Naas
Encyclopedia
Naas (ˈneɪs; , n̪ˠaːsˠ n̪ˠə ɾˠiː, or [ən̪ˠ n̪ˠaːsˠ]) is the county town
of County Kildare
in Ireland. With a population of just over twenty thousand, it is also the largest town in the county. Naas is a major commuter suburb, with many people residing there and working in Dublin. The nearby N7 dual carriageway and M7 motorway connect it with Dublin and the south and southwest.
in 1169-71, some meetings of the Irish parliament were held in the town. Many of the earlier settlers in Kildare were Cambro-Norman
s from Wales, and so the medieval church was dedicated to Saint David
.
In the Middle Ages, Naas became a walled market town, occasionally raided by the O'Byrne and O'Toole clans
based in the nearby area which became County Wicklow
. Naas features on the 1598 map by Abraham Ortelius
as "Nosse". (It is worth noticing the "O Byrne" and "O Tolo" (O'Toole) names appearing prominently on the map).
A mayor and council were selected by the richer merchants and landowners; the mayor was titled the "Sovereign of Naas" and carried a ceremonial mace until the post was abolished in 1840. Because of its importance as a place for trading, public meetings and local administration, with its law courts, racecourse and army barracks, it became known as the "county town" of County Kildare.
In the former Parliament of Ireland
that was established in 1297 and ended in 1800, the constituency of Naas
had 2 seats.
One of the first battles
of the rebellion of 1798
took place in Naas on 24 May 1798 when a force of about 1,000 rebels were defeated in an unsuccessful attack on the town. A leader of the United Irishmen, Theobald Wolfe Tone
, is buried just outside Naas, at Bodenstown
.
In 1898, the Local Government Act
established Naas Urban District Council (now Naas Town Council). Its jurisdiction had a circular boundary with a 2.4 km (1.5 mi) radius from the new town hall on the main street. Most of the rest of County Kildare is managed directly by Kildare County Council
, also based in Naas since 1898, and which oversees the work of the Town Council.
Today, Naas is the 15th largest town in the Republic of Ireland. The town is planning new housing developments during the next five years with a projected population of 30,000.
Amenities in the town include: a library, tax office, a new Gaelic Athletic Association
club, athletics club, a range of schools, Naas General Hospital
, horse racecourse, soccer club, tennis club, soccer club, hockey club, rugby club, two major nightclubs including the famous 'Time' nightclub, five-screen 3D cinema, several pubs, five supermarkets, county council offices, a number of hotels and the new Moat Theatre.
A large new public swimming pool and leisure centre opened on Carragh Avenue in 2009 and the old swimming pool site is now a public car park.
The town has two Roman Catholic Churches, one Church of Ireland
Church, and one Presbyterian Church. The Church of Our Lady & St. David is a Roman Catholic Parish
Church dating from 1827. The original parish church, St. David's Church, is held by the Church of Ireland. In 1997, the second Catholic Church opened in Ballycane on the east side of town and is dedicated to the Irish Martyrs.
There are two racecourses near Naas. Punchestown Racecourse
is just to the south east of the town, in the parish of Eadestown, and Naas Racecourse
is about 1 km from the town centre. The annual Punchestown Race Festival is a major event for a whole week in April. The Oxegen
music festival is also held at Punchestown in the second weekend of July.
Naas has one of the largest scouting groups in Ireland, with 2 Beaver nights, 3 cub nights, 3 Scout nights and also a very large Venture group as well as a rover group.
, Hewlett Packard. Other economic activities include local government, Aldi's national headquarters, and indigenous manufacturers such as Green Isle Foods, Dawn Farm Foods, Readymix, Dennison Trailers, Omos Street Furniture, Amvic Ireland, Pasta Concepts, Phamapac, QK Meats, Redlen, Simply Soups, Taravale Foods, Granning Axles and Irish Commercials. The town also includes law offices, hotels and a livestock mart. Naas is also home to the most expensive boutique in Ireland the Emporium Kalu in the centre of the town. Naas boasts the largest Tesco Extra hypermarket in Ireland located on the Monread Road in the northside of the town. The Tesco Extra site will be further developed into a shopping centre with 18 more retail units including Costa Coffee
, Argos
and Boots
stores planned for summer 2011.
