117-655: Kilcullen ( Irish : Cill Chuilinn ), formally Kilcullen Bridge , is a small town on the River Liffey in County Kildare , Ireland . Its population of 3,815 at the 2022 census made it the 13th largest settlement in County Kildare. From 2002 to 2011, it was one of the fastest growing towns in the county, doubling its population from 1,483 to 3,473. It is situated primarily in the Barony of Kilcullen (in
234-569: A Baptist church in Brannockstown (near Harristown), Brannockstown Baptist Church. It was founded in 1873 by John La Touche who was influenced by Charles Spurgeon . The town has more than thirty shops and service outlets, including a petrol station, several convenience stores (one of which includes the local post office), a bookshop, suppliers of farm, hardware & building equipment, and a bank branch. There are small restaurants, several fast food stores, at least three pubs serving food, and
351-547: A unique dialect of Irish developed before falling out of use in the early 20th century. With a writing system , Ogham , dating back to at least the 4th century AD, which was gradually replaced by Latin script since the 5th century AD, Irish has one of the oldest vernacular literatures in Western Europe . On the island, the language has three major dialects: Connacht , Munster and Ulster Irish . All three have distinctions in their speech and orthography . There
468-472: A 27 km (17 mi) course from Straffan to Islandbridge. The Normal Tidal Limit (NTL) of the river is Islandbridge (weir). The Liffey Swim takes place every year in late August or early September between Watling Bridge and The Custom House . The Islandbridge stretch of river accommodates a number of rowing clubs including Trinity College, UCD, Commercial , Neptune, and the Garda rowing club. The Liffey
585-493: A Mercedes. Modern signs mark both the route and the old inn that was used as a base. Today the town hall has historical displays, formed and maintained in cooperation with the active Kilcullen Heritage Group, and with the Kildare County Library Service. The town hall displays include photographs, prints and maps and some objects. The Heritage Group holds regular meetings and talks. A major feature of
702-717: A bargaining chip during government formation in Northern Ireland, prompting protests from organisations and groups such as An Dream Dearg . Irish became an official language of the EU on 1 January 2007, meaning that MEPs with Irish fluency can now speak the language in the European Parliament and at committees, although in the case of the latter they have to give prior notice to a simultaneous interpreter in order to ensure that what they say can be interpreted into other languages. While an official language of
819-575: A better future for Ireland and all her citizens." The Strategy was produced on 21 December 2010 and will stay in action until 2030; it aims to target language vitality and revitalization of the Irish language. The 30-page document published by the Government of Ireland details the objectives it plans to work towards in an attempt to preserve and promote both the Irish language and the Gaeltacht. It
936-456: A coffee shop (and bookshop) run by the local Camphill Community. On Lower Main Street is Berney Bros. Saddlery, founded in the mid-nineteenth century. Slightly to the east of the town, in parts of Brownstown and Carnalway, is a private refuse disposal facility, KTK. The owner of the facility made available funding over many years, notably from 2000 to 2006, from a levy on dumping there, to support
1053-526: A commodius vicus of recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs." James Joyce , Finnegans Wake (1939) (first sentence of novel). That is the first of a number of references to the Liffey in the Wake : insofar as the book has characters, the female protagonist of the novel, Anna Livia Plurabelle , is herself an allegory of the river. A skiff, a crumpled throwaway, Elijah is coming, rode lightly down
1170-478: A cultural and social force. Irish speakers often insisted on using the language in law courts (even when they knew English), and Irish was also common in commercial transactions. The language was heavily implicated in the "devotional revolution" which marked the standardisation of Catholic religious practice and was also widely used in a political context. Down to the time of the Great Famine and even afterwards,
1287-553: A degree course in the NUI federal system to pass the subject of Irish in the Leaving Certificate or GCE / GCSE examinations. Exemptions are made from this requirement for students who were born or completed primary education outside of Ireland, and students diagnosed with dyslexia . NUI Galway is required to appoint people who are competent in the Irish language, as long as they are also competent in all other aspects of
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#17327718994001404-460: A fully recognised EU language for the first time in the state's history. Before Irish became an official language it was afforded the status of treaty language and only the highest-level documents of the EU were made available in Irish. The Irish language was carried abroad in the modern period by a vast diaspora , chiefly to Great Britain and North America, but also to Australia , New Zealand and Argentina . The first large movements began in
1521-465: A kilometre from the modern town centre, featuring a sculpture by local sculptor and art teacher (at Kilcullen's Cross and Passion College) Noel Scullion. The site was informally launched at the Spring Equinox, and formally in summer, 2008. In April 2009, it was announced that Dun Ailinne might form part of a bid for World Heritage Site status, along with other royal sites from around Ireland. To
1638-427: A liking to this plain, and demanded that it should bear her name, and Deltbanna refused to serve any more drink to the men of Éire till the request was granted. The Liffey was previously named An Ruirthech , meaning "fast (or strong) runner". The word Liphe (or Life ) referred originally to the name of the plain through which the river ran, but eventually came to refer to the river itself. The word may derive from
1755-530: A number of other houses. Two of these, and outlying buildings, opening off the northern part of Main Street, were planned to be redeveloped as apartments, restaurants and shops, with permission granted on 15 February 2008. While the estate itself is largely closed to the public, the new development is required to be without gates, and it was a condition of restoration of the old church that reasonable public access to this also be available. Kilcullen has an early church of its own, around 1 km (0.62 mi) outside
