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Newbridge, County Kildare
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Newbridge is a town in County Kildare, Ireland, near the Irish midlands. Its population 18,520 (2006 Census) makes it the second largest town in Kildare and the 17th largest in the Republic of Ireland.
Irish language name of the town is the official name, "An Droichead Nua", introduced in the 1930s. Noble and Keenan's map of Kildare 1752, drawn before the town was started, marks 'The New Bridge'.
settlement of the area dates from the 13th century (with the foundation of Great Connell Abbey in 1202) and the current town is made up of six ancient parishes and portions of others.
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Newbridge is a town in County Kildare, Ireland, near the Irish midlands. Its population 18,520 (2006 Census) makes it the second largest town in Kildare and the 17th largest in the Republic of Ireland.
Name
The Irish language name of the town is the official name, "An Droichead Nua", introduced in the 1930s. Noble and Keenan's map of Kildare 1752, drawn before the town was started, marks 'The New Bridge'.
History
The settlement of the area dates from the 13th century (with the foundation of Great Connell Abbey in 1202) and the current town is made up of six ancient parishes and portions of others. The parishes are Ballymany, Carnalway, Great Connell, Killashee (Co. Kildare), Morristown Billar and Old Connell.
Great Connell Priory was the site of an important Priory founded in 1202 by the Augustinian Canons. This and other sites are a reminder that Newbridge has a rich history in early Christian settlement.
The origin of the modern town lies in the establishment of Cavalry Barracks in 1818 at a river crossing on the River Liffey in the townland of Great Connell. This barracks originally extended from the River Liffey to Cutlery Road, and from Main Street to Military Road, however little of the barracks remains today except the old walls and gateways which can be found on the Athgarvan Road, and to a leesser degree on Cutlery Road. The "Watering Gates" located at the entrance to the Town Park was also constructed as part of the original Barrack building.
The town is located on the banks of the River Liffey a natural amenity available to the growing population. Up river are the towns of Athgarvan, Kilcullen and Blessington. Down river are Caragh, Clane and Celbridge.
Newbridge/Droichead Nua is bounded by the Curragh Plains to the west, Pollardstown Fen and the Bog of Allen / Moulds Bog to the North West and by many important stud farms to the east. To the south the motorway forms a natural boundary to the town.
Today Newbridge is a thriving town with a population approaching 20,000, a major centre for industry and commerce, within the Greater Dublin region.
Industry
The area has a strong industrial background with industry such as rope making Irish Ropes PLC and carpet manufacturing Curragh Tintawn Carpets Ltd. dating back to the early 1930s. Cutlery and silverware is crafted at the famous Newbridge Silverware plant. Pharmaceutical companies such as Wyeth Medica and Oral-B have also based themselves in the town.
The Irish peat development authority Bord na Móna has its headquarters in the centre of Newbridge.
The Kildare/Leixlip Branch of General Workers Union SIPTU has its headquarters at Georges Street, Newbridge. A lot of people living in Newbridge commute to work in major centres in nearby Naas and Dublin City.
Transport
The town has rail and road links both to Dublin and the South, and as a consequence of the investment in such infrastructure, firms such as Wyeth Medica and Oral B have opened plants in the town.
The M7 motorway bypasses the town; the R445 connects the town to the bypass (J10 and J12 on the M7) along the route previously forming part of the N7. The N9 to Carlow, Kilkenny and Waterford leaves the M7 west of Newbridge at J11.
Newbridge is connected to the railway network, on the Dublin–Cork line. Newbridge railway station opened on 4 August 1846 and was closed for goods traffic on 6 September 1976.
Shopping
There is a wide and diverse selection of shops, coffee shops, restaurants, hotels and bars in the town, including everything from the large international brands to long established local traders.
