Posted 27/11/2015
Kildare Town Heritage Trail
Kildare has been at the heart of Irish history for millenia. This free to download audioguide and audio-visual guide, will lead you around the wonderful Heritage Town of Kildare.
Kildare’s origins stretch into the distant past. Overlooking the Curragh
to the south-east stands Dún Áilinne, the seasonal home for a series of
ancient Leinster Kings, and the legendary band of ancient warriors, the
Fianna, hunted over the plains of the Curragh. It is with the arrival
of a devout woman that this area became famous throughout Ireland and
throughout the Christian world. Kildare, derives from the Irish ‘Cill
Dara’ meaning Church of the Oak. It was named after the church founded
here under an oak tree by St Brigid around 480 A.D. Over time Kildare
developed into a great “Monastic City, a place where visitors and
pilgrims were welcome and plentiful, a place famous across Europe.
Kildare became a key base for the Norman invaders and their famous
leader Strongbow, and the audioguide describes how Kildare was the scene
of tragedy during the 1798 Uprising. In its later history, Kildare
became a venue for aristocratic horse racing enthusiasts, and a vital
stage in Ireland's first great motor race.
Download our guide to immerse yourself in the incredible history of this lovely town, narrated by local guide Liam Quinlivan.
Downloads
The free audioguide can be downloaded from Abarta Audioguides at the following link:
www.abartaheritage.ie
The free audio-visual guide can be downloaded from www.guidigo.com at the following link:
www.guidigo.com
Credits
Kildare Town Heritage Trail was produced by Abarta Audioguides in conjunction with
Kildare Town Heritage Centre, Kildare Tidy Towns, Cill Dara Historical
Society, The Grey Abbey Conservation Project and Kildare County Council.