Athy, a Heritage town in south Kildare, situated on the River barrow less than 50 miles away from Dublin and with easy access to the Airport and seaports of Rosslare and Dublin. Athy is a principal business and commercial town and the main growth centre in South County Kildare.

Athy is designated a secondary growth area under the Greater Dublin Development Plan . The town is considered a crucial element of the 2002-2020 National Spatial Strategy, linking the existing gateway of Dublin to its ‘hub' Kilkenny.

The population of Athy in 2002 was 6049, however, it is estimated that this will rise to approx 20,000 people who live in a twenty mile radius of the town.

The town developed in the late 1800's around the canal network and heavy industry followed. More recently the textile industry had a strong presence in Athy. Some of the town's main industry and largest employers are Tegral, Minch Norton, Athy International Concentrates, Bachelors and Elk.

With the help of local development organisations and initiatives, Athy has now embarked on a programme of regeneration and is looking to develop small and medium sized enterprise, while improving its ICT infrastructures and maximize its potential as a tourist destination. These aims will help promote Athy as a key economic location in the Irish midlands

Map of Kildare