Recently a lot of proposed stores and retail have been announced for Naas such as, Superquinn
will be moving onto the Limerick Road along with plans for an Eight-Screen Cinema and leisure centre.
A new Penney's (Primark
) superstore will be located on the old Superquinn
site in the town centre. Under construction is the new Naas Shopping Mall at Corbans Avenue which has seen work postponed due to the economic downturn and lack of funding. Naas is considered now to be the largest Retail Centre in County Kildare
, largely as a result of its critical mass of bulky goods floorspace located in Large Modern Retail Parks in the Town's suburbs.
The town of Naas is surrounded by commercial parks with stores such as Harvey Norman, Smyths Toy's, Clery's, PC World, Halfords and Heatons. The largest commercial park is located near the Newhall Interchange. A major business park is under construction at Osberstown.
is now used by many residents of Naas and the surrounding area for the daily commute to Dublin, with frequent trains throughout the day and travel times less than 30 minutes to downtown Dublin.
Naas is connected to other main towns and cities by bus services. The main carriers are Bus Éireann
and JJ Kavanagh and Sons
.
The N7 Naas Road, which connects Naas to Dublin, was upgraded in 2006 with a six-lane carriageway with grade-separated interchanges. Plans have been laid out to construct a large interchange at the Osberstown-Millenium Park as part of the M7 upgrade. An orbital ring road
is also being built; several phases have already been opened.
Naas has a large public library which is located in the canal harbour area.
with the following places:
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
of County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
in Ireland. With a population of just over twenty thousand, it is also the largest town in the county. Naas is a major commuter suburb, with many people residing there and working in Dublin. The nearby N7 dual carriageway and M7 motorway connect it with Dublin and the south and southwest.
History
The Irish language name for Naas, Nás na Ríogh literally means Meeting Place of the Kings, as the place historically hosted meetings of pre-Norman Irish kings from the Kingdom of Leinster. After the Norman invasionNorman Invasion of Ireland
The Norman invasion of Ireland was a two-stage process, which began on 1 May 1169 when a force of loosely associated Norman knights landed near Bannow, County Wexford...
in 1169-71, some meetings of the Irish parliament were held in the town. Many of the earlier settlers in Kildare were Cambro-Norman
Cambro-Norman
Cambro-Norman is a term used for Norman knights who settled in southern Wales after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. Some historians suggest that the term is to be preferred to Anglo-Norman for the Normans who invaded Ireland after 1170 — many of whom originated in Wales. However, the term...
s from Wales, and so the medieval church was dedicated to Saint David
Saint David
Saint David was a Welsh Bishop during the 6th century; he was later regarded as a saint and as the patron saint of Wales. David was a native of Wales, and a relatively large amount of information is known about his life. However, his birth date is still uncertain, as suggestions range from 462 to...
.
In the Middle Ages, Naas became a walled market town, occasionally raided by the O'Byrne and O'Toole clans
Irish clans
Irish clans are traditional kinship groups sharing a common surname and heritage and existing in a lineage based society prior to the 17th century.-History:...
based in the nearby area which became County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
. Naas features on the 1598 map by Abraham Ortelius
Abraham Ortelius
thumb|250px|Abraham Ortelius by [[Peter Paul Rubens]]Abraham Ortelius thumb|250px|Abraham Ortelius by [[Peter Paul Rubens]]Abraham Ortelius (Abraham Ortels) thumb|250px|Abraham Ortelius by [[Peter Paul Rubens]]Abraham Ortelius (Abraham Ortels) (April 14, 1527 – June 28,exile in England to take...
as "Nosse". (It is worth noticing the "O Byrne" and "O Tolo" (O'Toole) names appearing prominently on the map).
A mayor and council were selected by the richer merchants and landowners; the mayor was titled the "Sovereign of Naas" and carried a ceremonial mace until the post was abolished in 1840. Because of its importance as a place for trading, public meetings and local administration, with its law courts, racecourse and army barracks, it became known as the "county town" of County Kildare.
