Irish Counties - Kildare

County Kildare (Contae Cill Dara) is an Irish county located to the southwest of County Dublin in the province of Leinster. The name comes from the Irish, meaning church (Cill) of the oaks (Dara). East Kildare's population has increased rapidly, due to its proximity to Dublin; the amount of housing in the Naas suburb of Sallins has increased six-fold since the mid 1990s.

Moore Abbey is in the town of Monasterevan. It is the site of a monastery founded by St Evin in the 6th century. Maynooth is the historic educational centre of the county. It contains National University of Ireland, Maynooth and St Patrick's College, Maynooth. The town of Kildare is the oldest in the county and the most historic. Naas (Nás na Rí in Irish, meaning "meeting place of kings") is the capital of the county.

The Curragh horse-racing course is located in County Kildare. The county is known for the quality of horses bred in the many horse stud farms to which it is home. It is also home to the huge yearly Punchestown race festival. Kildare is home to the National Stud.

The nickname for the Kildare GAA team is the Lilywhites, a reference to the all-while Kildare flag. County Kildare is also known as the Shortgrass County.

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• Kildare People
• Kildare History
• Kildare Travel

Writers associated with Co. Kildare include:

• Egan, Desmond poet
• Kelly, Rita file
• MacKenna, John short story writer and novelist
• Shackleton, Ernest
• Tansey, Mary

Towns and Villages:
Athy, Celbridge, Kilcock, Kildare, Leixlip, Maynooth, Monasterevan, Naas, Newbridge, Prosperous, Sallins