Kildare Town Heritage Trail
This free to download audioguide, produced in conjunction with Kildare Town Heritage Centre, Kildare Tidy Towns, Cill Dara Historical Society, The Grey Abbey Conservation Project and Kildare County Council, will lead you around the wonderful Heritage Town of Kildare.
Kildare has been at the heart of Irish history for millenia. Kildare’s origins stretch into the distant past. Overlooking the Curragh to the south-east stands Dún Áilinne, the seasonal home for a series of ancient Leinster Kings, and the legendary band of ancient warriors, the Fianna, hunted over the plains of the Curragh. It is with the arrival of a devout woman that this area became famous throughout Ireland and throughout the Christian world. Kildare, derives from the Irish ‘Cill Dara’ meaning Church of the Oak. It was named after the church founded here under an oak tree by St Brigid around 480 A.D. Over time Kildare developed into a great “Monastic City, a place where visitors and pilgrims were welcome and plentiful, a place famous across Europe.
Kildare became a key base for the Norman invaders and their famous leader Strongbow, and the audioguide describes how Kildare was the scene of tragedy during the 1798 Uprising. In its later history, Kildare became a venue for aristocratic horse racing enthusiasts, and a vital stage in Ireland’s first great motor race.
Download our guide to immerse yourself in the incredible history of this lovely town, narrated by local guide Liam Quinlivan. Select below to download:
https://www.abartaheritage.ie/kildare-town-walking-tour-audio-guide