In the former Parliament of Ireland
Parliament of Ireland
The Parliament of Ireland was a legislature that existed in Dublin from 1297 until 1800. In its early mediaeval period during the Lordship of Ireland it consisted of either two or three chambers: the House of Commons, elected by a very restricted suffrage, the House of Lords in which the lords...
that was established in 1297 and ended in 1800, the constituency of Naas
Naas (Parliament of Ireland constituency)
Naas was a constituency represented in the Irish House of Commons to 1801. The Parliament of Ireland merged with the Parliament of Great Britain to form the Parliament of the United Kingdom on 1 January 1801. Thereafter Naas was represented by the Members for Kildare.-1692–1801:...
had 2 seats.
One of the first battles
Battle of Naas
The Battle of Naas took place in Ireland on 24 May 1798.-Background:One of the first engagements of the 1798 rebellion, a force of over 1,000 rebels, led by Michael Reynolds attacked Naas, the strongest Crown garrison in County Kildare, following the successful mobilisation of United Irishmen,...
of the rebellion of 1798
Irish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...
took place in Naas on 24 May 1798 when a force of about 1,000 rebels were defeated in an unsuccessful attack on the town. A leader of the United Irishmen, Theobald Wolfe Tone
Theobald Wolfe Tone
Theobald Wolfe Tone or Wolfe Tone , was a leading Irish revolutionary figure and one of the founding members of the United Irishmen and is regarded as the father of Irish Republicanism. He was captured by British forces at Lough Swilly in Donegal and taken prisoner...
, is buried just outside Naas, at Bodenstown
Bodenstown
Bodenstown is a townland on the outskirts of Sallins in County Kildare, Ireland.The most notable local features are a golf club and the parish cemetery for Sallins. The cemetery is best known as the gravesite of Theobald Wolfe Tone, the eighteenth century Irish revolutionary and leader of the...
.
In 1898, the Local Government Act
Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898
The Local Government Act 1898 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that established a system of local government in Ireland similar to that already created for England, Wales and Scotland by legislation in 1888 and 1889...
established Naas Urban District Council (now Naas Town Council). Its jurisdiction had a circular boundary with a 2.4 km (1.5 mi) radius from the new town hall on the main street. Most of the rest of County Kildare is managed directly by Kildare County Council
Kildare County Council
Kildare County Council is the local authority which is responsible for County Kildare in Ireland. The Council is responsible for Housing and Community, Roads and Transportation, Urban planning and Development, Amenity and Culture, and Environment. The council is governed by the Local Government...
, also based in Naas since 1898, and which oversees the work of the Town Council.
Today, Naas is the 15th largest town in the Republic of Ireland. The town is planning new housing developments during the next five years with a projected population of 30,000.
Media
- County Kildare's local Radio Station KFMKFMKFM may refer to:* Kearny Fallout Meter, an expedient radiation meter, that can be made from household items* The Kentucky Fried Movie, an American comedy film, released in 1977 and directed by John Landis...
97.3FM - 97.6FM is located in the suburbs of the town. - The regional newspaper, Leinster LeaderLeinster LeaderThe Leinster Leader is a newspaper published in Naas, Co. Kildare, Ireland. It is owned by Johnston Press who bought the Leinster Leader Group in 2005...
, is published in Naas. - Kildare County's local TV Station Kildare TV or KTV is located in Naas West based in the Osprey Hotel Complex off the Limerick Road.
Places of interest
Amenities in the town include: a library, tax office, a new Gaelic Athletic Association
Naas GAA
Naas is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in Naas, County Kildare, Ireland, winner of eight Kildare county senior football championships, six senior hurling championships, three senior camogie championships and Kildare club of the year in 1981....
club, athletics club, a range of schools, Naas General Hospital
Naas General Hospital
Naas General Hospital is located in Craddockstown, Naas in County Kildare, Ireland. It provides acute hospital services for the population of County Kildare and western County Wicklow....
