Touring Routes of County Kildare
South Kildare Tourist Route
34. NAAS RACECOURSE
Tipper Road, Naas
T: 045 897391
E: goracing@naasracecourse.com
www.naasracecourse.com
ENTRANCE CHARGE on race days
Woodlands Park Racecourse, Naas,
is situated in a parkland area close to the town with the
picturesque backdrop of the Wicklow hills. Hosting 14 meetings
per year (flat and national hunt), it celebrated 80 years
in existence with its first group race in 2004.
Open on race days
35. ST. DAVID'S CHURCH, NAAS
Main Street, Naas
T: 045 897206
St. David's was originally built by Anglo-Normans
on the site of an earlier church, probably dedicated
to St. Patrick, who is reputed to have made several visits
here. It was a 12th century rectangular building with
side aisles and a tower at the east end but has been remodelled
and restored several times over the centuries. The tower
is unfinished (lacks a steeple) and dates to 1781, whilst
the bell dates to 1674.
Open by appointment and for services
36. PUNCHESTOWN RACECOURSE & STANDING STONES
Punchestown, Naas
T: 045 897704
E: racing@punchestown.com
www.punchestown.com
ENTRANCE CHARGE on race days
Home of Irish National Hunt Racing,
Punchestown saw its first race in 1824 over natural banks
and stone walls. By 1850, the Kildare Hunt had realised
the potential of the natural arena and adopted it as the
home of its annual race meeting, initially a two day affair.
Over 150 years later the meeting, now a four day extravaganza
of National Hunt racing, is known as 'The Irish Cheltenham',
and is attended by over 70,000 people each April.
Punchestown is also famous for 'Fionn's Needles' three
granite standing stones, one of which has a bronze age
burial site at its base, erected between 2,000 and 500
BC.
Open on race days. Standing stones accessible all year
37. KILCULLEN THEATRE & HERITAGE CENTRE
Main Street,
Kilcullen
T: 045 481613
A 114 seat local theatre whose foyer is the
town heritage centre, where items from the collection of
the Kilcullen Historical Society are on display.
Heritage Centre Open all year, mornings only
38. OLD KILCULLEN
An important and once walled town prior to the building of the bridge across the Liffey in modern Kilcullen (1318). Only the trunk of a round tower and 3 cross shafts remain of the monastery believed to have been founded by St Isserninus, a companion of St Patrick. A 12th century Romanesque chancel arch survived into the 19th century. The graveyard was the scene of a bloody battle in the 1798 rebellion when 300 United Irishmen entrenched themselves here and resisted a cavalry attack.
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