1872-552: A number of swimming locales in the Liffey (one at Carnalway, one in The Valley and one opposite Castlemartin House) and walking routes along its banks (at least one of which is a right-of-way), but access has become more difficult in recent years, and a bitter dispute over riverbank access took place at Carnalway from 2005 to 2007, featuring unauthorised construction of fencing and obstruction of rights of way. The Liffey at Kilcullen
1989-585: A paper suggested that within a generation, non-Gaeltacht habitual users of Irish might typically be members of an urban, middle class, and highly educated minority. Parliamentary legislation is supposed to be available in both Irish and English but is frequently only available in English. This is notwithstanding that Article 25.4 of the Constitution of Ireland requires that an "official translation" of any law in one official language be provided immediately in
2106-575: A pass in Leaving Certificate Irish or English, and receive lessons in Irish during their two years of training. Official documents of the Irish government must be published in both Irish and English or Irish alone (in accordance with the Official Languages Act 2003, enforced by An Coimisinéir Teanga , the Irish language ombudsman). The National University of Ireland requires all students wishing to embark on
2223-625: A religious context. An Irish translation of the Old Testament by Leinsterman Muircheartach Ó Cíonga , commissioned by Bishop Bedell , was published after 1685 along with a translation of the New Testament. Otherwise, Anglicisation was seen as synonymous with 'civilising' the native Irish. Currently, modern day Irish speakers in the church are pushing for language revival. It has been estimated that there were around 800,000 monoglot Irish speakers in 1800, which dropped to 320,000 by
2340-547: A result of linguistic imperialism . Today, Irish is still commonly spoken as a first language in Ireland's Gaeltacht regions, in which 2% of Ireland's population lived in 2022. The total number of people (aged 3 and over) in Ireland who declared they could speak Irish in April 2022 was 1,873,997, representing 40% of respondents, but of these, 472,887 said they never spoke it and a further 551,993 said they only spoke it within
2457-411: A walled garden and formal walk, the library, French and Italian furniture and 18th-century Chinese wallpaper. Notably, Harristown, although it had no real settlement, was once an electoral borough. Harristown once had its own railway station on the terminated Naas–Sallins–Tullow Branch Line, and a railway bridge over the Liffey, built in 1885. The line has since been lifted but the bridge remains, away from
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#17327718994002574-545: A wider meaning, including the Gaelic of Scotland and the Isle of Man , as well as of Ireland. When required by the context, these are distinguished as Gaeilge na hAlban , Gaeilge Mhanann and Gaeilge na hÉireann respectively. In English (including Hiberno-English ), the language is usually referred to as Irish , as well as Gaelic and Irish Gaelic . The term Irish Gaelic may be seen when English speakers discuss
2691-477: A wooden bridge, Dubhghall's Bridge, dating to the 11th century, and was in turn replaced – the site is now occupied by Fr. Mathew Bridge ). The Bridge of Dublin was built by the Dominicans in 1428 , and survived well into the 18th century. This four-arch bridge included various buildings such as a chapel, bakehouse and possibly an inn. Island Bridge (a predecessor of the current bridge) was added in 1577 at
2808-603: Is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family . It is a member of the Goidelic language group of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous to the island of Ireland . It was the majority of the population's first language until the 19th century, when English gradually became dominant, particularly in the last decades of the century, in what is sometimes characterised as
2925-599: Is a long-running local magazine, The Bridge , published monthly, and the area is also covered with a section in the Kildare Nationalist newspaper. There is also an established online journal, A Kilcullen Diary . Kilcullen is the main element in the Parish of Kilcullen and Gormanstown in the Roman Catholic Church , with two churches managed by the parish of which the parish church, dedicated to
3042-681: Is a river in eastern Ireland that ultimately flows through the centre of Dublin to its mouth within Dublin Bay . Its major tributaries include the River Dodder , the River Poddle and the River Camac . The river supplies much of Dublin's water and supports a range of recreational activities. Ptolemy 's Geography (2nd century AD) described a river, perhaps the Liffey, which he labelled Οβοκα ( Oboka ). Ultimately this led to
3159-564: Is a small sewage plant by the river a few hundred metres north of the bridge, and increased capacity is to be provided at a new plant in 2008 or 2009. There is a large county council reservoir near Old Kilcullen also. After some protests in 2007–2008, the County Council began to provide a limited street cleaning service in mid-2008. Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish : Gaeilge ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( / ˈ ɡ eɪ l ɪ k / GAY -lik ),
3276-452: Is also An Caighdeán Oifigiúil , a standardised written form devised by a parliamentary commission in the 1950s. The traditional Irish alphabet , a variant of the Latin alphabet with 18 letters , has been succeeded by the standard Latin alphabet (albeit with 7–8 letters used primarily in loanwords ). Irish has constitutional status as the national and first official language of
3393-511: Is divided into four separate phases with the intention of improving 9 main areas of action including: The general goal for this strategy was to increase the number of daily speakers from 83,000 to 250,000 by the end of its run. By 2022, the number of such speakers had fallen to 71,968. Before the partition of Ireland in 1921, Irish was recognised as a school subject and as "Celtic" in some third level institutions. Between 1921 and 1972, Northern Ireland had devolved government. During those years
3510-621: Is home to two Camphill Communities , one at Dunshane and one in the town itself, which operates the An Tearmann facility, including a coffee shop and Ireland's only Anthroposophical Bookshop, with an organic food shop behind. The town and area have a number of primary schools, and one secondary school, the Cross and Passion College . There is also a Steiner method school in nearby Grangebeg, about five miles from Kilcullen, on Dunlavin Road. There
