Touring Routes of County Kildare
South Kildare Tourist Route
39. THE MOAT OF ARDSCULL
Ardscull, Athy
This 13th century Norman earthworks, improved by the Fitzgeralds in the 15th century, is one of the biggest of its kind in Ireland. It is also the site of a memorial to the famous Gordon Bennett Motor Race which passed by in 1903. With its picnic tables and garden, it is an ideal site for a picnic.
40. ATHY HERITAGE CENTRE
Emily Square, Athy
T: 059 8633075
E: athyheritage@eircom.net
www.athyheritagecentre-museum.ie
ENTRANCE CHARGE
Located in the attractive former market house,
the Heritage Centre tells the story of Athy from ancient
times to modern town. With attractive and engaging displays
and a rich collection of artefacts, the centre covers in
particular the Gordon Bennett Motor Race which ran through
counties Kildare, Carlow and Laois in 1903, and the involvement
of men from Athy in the First World War. The centre also
houses the only permanent exhibition in Ireland on Sir
Ernest Shackleton, the Antarctic Explorer who was born
at nearby Kilkea. It includes the scale model of his ship
The Endurance which became trapped in ice in 1915 on his
famous South Pole expedition.
Open all year
41. CASTLEDERMOT ABBEY, ROUND TOWER AND HIGH CROSS
Castledermot, associated with an early Christian monastic
settlement of 500 AD, is a must for historians. In the
grounds of 13th century St. Diarmaid's Church are to
be found two unique granite high crosses, a 10th century
round tower, a Romanesque arch from a church that has since
vanished and a number of ancient stones and grave slabs.
The abbey, a Franciscan Friary, was founded in 1247 but
has 14th century additions. Despite plundering by the Vikings,
and a main road running just metres away, the stonework
is solid and well-preserved.
Open all year
42. MOONE HIGH CROSS
The 5 metre granite High cross at Moone
is one of the finest examples of high crosses to be found
in Ireland. Until 100 years ago it consisted of a base
and the top section but two further shaft sections were found
in the church yard and the cross was reassembled.
Open all year
43. BALLITORE QUAKER MUSEUM
T: 059 8623344
E: ballitorelib@kildarecoco.ie
Ballitore
has been associated with The Society of Friends since the
end of the seventeenth century and it still retains a spirit
of simplicity and modesty consistent with Quaker values.
The first Quakers to settle in Ballitore arrived there from
Yorkshire in 1685. The renowned Ballitore school was established
by Abraham Shackleton in 1726, and the Quaker Meeting House
still stands. The Quaker Museum is housed in the home of
Mary Leadbeater, who carried out the duties of Post Mistress
of Ballitore while at the same time writing numerous books
including the famous Annals of Ballitore which describes
the lives of the ordinary people and the Quaker Community
in the village over the period 1766-1824. The museum contains
a collection of artefacts on the Quaker settlement in Ballitore.
Open all year
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