, horse racecourse, soccer club, tennis club, soccer club, hockey club, rugby club, two major nightclubs including the famous 'Time' nightclub, five-screen 3D cinema, several pubs, five supermarkets, county council offices, a number of hotels and the new Moat Theatre.
A large new public swimming pool and leisure centre opened on Carragh Avenue in 2009 and the old swimming pool site is now a public car park.
The town has two Roman Catholic Churches, one Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
Church, and one Presbyterian Church. The Church of Our Lady & St. David is a Roman Catholic Parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
Church dating from 1827. The original parish church, St. David's Church, is held by the Church of Ireland. In 1997, the second Catholic Church opened in Ballycane on the east side of town and is dedicated to the Irish Martyrs.
There are two racecourses near Naas. Punchestown Racecourse
Punchestown Racecourse
Punchestown Racecourse is located in the parish of Eadestown, between the R410 and R411 regional roads near Naas, County Kildare, in Ireland. It is home of the National Hunt Festival of Ireland....
is just to the south east of the town, in the parish of Eadestown, and Naas Racecourse
Naas Racecourse
Naas Racecourse is a horse racing venue in Naas, County Kildare, Ireland, approximately 18 miles from Dublin. The course stages both Flat racing and National Hunt racing and in 2010 fifteen race meetings were held there....
is about 1 km from the town centre. The annual Punchestown Race Festival is a major event for a whole week in April. The Oxegen
Oxegen
Oxegen is an annual music festival in Ireland held since 2004, sponsored by Heineken. As of 2007, 2008, 2009, the festival has been cited as Ireland's biggest music festival. And by 2009, the festival is cited as the greenest festival, being a 100% carbon neutral event in Ireland. It was previously...
music festival is also held at Punchestown in the second weekend of July.
Naas has one of the largest scouting groups in Ireland, with 2 Beaver nights, 3 cub nights, 3 Scout nights and also a very large Venture group as well as a rover group.
Economy
Local industrial enterprises include Intel, XilinxXilinx
Xilinx, Inc. is a supplier of programmable logic devices. It is known for inventing the field programmable gate array and as the first semiconductor company with a fabless manufacturing model....
, Hewlett Packard. Other economic activities include local government, Aldi's national headquarters, and indigenous manufacturers such as Green Isle Foods, Dawn Farm Foods, Readymix, Dennison Trailers, Omos Street Furniture, Amvic Ireland, Pasta Concepts, Phamapac, QK Meats, Redlen, Simply Soups, Taravale Foods, Granning Axles and Irish Commercials. The town also includes law offices, hotels and a livestock mart. Naas is also home to the most expensive boutique in Ireland the Emporium Kalu in the centre of the town. Naas boasts the largest Tesco Extra hypermarket in Ireland located on the Monread Road in the northside of the town. The Tesco Extra site will be further developed into a shopping centre with 18 more retail units including Costa Coffee
Costa Coffee
Costa Coffee is a British coffeehouse company founded in 1971 by Italian brothers Sergio and Bruno Costa, as a wholesale operation supplying roasted coffee to caterers and specialist Italian coffee shops. Since 1995 it has been a subsidiary of Whitbread, since when the company has grown to over...
, Argos
Argos (retailer)
Argos is the largest general-goods retailer in the United Kingdom and Ireland with over 800 stores. It is unique amongst major retailers in the UK in that it is a catalogue merchant...
and Boots
Boots UK
Boots UK Limited , is a leading pharmacy chain in the United Kingdom, with outlets in most high streets throughout the country...
stores planned for summer 2011.
Recently a lot of proposed stores and retail have been announced for Naas such as, Superquinn
Superquinn
Superquinn is an Irish supermarket chain. Until 2005, the company was entirely privately held by the Quinn family. It is now a subsidiary of Select Retail Holdings Limited....
will be moving onto the Limerick Road along with plans for an Eight-Screen Cinema and leisure centre.
A new Penney's (Primark
Primark
Primark is a clothing retailer, operating over 223 stores in Ireland , the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Portugal and Belgium...
