Paulstown () (also known as Poulstown or Polestown) is a small village in

County Kilkenny County Kilkenny () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is named after the City status in Ir ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. Paulstown is located at the (northern) junction of the N9 and N10 National primary roads. It is 21 km south of

Carlow Carlow ( ; ) is the county town of County Carlow, in the south-east of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, from Dublin. At the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census, it had a population of 27,351, the List of urban areas in the Republic of Ireland, ...

and 19 km east of

Kilkenny Kilkenny ( , meaning 'church of Cainnech of Aghaboe, Cainnech'). is a city in County Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located in the South-East Region, Ireland, South-East Region and in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinst ...

. Scoil Bhride is the primary school in Paulstown. Shankill Gardens & Castle is a point of interest. Paulstown parish is in the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin The Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin (; ; ) is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in eastern Ireland. It is one of three suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Dublin and is subject to the Archdiocese of Dublin.

. The 200-year-old ''Church of the Assumption'' is the local Catholic church in the parish of

Muinebheag Bagenalstown ( ), officially named Muine Bheag (), is a small town on the River Barrow in County Carlow, Ireland. History and name In the eight century, Saint Lappan reputedly founded a monastic school outside Bagenalstown in the townland of ...

Bagenalstown Bagenalstown ( ), officially named Muine Bheag (), is a small town on the River Barrow in County Carlow, Ireland. History and name In the eight century, Saint Lappan reputedly founded a monastic school outside Bagenalstown in the townland ...

Scoil Bhride

The village's primary school is Scoil Bhride Paulstown. It is a mixed school with about 109 boys and 90 girls. The principal is Brian Healy. Scoil Bhride has registered for the Green Schools Programme.

Paulstown Castle

Paulstown Castle is a detached three-bay four-stage 'tower house' country house, rebuilt 1828, retaining fabric of earlier house, 1710, possibly incorporating fabric of medieval castle, c.1450. It was in use until 1902 but vacated pre-1973. It is now in ruins. Paulstown Castle represents one of the elements of the architectural heritage of County Kilkenny. A middle-size house of distinctive appearance reputedly built to designs prepared by William Robertson (1770–1850). The house remains of additional importance for the historic associations with the Flood family of nearby View Mount House, the Healy family, and for the reputed connections with Sir Pearse Butler.

Shankill Castle

Shankill Castle Shankill Castle and Gardens is set in parkland near Paulstown on the Carlow/Kilkenny border. Visitors are invited to walk in the grounds and gardens, and there are guided tours of the house. Shankill Castle started as a Butler tower-house near ...

and Gardens is set in parkland on the border between

County Carlow County Carlow ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county located in the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region of Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Carlow is the List of Irish counties by area, second smallest and t ...

and

. Visitors can walk in the grounds and gardens, and there are guided tours of the house. Shankill Castle started as a Butler tower-house near the ruins of an old church. Peter Aylward bought the lands from his wife's family in 1708, and it was rebuilt and set in a formal landscape with a vista to the front and canal to the rear. In the 19th century, it was enlarged and castellated, serpentine bays were added to the canal, and an unusual polyhedral sundial was given pride of place on a sunken lawn. Other additions were a gothic porch bearing the Aylward crest and a conservatory. The stable yard and the castellated entrance to the demesne are attributed to Daniel Robertson.

Environment

In Paulstown, there are 3 significant trees which are included in the

Tree Register of Ireland The Tree Council of Ireland is a non-profit environmental organisation in Ireland. It was established in 1985 with the purpose of promoting the planting, establishment, and conservation of trees and woodlands throughout Ireland. A voluntary or ...

, compiled by the

Tree Council of Ireland The Tree Council of Ireland is a non-profit environmental organisation in Ireland. It was established in 1985 with the purpose of promoting the planting, establishment, and conservation of trees and woodlands throughout Ireland. A voluntary or ...

.Tree Council of Ireland Website
/ref> These include a Common Lime, a Wellingtonia Giant Sequoia and two

Monterey Cypress ''Hesperocyparis macrocarpa'' also known as ''Cupressus macrocarpa'', or the Monterey cypress is a coniferous tree, and is one of several species of cypress trees native to California. The Monterey cypress is found naturally only on the Centr ...

around Shankill Castle Gardens .

Transport

The former N9 - R448 road passes through

Gowran Gowran (; ) is a town on the eastern side of County Kilkenny, Ireland. The historic St. Mary's Collegiate Church is in the centre of Gowran, close to Gowran Castle. Gowran Park race course and Golf Course are one kilometre from the centre of ...

Dungarvan Dungarvan () is a coastal town and harbour in County Waterford, on the south-east coast of Ireland. Prior to the merger of Waterford County Council with Waterford City Council in 2014, Dungarvan was the county town and administrative centre of ...

, Thomastown, and further on, just north of

Ballyhale Ballyhale () is a village in the south east of Ireland. Located in the south of County Kilkenny, south of the city of Kilkenny and roughly halfway to Waterford city. The sport of hurling is popular in the area, and the local Gaelic Athletic Ass ...

the former N10 rejoins the former N9, having proceeded south from Kilkenny. At Paulstown, the former N10 diverges west/southwest to serve

, proceeding southwest to Coolgrange, and west to the outskirts of Kilkenny, where it meets the ''Kilkenny Ring Road'' at a roundabout.

Notable people

References

{{County Kilkenny Towns and villages in County Kilkenny Census towns in County Kilkenny