About Co.Kildare

Information and Statistics

About County Kildare

County Kildare, Ireland

For detailed statistics on Co.Kildare in 2016 (the latest available census), go to the CSO's website
Census 2016 including Kildare


Kildare is a county in the Irish midlands located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. County Kildare is partly in the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Dublin, but mainly in the diocese of Kildare and Leighlin. It is in the Church of Ireland diocese of Meath and Kildare.

The county of Kildare is 67.6 km in length and 41.9 km in width, with a total of 169,550 hectares. It is bordered by the counties of Carlow, Laois, Meath, Offaly, Dublin and Wicklow. As an inland county, Kildare is generally flat. Its highest points are the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains, the hills north of Kildare town and those to the west at Kilcock.

The county has three major rivers running through it: the Barrow, the Liffey and the Boyne, which rises at Trinity Well, Carbury. The Grand Canal traverses the county from Lyons in the east to Rathangan and Monasterevin in the west. From Robertstown a branch goes south to Athy, to connect with the Barrow; from Sallins a line goes to Naas and onwards to Corbally harbour. The Royal Canal stretches across the north of the county along the border with Meath and leaves Co. Kildare at Clonard.

The largest bog land area in Ireland, the Bog of Allen, in the north and north west of the county, covers some 20,000 hectares and is a habitat for over 185 plant and animal species. The other distinguishing feature of the county is the plain of the Curragh, which comprises nearly 2,000 hectares. In ancient times it was the training ground of the Fianna and it’s legendary hero Fionn MacCumhaill. The Irish Army’s headquarters and training centre is located at the Curragh Camp. On the southern fringe of the plain stands the ancient royal residence of Dún Ailinne (Knockaulin).

Pollardstown Fen, adjacent to the Curragh, was declared a National Nature Reserve in 1986. It is the largest surviving calcareous fen in Ireland, covering an area of 220 hectares and is recognised as an internationally important ecosystem with unique and endangered plant communities.

A brief history of County Kildare is available in our hertitage section.

Kildare 2016 - (CSO)

Title Unit Total
Agriculture    
Area (Source: Ordnance Survey)    
Area Hectares
169,540

AGE/EX

In 2016 Kildare had a population of 222,504, up from 210,312 in 2011, consisting of 110,546 males and 111,958 females.

MARITAL STATUS

In Kildare in 2016, there were 119,379 single, both sexes, 61,394 single males and 57,985 single females
There was also the following for both sexes
Registered same-sex civil partnership 149
Married (first marriage) 83,220
Re-married 2,999
Separated 5,382
Divorced 4,425
Widowed 6,950

LIVING ARRANGEMENTS

There were 73,596 private households in Kildare in 2016, and 220,923 Persons in private households in 2016

MIGRATION AND NATIONALITIES

The Population Usually Resident and Present in County Kildare in 2016 by nationality was
All Nationalities 220,693
Irish 195,192
UK 3,808
Polish 7,205
Lithuanian 1,696
Romanian 1,308
African 947
Latvian 884
Indian 442
Spanish 397
French 381
American (US) 362
Other European 562
Other Asian 1,569
Other EU28 2,154

LABOUR FORCE AND UNEMPLOYMENT

Labour Force Participation Rate in 2016 for both sexes in Kildare was 64.1%
The Unemployment Rate in 2016 for both sexes in Kildare was 11.4%

Co.Kildare Area

Hectares 169,540

Co.Kildare Population

In 2016 Kildare had a population of 222,504 consisting of 110,546 males and 111,958 females.

Administrative

County Town: Naas

Local Authority:
Kildare County Council

Áras Chill Dara, Naas, Headquarters of Kilcare County Council

Links

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