Edenderry (; ) is a town in east County Offaly,

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. It is near the borders with Counties Kildare,

Meath Meath may refer to: General * County Meath, Republic of Ireland **Kingdom of Meath, medieval precursor of the county ** List of kings of Meath ** Meath GAA, including the intercounty football and hurling teams ** Diocese of Meath, in the Roman Cath ...

and Westmeath. The Grand Canal runs along the south of Edenderry, through the

Bog of Allen The Bog of Allen ( ga, Móin Alúine) is a large raised bog in the centre of Ireland between the rivers Liffey and Shannon. The bog's 958 square kilometers (370 square miles) stretch into County Offaly, County Meath, County Kildare, County Lao ...

, and there is a short spur to the town centre. The R401 road from Kinnegad to the north and the R402 from Enfield to the east meet at the northeastern end of the Main Street. At the Grand Canal they split, with the R402 continuing westwards towards Tullamore and the R401 heads south to Rathangan and Kildare Town.

History

In the 16th century, Edenderry was known as Coolestown, after the family of Cooley or Cowley, who had a castle here. It was defended in 1599 against the Confederates, during the Nine Years' War (Ireland). This subsequently passed by marriage to the

Blundell Blundell is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include: Surname: *Bryan Blundell (c. 1675–1756), English merchant and slave trader *Christine Blundell (born 1961), British make-up artist *Daphne Blundell (1916–2004), ...

family and was sacked in 1691 by the army of

James II James II may refer to: * James II of Avesnes (died c. 1205), knight of the Fourth Crusade * James II of Majorca (died 1311), Lord of Montpellier * James II of Aragon (1267–1327), King of Sicily * James II, Count of La Marche (1370–1438), King C ...

. The Blundells' land passed subsequently to the Marquess of Downshire who reversed the earlier opposition of the Blundell sisters to the establishment of a branch to the Grand Canal to Edenderry and paid for the £692 cost of the project, which was completed in 1802. By 1716 there was thriving woollen cloth manufacturing, established by

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...

, which employed around 1,000 people. By 1911 the town had grown to 2,204 people. Other industries included the factory of

Daniel Alesbury Daniel is a masculine given name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "God is my judge"Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 68. (cf. Gabriel—"God is my strength ...

who made a variety of woodwork as well as the first car manufactured in Ireland, the

Alesbury The Alesbury was an Irish automobile. It was powered by an 8/10 hp Stevens-Duryea engine and had solid tires. The car was exhibited in Dublin in 1907, but manufacture lasted only from then until 1908. References *Georgano, G.N. George Nicol ...

, in 1907. The population of Edenderry almost doubled in the 20 years between the census of 1996 (when it had a population of 3,825 people) and the 2016 census (which recorded a population of 7,359 people).

Education

There are two secondary schools in the town, St. Mary’s Secondary School and Oaklands Community College, as well as five primaries, Gaelscoil Éadan Doire, St. Mary’s Primary School, Scoil Bhríde Primary School, Saint Patrick’s Primary School and Monasteroris National School.

Local organisations

Organisations and businesses operating in the area include the

Offaly Express The ''Offaly Express'' is an online newspaper and former print newspaper in Ireland that serves County Offaly County Offaly (; ga, Contae Uíbh Fhailí) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the provinc ...

newspaper and Edenderry Chamber of Commerce. Local sports clubs include Edenderry Rugby Club,

Edenderry GAA Edenderry GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Edenderry, County Offaly, Ireland. It participates in competitions organised by the Offaly GAA county board. The club fields both Gaelic football and hurling teams. Paul O'Kelly, who ...

club, Edenderry Town AFC, and Highfield Golf Club.Highfield Golf Club
/ref> Derry Rovers AFC

Notable people

* Neil Delamere, comedian *

Frantic Jack ''Frantic Jack'' are an Irish rock band formed in Edenderry, County Offaly. Since its creation, the band's line-up has included Daragh Fitzgerald (vocals), Mark Kelly (guitar), Pauric Hurst (bass), and James Kearney (keys). The band's current d ...

, Irish Indie Rock band * Josef Locke, entertainer * Malcolm Edward MacArthur (convicted murderer)

References

External links