Kilcullen

Kilcullen Irish: Cill Chuilinn
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Kilcullen images
Location
Grid reference:	N839095
Location:	53°7’50"N, 6°44’44"W
Data
Population:	3,815  (2022)
Local Government

Kilcullen formally Kilcullen Bridge, is a small town on the River Liffey in County Kildare. Its population was recorded as of 3,815 at the 2022 census. From 2002 to 2011, it was one of the fastest growing towns in the county, doubling its population from 1,483 to 3,473. It is situated primarily in the Barony of Kilcullen, with a part in the Barony of Naas South.

The name 'Kilcullen' is from the Gaelic Cill Chuilinn, and originally referred to what is now Old Kilcullen.

Kilcullen Bridge replaced the original settlement of Kilcullen, now Old Kilcullen, in the centuries following the building of the great bridge at the future site of the town. Other local historical features include Dun Ailinne, New Abbey and Castlemartin, for many years the home of media magnate Tony O'Reilly and his wife, horse-breeding shipping heiress Chryss Goulandris, and now owned by US billionaire John Malone. In the town's hinterland are a number of stud farms.

Geography

Kilcullen is off the Dublin to Waterford (M9) motorway, between Naas and Kilkenny, centred on the crossroads of the R413 and R448 regional roads. (The R448 was part of the main road from Dublin to Carlow, Kilkenny and Waterford until the motorway was opened in 1995, bypassing the town.)

Kilcullen straddles the River Liffey. There is just one bridge in the town, which stands at the site of the historic bridge which gave rise to the settlement, with none to the north-west for some distance, until Athgarvan. First built in the 1310s, the six-arch bridge over the Liffey was last reconstructed c. 1850, and renovated and widened in the early 1970s; the upstream face is modern while if viewed from downstream, the historic style is visible.

Upstream of the town the Liffey is joined by what is called locally the Mill Stream, coming from the direction of New Abbey, and forming the last stage of the substantial Kilcullen Stream (flowing north through Yellow Bog), a nationally monitored waterway. At the western edge of the town is the Pinkeen Stream, a minor tributary of the Liffey, which forms one boundary of Castlemartin Estate. At least two small streams lie further downstream in the Castlemartin area.

The town comprises one main street, with a few connecting roads. The main street slopes from Old Kilcullen and the Athy Road and motorway access, after joining with the Newbridge Road, down to the Liffey, and back up again, more steeply. Schools and churches are concentrated at the southwestern edge, businesses spread along the main street and near the old market square, and the town hall and theatre (former cinema) and heritage centre, and a bank, lie just to the north-east of the bridge.

History

(Old) Kilcullen

The Old Kilcullen, on a hilltop a few miles to the south, began as a monastic settlement in the mid-5th century and grew into an Anglo-Norman walled town with seven gates. Little now remains visible beyond a damaged round tower and a churchyard. Nearby is Dun Ailinne, a ceremonial and possible palace site related to the kings of Leinster. Old Kilcullen was raided by Vikings at least twice, in 936 and 944.

Kilcullen Bridge

The current town is officially known, mapped and recorded on legal documents, as 'Kilcullen Bridge'. It developed after 1319 when Maurice Jakis, a Canon of Kildare Cathedral, built a bridge across the River Liffey here. Succeeding centuries saw the new village swell and take over from the original Kilcullen. As the late 18th century, the village was wholly on the eastern bank of the Liffey (and outside the Barony of Kilcullen).

Kilcullen was influenced for much of its history by the Eustace family, one of whose seats was at Castlemartin.

18th to 19th century

Kilcullen Bridge and Old Kilcullen were pivotal to the first toll road in Ireland, founded in 1729, and initially running to "the Bridge at Kilcullen" and later to a point west of this, passing the fair green at Old Kilcullen.

The town was in the vicinity of the Battle of Kilcullen in the 1798 Rebellion, and Castlemartin was the base of operations for the British Army in Kildare, under Dundas.

In 1837, the official town area had a population of 699, one principal street of 112 buildings, chiefly on the western bank of the Liffey, a market on Saturdays and fairs on 2 February 25 March, 22, 8 June and 29 September 2 October and 8 December. There was a police station and a dispensary, and petty sessions were held. At that time, the population of the rural area of Old Kilcullen still exceeded that of the town by a multiple.

Motor racing

On 2 July 1903, the Gordon Bennett Cup race ran through Kilcullen. It was the first international motor race to be held anywhere in the United Kingdom. The Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland wanted the race to be hosted in the United Kingdom: Ireland was proposed as racing was illegal on roads in Great Britain. After some lobbying, a number of local laws were changed, and Kildare was chosen as the venue – partly because the straightness of the roads was deemed 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.

About the town

To the west of the town is Castlemartin Estate, where, to the north-west, is situated Castlemartin House. This 18th-century mansion, said to have around thirty rooms, is owned by American billionaire, John Malone. The house is a successor to a series of older dwellings, perhaps dating back to the 13th century. The estate also includes St Mary's Church ("Castlemartin Chapel"), a dependent chapel of Kilcullen Church, founded c. 1200, ruined for centuries and restored in 1979–1980, and a number of other houses. Two of these, and outlying buildings, opening off the northern part of Main Street, were planned to be redeveloped as apartments, restaurants and shops, with permission granted on 15 February 2008. While the estate itself is largely closed to the public, the new development is required to be without gates, and it was a condition of restoration of the old church that reasonable public access to this also be available.

Kilcullen is about four miles from the Curragh, the centre of Ireland's horse racing industry and is home to the Aga Khan's horse breeding operation, the Gilltown Stud, and to stud; and cattle breeding operations belonging to Tony O'Reilly.

Society

• • Kilcullen Community Action
• Lions Club
• Scouts
• Kilcullen Flower and Garden Club

Media

There is a long-running local magazine, The Bridge, published monthly, and the area is also covered with a section in the Kildare Nationalist newspaper. There is also an established online journal, A Kilcullen Diary.

Churches

Brannockstown Baptist Church, built in 1882.

• Church of Ireland: St John's.
• Baptist: Brannockstown Baptist Church (in Brannockstown) founded in 1873 by John La Touche who was influenced by Charles Spurgeon.
• Roman Catholic:
  • Sacred Heart and St. Brigid, built in 1872
  • St Joseph's, at Yellow Bog
  • St Mary's Church, Castlemartin, on the Castlemartin Estate

Sport

• Gaelic sports: Kilcullen GAA
• Kilcullen Canoe Club
• Kilcullen Community Centre Sports Complex
• Golf: St Brigids
• Tennis: Kilcullen Tennis Club, in Logstown

There is also a successful badminton club in the area which has both junior and senior members competing in inter-county tournaments and competitions such as the Westside and the county championships. It has a fierce rivalry with Naas badminton club which it competed against.

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Kilcullen)