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Prosperous

Prosperous is an attractive village located about 4 miles from Clane and 10 miles from Naas .

The Grand Canal flows past its outskirts and the River Liffey is within a couple of miles.

It is also close to Mondello Racing Circuit , home to Irish Motor Racing.

Local History
A surprising number of raths have survived in the Prosperous area indicating settlement of the place in early Christian times. The residents of Rath View have the pleasure of one of these raths forming the centre-piece of their housing development. It is probable that the townsland of Downings takes its name from Dun, the Irish for ‘fort'. There is a fort, or rath, in the townsland just outside Prosperous on the left - hand side of the road to Caragh. Other raths survive in Currhills townsland. They are the remains of the protective structures which surrounded the wooden houses of farmers.

Downings graveyard and church ruins, to the right of the main road to Allenwood , mark the place of the first Christian church in the area. Tradition states that the church occupies the site of the cell of St. Farnan whose feast is celebrated on the 15 th of February. Nearby is the well of St. Farnan which is said to have been blessed by the Saint, giving it the valuable property that those who drink of its water never after have any relish for intoxicating drink. The old parish in this area was known as Downings. It was joined to the parish of Caragh in the eighteenth century.

There is another ruined church surrounded by a graveyard at Killybegs. The Knights Hospitaller of St. John of Jerusalem had a Commandery here but very little is known about it. A lease of 1538 refers to the priory and this points to its foundation before that date. The octagonal baptismal font with its carving of an angel, which is now at Prosperous church, came from Killybegs.

During penal times there was a Mass-house in the townsland of Goatstown which is on the Prosperous side of the Grand Canal. When the town of Prosperous was built, a Catholic Church was erected near the cross-roads close to the present Drama Hall. This church was replaced by the present fine limestone church in 1869.

The town of Prosperous owes its origin to the vision and ideals of Robert Brook . The late eighteenth century was a time of attempted industrial development in Ireland and the industry upon which Prosperous was founded in 1780 was cotton manufacturing. The name chosen by Brook for his industrial town could only be the product of a confident dream. A close parallel to the development of Prosperous was Stratford-on-Slaney in Co. Wicklow, founded by Henry Stratford, Earl of Aldeborough in 1785 as a textile centre. Despite huge investment and, in the case of Prosperous, much building and an initial population of 4,000, both industrial ventures were failures. Stratford practically disappeared and Prosperous declined to such an extent as to be described by Lewis in 1837 as ‘little more than a pile of ruins' situated 'in a low marshy spot, surrounded by bogs and without water of importance nor reasonable hope of its revival' and more recently as a ‘straggling village labouring under its resounding name'.

The ruin of the town was accelerated by the Rising of 1798 . Prosperous was one of the first places where the United Irishmen rose. In the early morning of 24 May 1798, a large group of rebels attacked the crown forces in the town. One of the buildings holding over 50 men, including the leader, Captain Swayne, was burned. Oral tradition relates that the rebels were assisted by Ruth Hackett in the burning of the barracks. She is featured on the 1798 monument in the village square. The rebels held Prosperous until the crown forces recaptured it on the 19 th of June. The troops were under the command of Colonel Stewart who boasted of destroying "this receptacle of rebellion". He said that the soldiers found drums with the inscription "Prosperous Strength Exists in Unity and Liberty".

Despite the disappearance of all of the industrial buildings some of the houses of 1780 have survived along the broad Main Street with its two squares. These add great charm to the historic core of the village centre. This, along with development along the main road, has effectively created a village in two sections. Hopefully some planning decisions will be taken by the County Council which will help draw the town together.

If Prosperous failed as a textile centre it has survived as a service centre answering the educational, shopping, social and community needs of the people of the area. It is now developing as a residential centre serving the present-day industrial development of North Kildare and the growing city of Dublin

Things To Do
Donadea Forest Park
Situated in Donadea. Open all year round. Loads of forest paths throughout the forest. There is also a small lake with its own wildlife. Ruins of Donadea Castle and a church can also be seen here. Parking facilities. Small shop with tables and chairs. Very popular during the summer months.

Dramatic Society
Theatrical productions in the Drama Theatre, the Parish Centre. Check in local papers for details of the various performances. To become a member, pay the small membership fee to the treasurer.
Contacts - Ger Conlon, Killybegs, Prosperous, Co. Kildare
Aisling Casey - Twin Gables, Killybegs, Prosperous, Co.Kildare

Pitch and Putt
Situated in the community field beside the Church. Has its own parking facilities complete with club house. Open to people of any age. Great ‘craic' had by all. To join call to the clubhouse or contact Paddy Logan (Chairperson) at (045) 868047.