The Whitewater Shopping Centre opened on 6 April 2006, it is the largest shopping centre in Ireland outside of Dublin and the Crescent Shopping Centre in Limerick. Major retailers such as Debenhams, Marks and Spencer, Eason and Zavvi along with others such as Zara, Bershka, and River Island are all tenants of the shopping centre. The Whitewater development has recently caused some local unrest due to the developers reneging on their promise to construct a cinema in the centre. Proposals have been made to construct a cinema elsewhere in the town by the developers but this has not lessened public outcry and until an official decision is reached by Kildare County Council, the space intended for the cinema is unused.
Churches
There are many churches in Newbridge. The town is home to a number of denominations. Newbridge is situated in St Conleth's Parish (http://www.newbridgeparish.ie/) in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin, which has a total of three churches in the town: St Conleth's Parish Church, Cill Mhuire and the Dominican St Eustace's Church. A Church of Ireland Church is located in the Moorefield area of town, which is part of St Patrick's Anglican Parish. Newbridge Sports Centre host the African faith group "The Kingdom of Heavenly Water, Fire and Mountains". A Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall is located just outside the town, near Milltown. is located within Newbridge Industrial Estate.
Education
The schools of Newbridge have always had a good reputation for the quality of their education.
Primary
Primary schools in the town include Scoil Mhuire, (an Irish-medium school), The Patrician Primary School, St Conleth's Infant Primary School, St Conleth's & St Mary's Primary School, St Patrick's National School, Newbridge Educate Together National School and Scoil Bride Athgarvan.
The large growth in the town's population has led to a shortage of places at primary school level.
Secondary
Secondary schools in the area are the Patrician Secondary School, the Holy Family Secondary School, St Conleth's Vocational School, and, near the town, – the newest – Gaelcholáiste Chill Dara. The latter is Co. Kildare's only Irish-speaking second-level school: established in 2003, it provides a full programme of study through the medium of the Irish language.
St Conleth's is also home to a branch of the National College of Ireland, which offers a small number of level-five courses to leaving certificate students.
Newbridge College is a fee-paying co-educational secondary school, run by the Dominican Order.
Adult education
- The Kildare VTOS adult education centre is located in the town centre. VTOS offers level five qualifications to mature students.
People
Sport and recreation
Clubs and societies
- Newbridge is home to Kildare Gaelic Athletic Association's county grounds and sports two strong local club teams, Sarsfield's GAA and Moorefield GAA, both of which regularly win the county's club championship title.
- The town is also home to Kildare County FC, Kildare's only representative in the eircom League. Kildare County FC currently play in Division One of the eircom league.
- Ryston pitch and putt club
- The Kildare History & Family Research Centre is based at the library in Newbridge and houses an extensive local history collection as well as a genealogical research service.
- Newbridge Tidy Towns Association's main aim is to improve the living environment in the town, the Association also enter the town into the National Tidy Towns Competition.
- Newbridge RFC is the town's only Rugby Club. Founded in 1996, with the amalgamation of the Curragh RFC, Kilcullen RFC and Athgarvan RFC, Newbridge RFC compete in the J1 Division 1 Leinster League. Their website is www.newbridgerugby.com.
Amenities
* Newbridge also hosts Kildare's only greyhound racing track. There are a large number of first class golf courses in the area, with water sports, fishing and the Curragh Racecourse all within easy access.
- Newbridge has a library, arts centre, sports centre, three gyms, two swimming pools and a substantial Town Park, which runs along the banks of the River Liffey.
- In recent years the Riverbank Arts Centre has provided a new venue for a wide array of live performances, adding a new dimension to the town's long established dramatic and musical traditions.
- Newbridge is a popular venue by night, as well, with plenty of bars and nightclubs serving the area.
- For young people interested in music, local bar Rose Earley's hosts an open mic night every second week, whilst new youth club TimeOut also hosts gigs.
Twinning
Newbridge is twinned with the town of Bad Lippspringe in Germany and as of June 29, 2008 the city of Ocala, Florida.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland
External links
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