111-683: Straffan ( Irish : Teach Srafáin ) is a village in County Kildare , Ireland, situated on the banks of the River Liffey , 25 km upstream of the Irish capital Dublin . As of the 2016 census , the village had a population of 853, a nearly two-fold increase (from 439) since the 2006 census. Straffan is the name of the surrounding electoral division which is within the Celbridge Number 1 Rural Area , and which (as of 2006) had
222-547: 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
333-403: A 53 step staircase and some evidence of damage in the war of 1641. Originally built by Nicholas Barby in the 13th century, it passed through several owners before, in the 19th century, Hugh Barton added a new roof and built a Victorian house alongside. It has been used as a hotel since the 1970s. Lyons Castle is mentioned in the 1332 Book of Howth when it was burned by the O'Tooles. It passed to
444-717: 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
555-523: 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
666-467: A confrontation during which Patrick King was shot dead. As a result of the incident, a request was made to have the military at Celbridge strengthened. Eventually in 1871 a neo-gothic RIC barracks was built in the village with distinctive gun turrets designed to repel invading Fenians . The barracks was vacated and passed into private hands in March 1905. A National League branch for Celbridge and Straffan
777-478: 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,
888-563: A daughter of the Duke of Leinster. According to a commentator of the time "owing to his extravagance from one of the richest commoners in Ireland he became so embarrassed that he was obliged to sell Straffan and live abroad. Among other foolish things he built an underground passage from Straffan House to the stables." A Benjamin Hallam design for proposed extension to house from 1808 survives, but
999-553: 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
1110-460: 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
1221-511: A further 80 acres (320,000 m) on the opposite side of the river for €115m in 2004. There is a history of horse breeding and training in the area. For example, The Tetrarch was foaled in the area in 1911 and the 1993 St. Leger Stakes winner, Bob's Return , was bred at the Baronrath stud at Straffan. Local sportsman Christopher Barton won an Olympic silver medal in 1948 as part of an all- Cambridge eight which represented Britain in
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#17327835254881332-603: A genealogy which indicated close kinship with the Uí Dúnlainge kings of Leinster . By 1294, the church of Tristeyldelane was described as "not worth the services of chaplains" in the Calendar of Christ Church deeds. The site is now identified by a pile of stones and one headstone, erected in 1758 to the Spellissy family. The Castledillon Friars Stone, probably erected for a 15th-century abbot of St Wolstan's (four miles to
1443-487: A jointly held role in the administration of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland . The Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924 defined the department's role: The Department of Posts and Telegraphs which shall comprise the administration and business generally of public services in connection with posts, telegraphs, and telephones, and all powers, duties and functions connected with the same, and shall include in particular
1554-455: A local man, Christopher Phelan, was stabbed to death when he delayed an attempt to derail a train passing on the main Dublin to Cork railway line by Loyalist paramilitaries near Baronrath bridge, who aimed to derail a train of republicans going to Bodenstown. His intervention saved the lives of 200 people on the train as it delayed the detonation of the bomb which blew a 3-foot (0.91 m) gap in
1665-585: 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
1776-575: 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
1887-663: A population of 1,449. At one time a separate parish, it is today joined to the parishes of Celbridge (in the Roman Catholic structure) and Celbridge and Newcastle (Church of Ireland), in the respective Dublin dioceses. Straffan is home to the Kildare Country Club , commonly known as the K Club , and its two championship golf courses, which have staged major international events such as the European Open (hosted annually there between 1995 and 2007), and
1998-625: 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
2109-403: A result of a £1 million sponsorship offer from Smurfit Kappa , the European Open moved its annual home to Straffan in 1995. The European PGA was staged in the K Club in 2006. The south course was completed in 2003 and used for the 2004 European Open. In 2002, Madison Dearborm took over Smurfit Kappa and divested itself of the K Club. Michael Smurfit purchased the hotel and estate and acquired
2220-533: A time. Straffan House had five private owners in the mid-20th century: car importer Stephen O'Flaherty (1960), film producer Kevin McClory (1973), Iranian air force founder and minister in the Shah's government Nadar Djhanbani (1977, shortly before the downfall of the Shah's government and his execution), developer Patrick Gallagher (1979) and property magnate Alan Ferguson (1981). Entrepreneur Michael Smurfit , who
2331-545: 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
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#17327835254882442-641: Is a Palladian house with four wings. The townland known variously in the calendar Rolls as Surning, Twinings, Surnyng and eventually known as Turnings passed into the ownership of Thomas Hall (1406), William Preston (1508), Patrick Sarsfield (ancestor of Patrick Sarsfield of siege of Limerick fame) (1560), Theophilus Jones (1641) and eventually passed to the Mills family. Straffan Lodge ( 53°18′49″N 6°36′53″W / 53.31353°N 6.61472°W / 53.31353; -6.61472 ), described by Samuel Lewis in 1837 as "the neat residence of Mrs Whitelaw",
2553-452: 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
2664-504: Is believed to be the longest period of single family ownership of any vineyard in Bordeaux. On the death of Bertram Barton in a hunting accident in 1927, the scale of the losses on the estate, £4,000 per year, became apparent. Derrick Barton laid off most of the staff and demolished part of the house before selling the house and estate for £15,000 to motorcycle manufacturer John Ellis in 1949. Derrick Barton moved to Straffan Glebe House for
2775-511: 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
2886-571: Is housed in a church which once stood in the Inchicore railway works in Dublin. The museum houses a collection of models of steam locomotives, a number of steam engines used for industrial propulsion, a pumping engine employed in Jameson's distillery in Dublin, and a large beam engine installed in Smithwick's brewery , Kilkenny , in 1847. The museum is open to visitors from on certain days during
