Situated in the restored 18th century market house is a multi-media exhibition centre telling the story of Kildare which dates from the 5th century. An ideal point from which to explore the ancient treasures of Kildare.

Tel: 045 530672

kildaretownheritagecen@ireland.com

www.kildare.ie/kildareheritage/

Situated on the northern edge of the Curragh plain, covering 220 hectares, is a rare wetland of international importance.

It contains a number of rare vegetation types and invertebrates, along with an uninterrupted pollen record of the changes in the composition of its vegetation going back to the ice age.

Both of these wells hold reputations as curing wells. St. Brigids Well is situated close to the Black Abbey; Fr. Moore’s Well is on the Milltown Road, near Pollardstown Fen (if you suffer from headaches Fr. Moore’s Well is the place to go to … so they say!)

Both wells are sites of religious devotion and there is an annual torchlight procession to St. Brigid’s Well on 1st February.

A granite monolith over seven feet high, unusual among standing stones in that it has a small cross with slightly expanded terminals cut on one face.

Excavations have unearthed burials of the Iron Age and early Christian periods.

The castle is a rectangular tower, with four floors. It is set into the side of the ridge and has beautiful views of the Wicklow Mountains. It is known that Oughterard was the site of an important Anglo-Norman manor. The site is a National Monument; it includes a castle dating from 1636 and church from circa 1350. You will find the grave of Arthur Guinness here.

One of Maynooth’s oldest surviving monuments, Taghadoe Round Tower was part of an old monastic settlement and dates back to the 6th Century. Its primary purpose was defence against local pillagers and Viking invasion. It also marks the existence of a religious settlement. Among the ruins stands an early monastic church. The round tower itself has been renovated to some extent, however its roof was never replaced. A door stands 12ft above ground level where during times of invasion or plundering, when the warning was raised, the monks would gather all their sacred possessions and climb into the tower and pull the ladder up. This meant that there was only one entrance to defend which would have been relatively out of reach of the enemy.

Celbridge: Willowbrook Park

Kilcock: Bawnogues

Kildare Town: Lourdesville

Leixlip: Amenities Centre

Maynooth: Harbour Field

Moone: Crookedstone Park (opposite church)

Naas: Monread and Ballycragh