) superstore will be located on the old Superquinn
Superquinn
Superquinn is an Irish supermarket chain. Until 2005, the company was entirely privately held by the Quinn family. It is now a subsidiary of Select Retail Holdings Limited....
site in the town centre. Under construction is the new Naas Shopping Mall at Corbans Avenue which has seen work postponed due to the economic downturn and lack of funding. Naas is considered now to be the largest Retail Centre in County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
, largely as a result of its critical mass of bulky goods floorspace located in Large Modern Retail Parks in the Town's suburbs.
The town of Naas is surrounded by commercial parks with stores such as Harvey Norman, Smyths Toy's, Clery's, PC World, Halfords and Heatons. The largest commercial park is located near the Newhall Interchange. A major business park is under construction at Osberstown.
Transport
Naas railway station opened on 22 June 1855, closed for passenger traffic on 27 January 1947 and for goods traffic on 10 March 1947, and finally closed altogether on 1 April 1959. The railway station at SallinsSallins and Naas railway station
Sallins and Naas railway station is located in the centre of the village of Sallins, Co. Kildare and also serves the nearby town of Naas. Originally called Sallins, it opened on 4 August 1846 and was the junction for the Tullow branch, which included the original Naas station...
is now used by many residents of Naas and the surrounding area for the daily commute to Dublin, with frequent trains throughout the day and travel times less than 30 minutes to downtown Dublin.
Naas is connected to other main towns and cities by bus services. The main carriers are Bus Éireann
Bus Éireann
Bus Éireann provides bus services in Ireland with the exception of those operated entirely within the Dublin Region, which are provided by Dublin Bus. Bus Éireann, established as a separate company in 1987, is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann. The logo of Bus Éireann incorporates a red Irish...
and JJ Kavanagh and Sons
JJ Kavanagh and Sons
JJ Kavanagh and Sons is Ireland's largest private coach operator. It was founded in 1919 by J.J. Kavanagh with the operation of a service connecting Urlingford with Kilkenny City....
.
The N7 Naas Road, which connects Naas to Dublin, was upgraded in 2006 with a six-lane carriageway with grade-separated interchanges. Plans have been laid out to construct a large interchange at the Osberstown-Millenium Park as part of the M7 upgrade. An orbital ring road
Ring road
A ring road, orbital motorway, beltway, circumferential highway, or loop highway is a road that encircles a town or city...
is also being built; several phases have already been opened.
Roads
- M7 MotorwayM7 motorwayM7 motorway may refer to one of the following:* M7 motorway , a motorway in Ireland* M7 motorway , a motorway in Hungary* M7 highway , a highway in Russia, also known as the Volga Highway* Westlink M7, a motorway in Australia...
- Connects Naas with LimerickLimerickLimerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
, CorkCork (city)Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
, WaterfordWaterfordWaterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
(Via M9M9M9, M-9 or M09 may refer to:In aviation :* Miles M.9 Master, a 1939 British 2-seat monoplane advanced trainer* Motor Sich Airlines, a Ukrainian airline In computers:...
) - N7N7N7 may refer to:* N°7 is the seventh studio album by the Lebanese female singer Nancy Ajram* N°7, a shortening for Number Seven* N7 , with Cliff Parisi as Alvin * N7, a postcode district in the N postcode area* London Buses route N7...
- Connects Naas with Dublin. - R410 - Connects Naas with BlessingtonBlessingtonBlessington, historically known as Ballycomeen , is a town in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is located on the N81 road, which connects Dublin to Tullow.- History :...
(Treacherous during Winter Months) - R411 - Connects Naas with Ballymore EustaceBallymore EustaceBallymore Eustace is a small town situated in County Kildare in Ireland, although until 1836 it lay within a "pocket" of County Dublin...
- R448 - Connects Naas with KilcullenKilcullenKilcullen , formally Kilcullen Bridge, is a small town on the River Liffey in County Kildare, Ireland. Its population of 2,985 makes it the 12th largest settlement in County Kildare and the fastest growing in the county, having doubled in population from 1,483 in the census of 2002...