3627-628: Is known for trout angling and the North Kildare TSAA manages fishing rights from Harristown through to the town centre. Kilcullen is also home to the oldest canoe club in the country. Established in 1957 by Paddy Maloney, it has been the home of Olympic and international kayak athletes. Kilcullen Canoe Club are the current holders of the Irish Marathon Canoeing Cup (aka the Riba De Sella Cup), as well as
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3744-799: Is now the K Club ), and the Leinster Aqueduct – which carries the Grand Canal over the Liffey at Caragh . Art works along the river and its quays include the Famine Memorial Statues (near the IFSC ) and the World Hunger Stone. The song about Seamus Rafferty refers to the "bowsies on the quay"; However, from the late 20th-century there was some renewed development on the quays, with the addition of linear parks and overhanging boardwalks . There are quays on
3861-587: Is only in Gaeltacht areas that Irish continues to be spoken as a community vernacular to some extent. According to data compiled by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht , Sport and Media , only 1/4 of households in Gaeltacht areas are fluent in Irish. The author of a detailed analysis of the survey, Donncha Ó hÉallaithe of the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology , described
3978-412: Is still spoken daily to some extent as a first language . These regions are known individually and collectively as the Gaeltacht (plural Gaeltachtaí ). While the fluent Irish speakers of these areas, whose numbers have been estimated at 20–30,000, are a minority of the total number of fluent Irish speakers, they represent a higher concentration of Irish speakers than other parts of the country and it
4095-761: Is the Pinkeen Stream, a minor tributary of the Liffey, which forms one boundary of Castlemartin Estate. At least two small streams lie further downstream in the Castlemartin area. The town comprises one main street, with a few connecting roads. The main street slopes from Old Kilcullen and the Athy Road and motorway access, after joining with the Newbridge Road, down to the Liffey, and back up again, more steeply. Schools and churches are concentrated at
4212-535: Is widely used for recreational activities – such as canoeing, rafting, fishing, swimming, significant facilities are at Poulaphouca , Kilcullen , Newbridge , where a seven-acre Liffey Linear Park has been developed, and other facilities are located further downriver at Leixlip and other towns. The earliest stone bridge over the Liffey in Dublin of which there is solid evidence was the Bridge of Dublin, which replaced
4329-666: The Fíor-Ghaeltacht (true Gaeltacht ), a term originally officially applied to areas where over 50% of the population spoke Irish. There are Gaeltacht regions in the following counties: Gweedore ( Gaoth Dobhair ), County Donegal, is the largest Gaeltacht parish in Ireland. Irish language summer colleges in the Gaeltacht are attended by tens of thousands of teenagers annually. Students live with Gaeltacht families, attend classes, participate in sports, go to céilithe and are obliged to speak Irish. All aspects of Irish culture and tradition are encouraged. The Act
4446-708: The Anna Liffey , possibly from an anglicisation of Abhainn na Life, the Irish phrase that translates into English as "River Liffey". James Joyce embodies the river in Finnegans Wake as "Anna Livia Plurabelle". The Liffey rises in the Liffey Head Bog between the mountains of Kippure 742 metres (2,434 ft) and Tonduff 642 metres (2,106 ft) in the northern section of the Wicklow Mountains , forming from many streamlets near
4563-631: The Republic of Ireland , and is also an official language of Northern Ireland and among the official languages of the European Union . The public body Foras na Gaeilge is responsible for the promotion of the language throughout the island. Irish has no regulatory body but An Caighdeán Oifigiúil , the standard written form, is guided by a parliamentary service and new vocabulary by a voluntary committee with university input. In An Caighdeán Oifigiúil ("The Official [Written] Standard ")
4680-852: The West-Link Bridge on the M50 motorway , Seán Heuston Bridge and O'Connell Bridge . There are 3 pedestrian bridges in the city: the Millennium Bridge , Seán O'Casey Bridge and the Ha'penny Bridge . 21st century additions include the Samuel Beckett Bridge (2009) and James Joyce Bridge (2003), both designed by Santiago Calatrava . Crossings further upriver include the Liffey Bridge at Celbridge , "The Bridge at 16" (a 19th-century pedestrian suspension bridge at what
4797-511: The Wicklow Mountains . ESB hydroelectric power stations exist along the river, at Poulaphouca , Golden Falls and Leixlip , in addition to a number of minor private installations. A well-known sight on the Liffey up to the 1990s, the Lady Patricia and Miranda Guinness cargo ships were used to export Guinness from the St. James's Gate Brewery . As of the early 21st century,
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4914-634: The 17th century, largely as a result of the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland , which saw many Irish sent to the West Indies . Irish emigration to the United States was well established by the 18th century, and was reinforced in the 1840s by thousands fleeing from the Famine . This flight also affected Britain. Up until that time most emigrants spoke Irish as their first language, though English
5031-789: The 1998 Good Friday Agreement , the language gradually received a degree of formal recognition in Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom, and then, in 2003, by the British government's ratification in respect of the language of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages . In the 2006 St Andrews Agreement the British government promised to enact legislation to promote the language and in 2022 it approved legislation to recognise Irish as an official language alongside English. The bill received royal assent on 6 December 2022. The Irish language has often been used as
5148-403: The 6th century, used the Latin alphabet and is attested primarily in marginalia to Latin manuscripts. During this time, the Irish language absorbed some Latin words, some via Old Welsh , including ecclesiastical terms : examples are easpag (bishop) from episcopus , and Domhnach (Sunday, from dominica ). By the 10th century, Old Irish had evolved into Middle Irish , which
