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Edenderry, County Offaly
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Edenderry is a town in the north of County Offaly, Ireland. It is near the borders with Counties Kildare, Meath and Westmeath. The Grand Canal passes immediately south of the town through the Bog of Allen and there is a short spur to the town centre.
The R401 road from Kinnegad to the north and the R402 from Enfield to the east join at the northeastern end of the Main St. At the Grand Canal they separate, with the R402 continuing westwards towards Tullamore and the R401 heads south to Rathdangan and Kildare Town.
Edenderry is close to the peat-burning Edenderry Power Station - the first Independent Power Producer (I.P.P) in Ireland, situated in Clonbullogue a few miles to the south.
he 16th century, it had the name of Coolestown, after the family of Cooley or Cowley, who had a castle here, defended in 1599 against the Earl of Tyrone's rebellion.
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Encyclopedia
Edenderry is a town in the north of County Offaly, Ireland. It is near the borders with Counties Kildare, Meath and Westmeath. The Grand Canal passes immediately south of the town through the Bog of Allen and there is a short spur to the town centre.
The R401 road from Kinnegad to the north and the R402 from Enfield to the east join at the northeastern end of the Main St. At the Grand Canal they separate, with the R402 continuing westwards towards Tullamore and the R401 heads south to Rathdangan and Kildare Town.
Edenderry is close to the peat-burning Edenderry Power Station - the first Independent Power Producer (I.P.P) in Ireland, situated in Clonbullogue a few miles to the south.
History
In the 16th century, it had the name of Coolestown, after the family of Cooley or Cowley, who had a castle here, defended in 1599 against the Earl of Tyrone's rebellion. This subsequently passed by marriage to the Blundell family and was sacked in 1691 by the army of James II.
The Blundell's land passed subsequently to the Marquess of Downshire who reversed the earlier opposition of the Blundell sisters to the establishment of a branch to the Grand Canal to Edenderry and paid for the £692 cost the project, which was completed in 1802.
By 1716 there was thriving woollen cloth manufacturing, established by Quakers, which employed around 1,000 people. By 1911 the town had grown to 2,204 people. Other industries included the factory of Daniel Alesbury who made a variety of woodwork as well as the first car manufactured in Ireland, the Alesbury, in 1907.
A railway line which connected to Edenderry from nearby Enfield existed until 1963. The line was both a passenger and goods service until 1931, and goods only until its final closure. In the years up to 1963 the line saw very infequent services, and mostly carried livestock and turf. Precious little remains of the line, except for the odd landmark here and there, including the station house near the town centre which is now a commercial business.
Demographics
The population of Edenderry (and its environs) has risen by 53.9% from 1996 to 2006:
- 1996 ... 3,825
- 2002 ... 4,559
- 2006 ... 5,888
People
Neil Delamere, comedian.
See also
External links
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