentalist, believed to be the first environmental consultant in Ireland * Arthur Johnston, priest * Thomas Kelly, hymn-writer *

Mary Leadbeater Mary Leadbeater (; December 1758 – 27 June 1826) was an Irish author and diarist. Early years and education Leadbeater was born in Ballitore, Athy, County Kildare, Ireland. She was the daughter of Richard Shackleton (1726–1792) by his second ...

, author and diarist * Thomas Lee, soldier and assassin *

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, musician and record producer *

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, tennis player and coach * John MacKenna, playwright and novelist *

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, car specialist and former drummer of The Buzzcocks * Mani (Gary Mounfield), Stone Roses and Primal Scream bassist/musician * Johnny Marr, musician, member of The Smiths *

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* Richard Meredith, bishop * Meredyth family * Bobby Miller, Gaelic footballer *

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, politician * John Minihan, photographer * Christopher Neil, musician, actor and producer * Alexander Nevill, priest * Liam O'Flynn, uilleann piper *

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, footballer * Picture This, band * Eliane Plewman, agent of

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(SOE) executed in

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concentration camp in 1945 * Frank Power, basketball coach * Una Power, medium and broadcaster * Paddy Prendergast, racehorse trainer * James Quinn, bishop *

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* Brendan Ryan, Cork politician *Sir

, explorer *

Christopher St Lawrence, 10th Baron Howth Christopher St Lawrence, 10th Baron Howth (c. 1568–1619) was an Anglo-Irish statesman and soldier of the Elizabethan and Jacobean era. His personal charm made him a favourite of two successive English monarchs, and he was also a soldier of gre ...

* Joe Stynes, Irish republican and sportsman *

Robert Stearne Tighe Robert Stearne Tighe (1760–1835) was an Irish writer and Fellow of the Royal Society. Life He was the son of Richard Stearne Tighe (died December 1761), Member of the Irish House of Commons for Athy, and his wife Arabella, daughter of Sir John ...

, Irish writer and Fellow of the Royal Society * Jack Wall, politician *

Wendy F. Walsh Wendy Felicité Walsh (9 April 1915 – 3 March 2014) was an artist born in Cumbria who lived and worked in Ireland and was a prolific botanical illustrator. Early and personal life She was born Wendy Felicité Storey in Bowness-on-Windermer ...

, artist *

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish people, Anglo-Irish soldier and Tories (British political party), Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of Uni ...

* Zoltan Zinn-Collis, Slovak survivor of the Holocaust, author of ''Final Witness''; one of only five living survivors of the Holocaust in Ireland; died in his Athy home in Ireland on 10 December 2012

References

External links

Athy, Kildare County Council

"Eye On The Past" column by local historian Frank Taaffe
{{Authority control Towns and villages in County Kildare