5265-571: The Act all detailing different aspects of the use of Irish in official documentation and communication. Included in these sections are subjects such as Irish language use in official courts, official publications, and placenames. The Act was recently amended in December 2019 in order to strengthen the already preexisting legislation. All changes made took into account data collected from online surveys and written submissions. The Official Languages Scheme
5382-518: The Brannockstown / Harristown area, near the five-way crossroads, is Harristown House, originally built in 1740 by Whitmore Davis as the country seat of the La Touche family, gutted by fire in 1891 (while some furniture was saved, most artworks was lost) and rebuilt by James Franklin Fuller in reduced form. The house was sold in 1920, refurnished, and is now open as a tourist attraction. Features include
5499-620: The Civil Parish of Kilcullen), with a part in the Barony of Naas South (Civil Parish of Carnalway), and subsidiary areas include Logstown, Harristown , Carnalway and Brannockstown, Gilltown, Nicholastown, and Castlemartin. Kilcullen Bridge replaced the original settlement of Kilcullen, now Old Kilcullen , in the centuries following the building of the great bridge at the future site of the town. Other local historical features include Dun Ailinne , New Abbey and Castlemartin , for many years
5616-471: The European Union , only co-decision regulations were available until 2022, due to a five-year derogation, requested by the Irish Government when negotiating the language's new official status. The Irish government had committed itself to train the necessary number of translators and interpreters and to bear the related costs. This derogation ultimately came to an end on 1 January 2022, making Irish
5733-544: The Irish Junior Series Cup. On 27 July 2008, the club opened its new clubhouse, just over half a century since the club was started. It is dedicated to the memory of Pat Dunlea, who played a major role in the building and financing of the facility. It lies just upstream of The Bridge and actively encourages locals to get involved. Kilcullen is within the remit of Kildare County Council ; it does not elect councillors for itself or its broader area but parts of
5850-549: The Irish language policy followed by Irish governments as a "complete and absolute disaster". The Irish Times , referring to his analysis published in the Irish language newspaper Foinse , quoted him as follows: "It is an absolute indictment of successive Irish Governments that at the foundation of the Irish State there were 250,000 fluent Irish speakers living in Irish-speaking or semi Irish-speaking areas, but
5967-511: The Liffey is 1,256 km (485 sq mi). The long term average flow rate of the river is 18.0 m /s (640 cu ft/s). The Liffey system includes dozens of smaller rivers and more than 100 named streams. Early tributaries include the Athdown Brook, Shankill River, Ballylow Brook, Brittas River and Woodend Brook. The substantial King's River, which formerly joined the Liffey near Blessington, and may in fact have held
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#17327718994006084-502: The Liffey or at least shared its mouth, but it now enters Dublin Bay distinctly, some distance to the north. There are dams for three ESB hydroelectric power stations along the river, at Poulaphouca , Golden Falls and Leixlip . Major reservoir facilities also exist at Poulaphouca. The Liffey does not feature natural lakes and has few islands. Significant falls at Poulaphouca and at Golden Falls were flooded by reservoir construction. There remain areas of rapids , including as
6201-417: The Liffey to which tall ships may travel, as all bridges downriver of it are either swingbridges or bascule . Around 60% of the Liffey's flow is abstracted for drinking water and to supply industry. Much of this makes its way back into the river after purification in wastewater treatment plants. Despite a misconception that the Guinness brewery is one such commercial user, the facility uses water piped from
6318-432: The Liffey's bridges. Downstream of the East-Link bridge, the river is still mainly used for commercial and ferry traffic, with some recreational use also. High speed trips out the mouth of the Liffey were also previously available from Sea Safari. Upstream from the city, at Chapelizod , the river is used by private, university and Garda rowing clubs. The Liffey Descent Canoe Race , held each year since 1960, covers
6435-490: The Liffey, under Loopline Bridge , shooting the rapids where water chafed around the bridgepiers, sailing eastward past hulls and anchorchains, between the Custom House old dock and George's quay. James Joyce , Ulysses (1922) She asked that it be named for her. – The river took its name from the land. – the land took its name from the woman. Eavan Boland , Anna Liffey (1997) That there, that's not me – I go where I please – I walk through walls, I float down
6552-427: The Liffey. One such stone bridge, at Harristown Estate in County Kildare, was built for John LaTouche in 1788. This remains in private use and is near the disused Harristown viaduct (over the Liffey) which was on the Sallins Tullow rail line and was last used in 1959. Dividing the Northside of Dublin from the Southside , the Liffey is today spanned by numerous bridges, mostly open to vehicular traffic. These include
6669-455: The Photographic Competition, designed to capture a record of scenes and personalities, to be kept in the Heritage Centre. One of their major fund-raising events is the Duck Race in the Liffey, which since 2010 formed part of a larger community-led River Festival. There is an active local Scout group, and a well-established credit union, with a large office near the town bridge, as well as the Kilcullen Flower and Garden Club. Kilcullen district
6786-424: The Republic of Ireland ), new appointees to the Civil Service of the Republic of Ireland , including postal workers , tax collectors , agricultural inspectors, Garda Síochána (police), etc., were required to have some proficiency in Irish. By law, a Garda who was addressed in Irish had to respond in Irish as well. In 1974, in part through the actions of protest organisations like the Language Freedom Movement ,
