From Fitzgerald Castle to Commuter Town
Maynooth Local History Group As part of the 2026 Arts and Minds Festival and Maynooth 850
Another chance to catch the Maynooth Through The Ages 2026 talk tracing the development of Maynooth from 13th-century castle to 21st-century commuter town.
In collaboration with 2026 Arts and Minds Festival and Maynooth 850
Venue : St Mary’s Church of Ireland (booking required on Eventbrite)
From Fitzgerald Castle to commuter town traces the development of Maynooth over the past 850 years. The establishment of the Geraldine Castle where two rivers meet, created the focal point from which a settlement developed. This development has been significantly influenced by the fortunes of the Fitzgeralds, and generations of the family played their part in the creation of Maynooth. As earls of Kildare and later as dukes of Leinster, they were respected politically, with links to the monarchy. It can be argued that Maynooth at times was considered as the capital of Ireland. The creation of a village that reflected their importance has given us probably the best surviving example of a planned landlord town in Ireland. Throughout Ireland’s history, whether the issue was religious or political freedom or indeed the land issue, Maynooth and its people have played a significant part. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the proximity to Dublin has also been a factor on how Maynooth has developed. The evolution of Maynooth as a commuter town reflects the change from a key agricultural centre to a service centre to meet the needs of our residents. Important too has been our continued and expanded significance as a centre of education. Key features of this settlement, we call Maynooth.
Paul Croghan is the Chairperson of the Maynooth Local History Group who are leading the Maynooth 850 celebrations. Born in Roscommon Town, he came to live in Maynooth in 1990. Since then, he has been very active in many community groups and activities here. These include groups dealing with issues like education, better planning, tidy towns, the St Patrick’s Day Parade and community development. He has also been involved in countywide organisations including the Kildare Local Development Company and the community structure within the local authority. He has always had an interest in history and heritage and was the first Chairperson of the County Kildare Heritage Forum. In Maynooth, he has been involved in the publication of the historic walks booklet as well as the project to select and deliver a Maynooth Town Crest which now features on all of the street signage in the town. He was also part of the group that produced the “Book of Maynooth” which was a millennium project to record local art and poetry on vellum and this book is now in the custody of Maynooth local library.