- R445 - Connects Naas with NewbridgeNewbridge-Ireland:*Newbridge, County Kildare — sometimes known by its Irish name, Droichead Nua*Newbridge, County Galway*Newbridge, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland-United Kingdom:*Newbridge, Bath, electoral ward...
- R409 - Connects Naas with CaraghCaraghCaragh or Carragh is a village in County Kildare, Ireland. It is located on the R409 regional road between the River Liffey and the Grand Canal approximately 4 km north-west of Naas...
- R407 - Connects Naas with SallinsSallinsSallins is a suburban town in County Kildare, Ireland, situated 3.5 km north of the town centre of Naas, from which it is separated by the M7 motorway. Sallins is the anglicised name of Na Solláin which means "The Willows"....
, ClaneClaneClane is a town on the River Liffey and in the barony of Clane in County Kildare, Ireland, from Dublin.Its population of 4,968 makes it the eighth largest town in Kildare and the 78th largest in the Republic of Ireland....
Education
Naas has three secondary schools, St. Mary's, a girls convent school, the Christian Brothers School, for boys, and Pipers Hill (formerly St. Patrick's Community College), a mixed school. It also has primary schools, including the Convent of Mercy, a girl's school, a school for boys, Scoil Bhride, a mixed school and Ballycane, another mixed school teaching classes from Junior Infants to 2nd class and St. David's, a mixed school.Naas has a large public library which is located in the canal harbour area.
People
- GormflaithGormflaithGormflaith ingen Murchada was born in Naas, County Kildare, Ireland, around 960. She was the daughter of Murchad mac Finn, King of Leinster, sister of his successor, Mael Mórdha mac Murchada, and widow of Olaf Cuaran, the Viking king of Dublin and York. The main source of her life history is the...
(c. 960-1030), third wife of Brian Ború - Mother Teresa Ellen DeaseTeresa Ellen DeaseTeresa Ellen Dease was a Roman Catholic nun and the foundress of the Loreto Sisters Teresa Ellen Dease (b. 4 May 1820 in Naas, Ireland; d. 1 July 1889 in Toronto, Canada) was a Roman Catholic nun and the foundress of the Loreto Sisters Teresa Ellen Dease (b. 4 May 1820 in Naas, Ireland; d. 1 July...
(4 May 1820 - 1 July 1889), foundress of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Loretto Sisters) in North America (at Toronto) - Major Leonard Greenham Star MolloyLeonard Greenham Star MolloyMajor Leonard Greenham Star Molloy DSO was a British doctor and politician.Molloy was born in Naas, County Kildare, Ireland, the son of Richard Molloy of Rathgar, Dublin. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin where he obtained his M.A., M.D. and D.Ph...
D.S.O., M.P. (1861–1937), Harley Street doctor and politician - Thomas BurghThomas de BurghColonel Thomas de Burgh 1670 – 18 December 1730), often named in his lifetime as Thomas Burgh, was an Irish military engineer, architect, and Member of the Parliament of Ireland...
(1670–1730), architect - Hubert de BurghHubert de Burgh (cricketer)Captain Hubert Henry de Burgh, DSO, RN was an Irish cricketer and Officer in the Royal Navy...
(16 February 1879 – 6 October 1960), cricketer - Michael RoeMichael Roe (driver)Michael Roe is a former racing driver from Naas, Ireland.Roe began racing in Formula Ford and won the 1978 Formula Ford Festival. The following year he drove in British Formula Three and finished in 9th place in his rookie campaign with 2 podium finishes for David Clark's team...
(born 8 August 1955), racing driver - Larry TompkinsLarry TompkinsLarry Tompkins is a retired Irish Gaelic football manager and former player. He played football at various times with his local clubs Eadestown in Kildare and Castlehaven in Cork. He also played football with both the Kildare and Cork senior inter-county teams throughout the 1980s and 1990s...
, (born 13 June 1963), Gaelic football manager - Darren Scully (born 1971/1972), Mayor of Naas until he resigned over comments about the "aggressive attitude" of "black Africans"
- Andrew StrongAndrew StrongAndrew Strong is an Irish singer and the son of Irish musician and singing coach Robert Strong. He grew up in Naas, Co Kildare. He starred as Deco Cuffe in the 1991 cult film The Commitments, based on the book by Roddy Doyle, having been cast at only 16 years of age with a voice sounding much older...