6903-428: The Sacred Heart and St. Brigid, from 1872, lies at the western end of the town proper, while the other, St. Joseph's, is at Yellow Bog. There is also a church on private land, at Castlemartin Estate, St. Mary's Church . Kilcullen is part of the Union of Newbridge in the Church of Ireland (along with Newbridge town, Athgarvan and Brannockstown), having one of that Union's three churches, St. John's. Kilcullen also has
7020-458: The Sally Gap. It flows for 132 km (82 mi) through counties Wicklow , Kildare and Dublin before entering the Irish Sea at its mouth at the midpoint of Dublin Bay , on a line extending from the Baily lighthouse to the Muglin Rocks. It crosses from County Wicklow into County Kildare at Poulaphouca and from County Kildare into County Dublin at Leixlip , with the greatest part of its length being in Kildare. The catchment area of
7137-500: The Town Hall. Kilcullen Library, a branch of Kildare County Libraries on New Abbey Road, provides service to the greater Kilcullen area. Located in the former boys' schoolhouse, built in 1925 and operating until 1980, it holds adult, reference and junior sections, some local history information, and a public access internet PC. On a number of occasions from the mid-20th century, community groups have been formed, most notably Kilcullen Community Council, Kilcullen Community Development, and
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#17327718994007254-460: The area, passing the graveyard, St. Bridget's Well, the bridge and Bishop Rogan's Park. Kilcullen is about 6 km (3.7 mi) from the Curragh , the centre of Ireland's horse racing industry and is home to the Aga Khan's horse breeding operation, the Gilltown Stud , and to stud and cattle breeding operations belonging to Tony O'Reilly and his wife. Horse riding is available, and horses can be stabled locally. The area historically enjoyed
7371-577: The beginning of the following academic year. For a number of years there has been vigorous debate in political, academic and other circles about the failure of most students in English-medium schools to achieve competence in Irish, even after fourteen years of teaching as one of the three main subjects. The concomitant decline in the number of traditional native speakers has also been a cause of great concern. In 2007, filmmaker Manchán Magan found few Irish speakers in Dublin , and faced incredulity when trying to get by speaking only Irish in Dublin. He
7488-405: The city up to recent times. It is connected to the River Shannon via the Grand Canal and the Royal Canal . There is no major navigation on the river itself above the East-Link bridge in modern times, but shipping used to enter Dublin city centre, with major docking points up to the St James' Gate area. Since its construction in 1978, the Talbot Memorial Bridge marks the furthest point up to
7605-407: The current formation, Kilcullen Community Action (KCA). These groups have achieved much for the town, including the establishment, and preservation under charitable trustees, of the Valley Community Park. Kilcullen has an active Lions Club , meeting regularly and driving and wholly or partly funding a number of community initiatives, such as the Youth Cafe due to open at the Tennis Club building, and
7722-399: The early 1970s; the upstream face is modern while if viewed from downstream, the historic style is visible. Upstream of the town the Liffey is joined by what is called locally the Mill Stream, coming from the direction of New Abbey, and forming the last stage of the substantial Kilcullen Stream (flowing north through Yellow Bog), a nationally monitored waterway. At the western edge of the town
7839-664: The education system. Linguistic analyses of Irish speakers are therefore based primarily on the number of daily users in Ireland outside the education system, which in 2022 was 20,261 in the Gaeltacht and 51,707 outside it, totalling 71,968. In response to the 2021 census of Northern Ireland , 43,557 individuals stated they spoke Irish on a daily basis, 26,286 spoke it on a weekly basis, 47,153 spoke it less often than weekly, and 9,758 said they could speak Irish, but never spoke it. From 2006 to 2008, over 22,000 Irish Americans reported speaking Irish as their first language at home, with several times that number claiming "some knowledge" of
7956-437: The end of a tunnel and connected Farmleigh estate to Palmerstown . The Millennium Bridge was opened in December 1999, and 21st century additions include Seán O'Casey Bridge (2005), Samuel Beckett Bridge (2009), and Rosie Hackett Bridge (2014). There are records regarding several bridges in County Kildare. A bridge was built in Kilcullen in 1319. There are also a number of historic private and disused bridges over
8073-414: The end of the famine, and under 17,000 by 1911. Irish is recognised by the Constitution of Ireland as the national and first official language of Republic of Ireland (English being the other official language). Despite this, almost all government business and legislative debate is conducted in English. In 1938, the founder of Conradh na Gaeilge (Gaelic League), Douglas Hyde , was inaugurated as
8190-430: The first President of Ireland . The record of his delivering his inaugural Declaration of Office in Roscommon Irish is one of only a few recordings of that dialect. In the 2016 census, 10.5% of respondents stated that they spoke Irish, either daily or weekly, while over 70,000 people (4.2%) speak it as a habitual daily means of communication. From the foundation of the Irish Free State in 1922 (see History of
8307-400: The home of media magnate Tony O'Reilly and his wife, horse-breeding shipping heiress Chryss Goulandris , and now owned by US billionaire John Malone . In the town's hinterland are a number of stud farms . Kilcullen is situated off the Dublin to Waterford ( M9 ) motorway, between Naas and Kilkenny , and is centred on the crossroads of the R413 and R448 regional roads (the R448
8424-716: The language family, is derived from the Old Irish term. Endonyms of the language in the various modern Irish dialects include: Gaeilge [ˈɡeːlʲɟə] in Galway, Gaeilg / Gaeilic / Gaeilig [ˈɡeːlʲəc] in Mayo and Ulster , Gaelainn / Gaoluinn [ˈɡeːl̪ˠən̠ʲ] in West/Cork, Kerry Munster , as well as Gaedhealaing in mid and East Kerry/Cork and Waterford Munster to reflect local pronunciation. Gaeilge also has
8541-410: The language was in use by all classes, Irish being an urban as well as a rural language. This linguistic dynamism was reflected in the efforts of certain public intellectuals to counter the decline of the language. At the end of the 19th century, they launched the Gaelic revival in an attempt to encourage the learning and use of Irish, although few adult learners mastered the language. The vehicle of
8658-476: The language. For most of recorded Irish history , Irish was the dominant language of the Irish people , who took it with them to other regions , such as Scotland and the Isle of Man , where Middle Irish gave rise to Scottish Gaelic and Manx . It was also, for a period, spoken widely across Canada , with an estimated 200,000–250,000 daily Canadian speakers of Irish in 1890. On the island of Newfoundland ,
8775-967: The larger flow, now merges in within Poulaphouca Reservoir. Downstream of Poulaphouca are the Lemonstown Stream, Kilcullen Stream and Pinkeen Stream, followed by the Painestown River (with tributaries including the Morell River ), the Rye Water (with tributaries including the Lyreen) at Leixlip , and the Griffeen River and Silleachain Stream in Lucan . Within Dublin are the various Phoenix Park streams on
8892-642: The late 18th century, the new settlement was wholly on the eastern bank of the Liffey, outside the Barony of Kilcullen. Kilcullen was influenced for much of its history by the Eustace family, one of whose seats was at Castlemartin. The town was in the vicinity of the Battle of Kilcullen in the 1798 Rebellion, and Castlemartin was the base of operations for the British Army in Kildare, under Dundas. In 1837,
9009-640: The left bank, interspersed with right bank tributaries such as the Glenaulin Stream and Creosote Stream . Within the quays area tributaries include the River Camac , possibly Colman's Brook, the Bradogue River , River Poddle , Stein River and the River Dodder , some of which have numerous tributaries of their own. In earlier times, the River Tolka was also arguably a tributary of
9126-582: The mid-18th century, English was becoming a language of the Catholic middle class, the Catholic Church and public intellectuals, especially in the east of the country. Increasingly, as the value of English became apparent, parents sanctioned the prohibition of Irish in schools. Increasing interest in emigrating to the United States and Canada was also a driver, as fluency in English allowed
9243-406: The mid-5th century, it was at its peak an Anglo-Norman walled town with seven gates and seven, or perhaps eight, roads. Little now remains visible beyond a damaged round tower and a churchyard. This town was perhaps related to the nearby Dun Ailinne, a ceremonial and possible palace site related to the kings of Leinster , though Dun Ailinne precedes any known settlement at Old Kilcullen. Old Kilcullen
9360-614: The name of the River Avoca in County Wicklow . According to "Place Names from our Older Literature - IV." by Boswell, C. S. (1904 Connradh na Gaedhilge) the river takes its name from Magh Life, i.e. the plain of Kildare through which the Life flows. This in turn takes its name from Life, daughter of Canann Curthach, who eloped with and married Deltbanna mac Druchta, cup-bearer to Conaire Mór High King of Ireland. Life took
9477-804: The name of the language is Gaeilge , from the South Connacht form, spelled Gaedhilge prior the spelling reform of 1948, which was originally the genitive of Gaedhealg , the form used in Classical Gaelic . The modern spelling results from the deletion of the silent ⟨dh⟩ in Gaedhilge . Older spellings include Gaoidhealg [ˈɡeːʝəlˠəɡ] in Classical Gaelic and Goídelc [ˈɡoiðʲelɡ] in Old Irish . Goidelic , used to refer to
9594-469: The new immigrants to get jobs in areas other than farming. An estimated one quarter to one third of US immigrants during the Great Famine were Irish speakers. Irish was not marginal to Ireland's modernisation in the 19th century, as is often assumed. In the first half of the century there were still around three million people for whom Irish was the primary language, and their numbers alone made them
9711-616: The north and south banks of the Liffey, extending from the weir at Islandbridge to Ringsend bridge over the river Dodder, just before the East-Link toll bridge. From west to east, the quays on the north bank are: From west to east, the quays on the south bank are: In the Annals of Inisfallen for the year 808, an entry reads: From Joyce to Radiohead , the Liffey is often referenced in literature and song: "riverrun, past Eve and Adam's , from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by
9828-655: The number now is between 20,000 and 30,000." In the 1920s, when the Irish Free State was founded, Irish was still a vernacular in some western coastal areas. In the 1930s, areas where more than 25% of the population spoke Irish were classified as Gaeltacht . Today, the strongest Gaeltacht areas, numerically and socially, are those of South Connemara , the west of the Dingle Peninsula , and northwest Donegal, where many residents still use Irish as their primary language. These areas are often referred to as
9945-403: The official town area had a population of 699, one principal street of 112 buildings, chiefly on the western bank of the Liffey, a market on Saturdays and fairs on 2 February 25 March, 22, 8 June and 29 September 2 October and 8 December. There was a police station and a dispensary, and petty sessions were held. At that time, the population of the rural area of Old Kilcullen still exceeded that of
10062-408: The oldest bridge which connected Church Street and Bridge Street . It was replaced with Whitworth Bridge in 1816. The oldest bridge still standing is Mellows Bridge , (originally Queens Bridge) constructed in 1764 on the site of Arran Bridge, which was destroyed by floods in 1763. The first iron bridge was the Ha'penny Bridge built in 1816. Farmleigh Bridge , also iron, was built around 1872 at
10179-860: The only regular traffic on the river within the city is the Liffey Voyage water tour bus service, which runs guided tours along the River Liffey through Dublin City centre. Departing from the boardwalk downstream of the Ha'penny Bridge , the Spirit of the Docklands was built by Westers Mekaniska in Sweden as a 50-passenger water taxi . Its variable ballast tanks (not unlike a submarine ) and low air draught mean that at low tide it can float high, but at high tide it can ride low and still pass below
10296-578: The opposite side of the town, opposite Hillcrest housing estate, is Kilcullen Tennis Club, in Logstown. There is also a successful badminton club in the area which has both junior and senior members competing in inter-county tournaments and competitions such as the Westside and the county championships. It has a fierce rivalry with Naas badminton club which it competed against. There is a 4.1 km (3 mi) Sli na Slainte healthy walking route around