(born 14 November 1973), singer and actor, famous for his role in The CommitmentsThe CommitmentsThe Commitments is a novel by Irish writer Roddy Doyle, and is the first episode in The Barrytown Trilogy. It is a tale about a group of unemployed young people in the north side of Dublin, Ireland, who start a soul band.-Plot summary:...
, was brought up in Naas - Geordan MurpyGeordan MurphyGeordan Edward Andrew Murphy is an Irish rugby union rugby player and plays fullback or wing for the English club Leicester Tigers and Ireland....
(born April 19, 1978), rugby union player, Ireland and Leicester Tigers - Jamie HeaslipJamie HeaslipJames Peter Richard "Jamie" Heaslip is a Leinster & Irish rugby union player.- Early life :Heaslip was born in Tiberias, Israel, while his father, retired Brigadier General Richard Heaslip, was there on duty with UNIFIL. He attended Newbridge College before starring at the 2004 U-21 World Cup in...
(born 15 December 1983), rugby union player, Ireland, Naas and Leinster - Joseph Deane Bourke, 3rd Earl of Mayo
Sport
- Naas AFC Soccer Club http://www.naasafc.com with over 500 players, from 5years of age, to Senior club.
- Monread FC Soccer Club https://sites.google.com/site/monreadfc/
- Naas United FC Soccer Club http://www.soccer-ireland.com/kildare-football-clubs/naas-united.htm
- Naas GAANaas GAANaas is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in Naas, County Kildare, Ireland, winner of eight Kildare county senior football championships, six senior hurling championships, three senior camogie championships and Kildare club of the year in 1981....
is the local Gaelic Athletic AssociationGaelic Athletic AssociationThe Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
club. - Naas Athletic Club on the CaraghCaraghCaragh or Carragh is a village in County Kildare, Ireland. It is located on the R409 regional road between the River Liffey and the Grand Canal approximately 4 km north-west of Naas...
Road. - Naas Rugby Club, Forenaughts, Naas.
- Naas Golf Club is one of three local golf clubs and is located in Sallins.
- Naas Lawn Tennis Club. is one of Ireland's premium tennis clubs, with the recent edition of a 3 court indoor facility.
- Naas RacecourseNaas RacecourseNaas Racecourse is a horse racing venue in Naas, County Kildare, Ireland, approximately 18 miles from Dublin. The course stages both Flat racing and National Hunt racing and in 2010 fifteen race meetings were held there....
. - Punchestown, horse racing is frequently held, as well as other international events.
- KBowl 10 pin Bowling.
- Osborne Stables, Craddockstown, Naas.
Twinning
Naas is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with the following places:
- AllaireAllaire, MorbihanAllaire is a commune in the Morbihan department in the Brittany region in north-western France.-External links:* -References:* *...
- France - CasalatticoCasalatticoCasalattico is a comune in the Province of Frosinone in the Italian region Lazio. The village is located about 110 km southeast of Rome and about 30 km east of Frosinone.- Emigration to Ireland :...
- ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... - Dillingen an der Donau - Germany
- OmahaOmaha, NebraskaOmaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
- NebraskaNebraskaNebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, United States - St David'sSt David'sSt Davids , is a city and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Lying on the River Alun on St David's Peninsula, it is Britain's smallest city in terms of both size and population, the final resting place of Saint David, the country's patron saint, and the de facto ecclesiastical capital of...
- Wales - AdamstownAdamstownAdamstown may refer to one of the following places:Australia:* Adamstown, New South Wales, a town in New South WalesIreland:* Adamstown, County Wexford, a village in County Wexford* Adamstown, Dublin, an urban village in County Dublin...
- Pitcairn Islands
See also
- List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Kildare)
- List of towns and villages in Ireland
Sources
- Nolan W. & McGrath T. (eds.) Kildare History and Society (Geography, Dublin 2006) ISBN 978-0-906602-57-7