10413-503: The other official language, if not already passed in both official languages. In November 2016, RTÉ reported that over 2.3 million people worldwide were learning Irish through the Duolingo app. Irish president Michael D. Higgins officially honoured several volunteer translators for developing the Irish edition, and said the push for Irish language rights remains an "unfinished project". There are rural areas of Ireland where Irish
10530-557: The political party holding power in the Stormont Parliament , the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), was hostile to the language. The context of this hostility was the use of the language by nationalists. In broadcasting, there was an exclusion on the reporting of minority cultural issues, and Irish was excluded from radio and television for almost the first fifty years of the previous devolved government. After
10647-492: The relationship between the three Goidelic languages (Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Manx). Gaelic is a collective term for the Goidelic languages, and when the context is clear it may be used without qualification to refer to each language individually. When the context is specific but unclear, the term may be qualified, as Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic or Manx Gaelic. Historically the name "Erse" ( / ɜːr s / URS )
10764-488: The requirement for entrance to the public service was changed to proficiency in just one official language. Nevertheless, Irish remains a required subject of study in all schools in the Republic of Ireland that receive public money (see Education in the Republic of Ireland ). Teachers in primary schools must also pass a compulsory examination called Scrúdú Cáilíochta sa Ghaeilge . As of 2005, Garda Síochána recruits need
10881-647: The revival was the Gaelic League ( Conradh na Gaeilge ), and particular emphasis was placed on the folk tradition, which in Irish is particularly rich. Efforts were also made to develop journalism and a modern literature. Although it has been noted that the Catholic Church played a role in the decline of the Irish language before the Gaelic Revival, the Protestant Church of Ireland also made only minor efforts to encourage use of Irish in
10998-476: The river approaches Dublin city. Towns along the river include Blessington , Ballymore Eustace , Kilcullen , Athgarvan , Newbridge , Caragh , Clane , Celbridge , Leixlip and Lucan before the river passes the suburb of Chapelizod and then runs through the city of Dublin all the way to its mouth. The River Liffey in Dublin city has been used for many centuries for trade, from the Viking beginnings of
11115-516: The roads. Kilcullen Bridge and Old Kilcullen were pivotal to the first toll road in Ireland, founded in 1729, and initially running to "the Bridge at Kilcullen" and later to a point west of this, passing the fair green at Old Kilcullen. The road's administration and maintenance were at times questionable, and amending legislation was made at least twice in its history. On 2 July 1903, the Gordon Bennett Cup race ran through Kilcullen. It
11232-461: The same root as Welsh llif (flood, flow, stream), namely Proto-Indo-European lē̆i-4 , referring to the historic propensity of areas such as Phoenix Park and Waterstown Park to be inundated, but Gearóid Mac Eoin has more recently proposed that it may derive from a non-Indo-European word borrowed from the original language spoken in Ireland before the arrival of the Celts. It was also known as
11349-467: The settlement), and none to the north/west for some distance, until Athgarvan, though there are three to the south/east, in Harristown / Brannockstown, one on a public road, one a road bridge hidden on the old Harristown Estate, and one a former railway viaduct, also on private land. First built in the 1310s, the six-arch bridge over the Liffey was last reconstructed c. 1850, and renovated and widened in
11466-422: The southwestern edge, businesses spread along the main street and near the old market square, and the town hall and theatre (former cinema) and heritage centre, and a bank, lie just to the northeast of the bridge. The current town and the barony of the same name are named for an earlier settlement, Kilcullen, on a hilltop a few kilometres to the south, now known as Old Kilcullen . Begun as a monastic settlement, in
11583-536: The straightness of the roads was deemed a safety benefit. As a compliment to Ireland, the British team chose to race in Shamrock green which thus became known as British racing green . The route consisted of several loops which passed through Kilcullen, Kildare , Monasterevin , Stradbally , Athy , Castledermot , and Carlow . The 328 miles (528 km) race was won by the Belgian racer Camille Jenatzy , driving
11700-692: The town and surrounds fall within the Naas Local Electoral Area and parts within the Athy Local Electoral Area . For national elections, Kilcullen is today in the Kildare South Dáil constituency . It was controversially, for a period, in a Wicklow constituency. The council operates a covered reservoir almost a kilometre north of the bridge, with outlying areas served by group water schemes (many originally arranged by Kilcullen Community Council). There
11817-537: The town by a multiple. On a hill around three kilometres south and east from Kilcullen (Bridge) is the site of the original settlement, now known as Old Kilcullen , featuring an historic church and graveyard, with an extant round tower . Old Kilcullen may have related to the reputed site of a palace or ceremonial place of the Kings of Leinster at Dun Ailinne , on an adjacent hill. Local groups have constructed an interpretative site for Dun Ailinne at Nicholastown, about
11934-523: The town is the narrow but extensive Valley Community Park, which runs along the River Liffey, and related walks, one of which goes all the way to New Abbey. The Valley includes the restored historic main water source for the town, the Spout , and the Holy Well of St. Brigid, ornamented with a sculpture of "St. Brigid feeding the poor", by Fr Henry Flanagan, OP. There is also the small Riverside Walk behind
12051-532: The town, the New Abbey, commenced in 1486 by Rowland FitzEustace, 1st Baron Portlester and Lord Chancellor of Ireland . The remnants of the abbey today lie in a church- and graveyard and feature some notable tombstones. They can be reached by a Mass path, within the Valley Community Park, which also passes St. Bridget's Well. Lord Portlester is buried here as is his daughter, Lady Kildare. In
12168-448: The upper tidal extremities of the river between Islandbridge and western Chapelizod. With the development of commercial Dublin in the 17th century, four new bridges were added in Dublin between 1670 and 1684: Barrack, or Bloody Bridge, (the forerunner of the current Rory O'More Bridge ), Essex Bridge ( Grattan Bridge ), Ormond Bridge ( O'Donovan Rossa Bridge ) and Arran Bridge. Flooding in December 1801 following 36 hours of rain destroyed
12285-726: The vacancy to which they are appointed. This requirement is laid down by the University College Galway Act, 1929 (Section 3). In 2016, the university faced controversy when it announced the planned appointment of a president who did not speak Irish. Misneach staged protests against this decision. The following year the university announced that Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh , a fluent Irish speaker, would be its 13th president. He assumed office in January 2018; in June 2024, he announced he would be stepping down as president at
12402-595: The west of the town is Castlemartin Estate , where, to the northwest, is situated Castlemartin House. This 18th-century mansion, said to have around thirty rooms, is owned by American billionaire, John Malone . The house is a successor to a series of older dwellings, perhaps dating back to the 13th century. The estate also includes St. Mary's Church ("Castlemartin Chapel"), a dependent chapel of Kilcullen Church, founded c. 1200, ruined for centuries and restored in 1979–1980, and
12519-619: The work of local groups such as the Tidy Towns Committee. As of late 2008, this facility had begun closure processes, being more or less full. Kilcullen GAA is the local Gaelic Athletic Association club and Kilcullen AFC is the local soccer group. The GAA club adjoins, within the Kilcullen Community Centre Sports Complex, near the entrance to Castlemartin Estate, an all-weather pitch, and an 18-hole pitch-and-putt club (St. Brigids). On
12636-594: The work of such writers as Geoffrey Keating , is said to date from the 17th century, and was the medium of popular literature from that time on. From the 18th century on, the language lost ground in the east of the country. The reasons behind this shift were complex but came down to a number of factors: The change was characterised by diglossia (two languages being used by the same community in different social and economic situations) and transitional bilingualism (monoglot Irish-speaking grandparents with bilingual children and monoglot English-speaking grandchildren). By
12753-531: Was also sometimes used in Scots and then in English to refer to Irish; as well as Scottish Gaelic. Written Irish is first attested in Ogham inscriptions from the 4th century AD, a stage of the language known as Primitive Irish . These writings have been found throughout Ireland and the west coast of Great Britain. Primitive Irish underwent a change into Old Irish through the 5th century. Old Irish, dating from
12870-668: Was enacted 1 July 2019 and is an 18-page document that adheres to the guidelines of the Official Languages Act 2003 . The purpose of the Scheme is to provide services through the mediums of Irish and/or English. According to the Department of the Taoiseach, it is meant to "develop a sustainable economy and a successful society, to pursue Ireland's interests abroad, to implement the Government's Programme and to build
12987-558: Was establishing itself as the primary language. Irish speakers had first arrived in Australia in the late 18th century as convicts and soldiers, and many Irish-speaking settlers followed, particularly in the 1860s. New Zealand also received some of this influx. Argentina was the only non-English-speaking country to receive large numbers of Irish emigrants, and there were few Irish speakers among them. River Liffey The River Liffey ( Irish : An Life , historically An Ruirthe(a)ch )
13104-475: Was part of the main road from Dublin to Carlow , Kilkenny and Waterford until the M9 motorway was opened in 1995, bypassing the town). Kilcullen straddles the River Liffey and is 40 km (25 mi) from the centre of Dublin, 6 km (4 mi) from the centre of Newbridge , and also close to Kildare town and Naas . There is just one bridge in the town (on the site of the historic bridge which gave rise to
13221-474: Was passed 14 July 2003 with the main purpose of improving the number and quality of public services delivered in Irish by the government and other public bodies. Compliance with the Act is monitored by the An Coimisinéir Teanga (Irish Language Commissioner) which was established in 2004 and any complaints or concerns pertaining to the Act are brought to them. There are 35 sections included in
13338-448: Was raided by Vikings , landing at the location of the modern town, at least twice, in 936 and 944. The current town, officially known, mapped and recorded on legal documents, as Kilcullen Bridge , developed after 1319 when a bridge was constructed here across the River Liffey by a canon, Maurice Jakis, of Kildare Cathedral. It took over, over succeeding centuries, from the previous settlement. Originally, as shown on maps even as late as
13455-693: Was spoken throughout Ireland, Isle of Man and parts of Scotland . It is the language of a large corpus of literature, including the Ulster Cycle . From the 12th century, Middle Irish began to evolve into modern Irish in Ireland, into Scottish Gaelic in Scotland, and into the Manx language in the Isle of Man . Early Modern Irish , dating from the 13th century, was the basis of the literary language of both Ireland and Gaelic-speaking Scotland. Modern Irish, sometimes called Late Modern Irish, as attested in
13572-475: Was the first international motor race to be held anywhere in what was then the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland . The Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland wanted the race to be hosted in the United Kingdom, and Ireland was proposed as racing was illegal on British public roads. After some lobbying, a number of local laws were changed, and Kildare was chosen as the venue – partly because
13689-442: Was unable to accomplish some everyday tasks, as portrayed in his documentary No Béarla . There is, however, a growing body of Irish speakers in urban areas, particularly in Dublin. Many have been educated in schools in which Irish is the language of instruction. Such schools are known as Gaelscoileanna at primary level. These Irish-medium schools report some better outcomes for students than English-medium schools. In 2009,
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