2997-549: Is known for its dining room decorated Tudor style with oak panels. Its single storey wing was added later. Local ecclesiastical sites prospered at different times. The medieval parish of Straffan lies on the border of the Diocese of Dublin (boundaries established in 1111), to the south of Taghadoe Parish (Teach Tua), bounded on the west by Mainham , south by Bodenstown and Whitechurch , and east by Killadoon and Castledillon. Ecclesiastical sources refer to Straphan Register of
3108-508: Is named as his camp). Rathcoffey was besieged and taken by Monck in June 1642, 70 of the garrison made prisoners and later executed in Dublin. During the campaign Kildare county was burned "for 17 miles (27 km) in length and 25 in breadth." William Petty 's Census of 1659 recorded "Barbiestowne" with 36 people and Straffan with 23 people, surnames among them included Byrne, Kelly, Doyle, Malone and Murphy. According to depositions taken after
3219-554: Is named for St. Srafán, whose feast day in the Martyrology of Tallaght was 23 May. Straffan was also one of 300 Irish locations accorded its own place-legend in Dinnshenchas Érenn (Metrical (ed. Edward Gwynn 1924) iv, pp 328–331). It consisted of a poem called " Lumman Tige Srafain ", about a warrior named Lumann who possessed a wonderful shield and who, according to the poem, died of his wounds at Tech Srafáin. Two forms of
3330-425: Is now reduced to a pile of stones and mortar which has obviously been moved from its original location. Barberstown Castle ( 53°19′21″N 6°36′31″W / 53.32254°N 6.60872°W / 53.32254; -6.60872 ) remains standing and remains in use as a hotel. It is 50 feet (15 m) at its greatest height with a battlemented keep, walls which are four and a half feet thick, two small towers,
3441-587: 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
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3552-533: 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 the education system. Linguistic analyses of Irish speakers are therefore based primarily on
3663-412: 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
3774-666: 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
3885-630: 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 a result of linguistic imperialism . Today, Irish
3996-631: 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 ")
4107-591: The Ryder Cup tournament between Europe and the US in 2006. The contemporary village is concentrated around two crossroads on which are situated a Roman Catholic church and Church of Ireland respectively. Development evolved through the building of estate houses (1880), land commission cottages (1922–39), the Murray local council cottages (1949), and eight estates around the village. Housing developments also took place on
4218-634: 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
4329-789: 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
4440-403: 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
4551-571: 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
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4662-471: 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
4773-481: The French style. An Italian style campanile tower with gilded vane was added later. The refurbished house was based on a chateau at Louveciennes . Hugh Barton (1766–1854) was in turn succeeded by Nathaniel Barton (1799–1867), Hugh Lyndoch Barton (1824–1899), Bertram Francis Barton (1830–1904), Bertram Hugh Barton (1858–1927) and Capt Frederick (Derick) Barton (1900–1993). The first five generations of Bartons owned both
4884-824: The GAA Central Council in Cork. The club were successful in the 1966 Intermediate championship, and promoted to the Kildare senior championship from 1967 until 1979. In 2009, Straffan won the Junior football championship. Straffan now has two teams competing in the Kildare Senior division 2 and division 4 Football Leagues and at intermediate level in the championship. The annual Liffey Descent canoe race , (first staged 1960) starts annually in Straffan and follows
4995-654: The Hospital of St. John the Baptist 1245, the Calendar of Justiciary Rolls 1306 and the Regal Visitation 1530 which describes Straffan as "a church of the deanery of Saltu Salmonis". In 1541, Straffan was united with Castledillon, Donacumper and Kildrought. The last Catholic parish priest of Castledillon died in 1707 after which the parish was joined with Straffan. Straffan parish is now joined to Celbridge. Straffan's ruined parish church ( St. Patrick's Church ) in
5106-549: 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
5217-416: The Irish revival and was promoted as name in the local schools. Recent research by Domhnall mac Giolla Easpaig declares it "completely at odds with the written evidence cited above and with local pronunciation and appears to be no more than an ad hoc explanation of the name by O'Connor's informant." Sruthán is anglicised struffaun in some parts of the country. One would not expect to find it rendered thus in
5328-412: The Irish version of Clownings, the townland in which the post office and former station were situated. That office was closed c. 1977 at which date the office in the village was reopened and the Irish name of Teach Srafáin was adopted, this name appearing in the 1982 Post Office Guide. Today Straffan contains Catholic and Church of Ireland churches, a newsagent, a butchers ', two pubs ,
5439-784: The Minister for Communications are now under the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications , the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media , and the Minister for Transport . Under the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924 , the Executive Council could appoint Parliamentary Secretaries to assist Ministers in the Executive Council (renamed the Government in 1937). From 1978, this position
5550-403: The Minister for Posts and Telegraphs and the Minister for Transport. In 1987, the transport functions of the department were moved to a new Department of Tourism and Transport. In 1991 the minister's functions were passed to the renamed Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications and the department ceased to exist, but was not formally abolished. The functions which had initially been under
5661-664: The Olympic Games. His father Derrick Barton was a member of the British Modern Pentathlon team which finished seventh in the team event at the 1924 Olympics. Another Straffan resident, David Ritchie, laid out Ireland's first golf course in the Curragh in 1852. Straffan AFC, a local association football (soccer) club, was founded in 1978 and previously played in Whitechurch in Straffan. In 1979,
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#17327835254885772-620: 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 ,
5883-481: The River Liffey 17 miles (27 km) downstream to Islandbridge . In basketball, Anne Marie Cooney was a silver medallist at the 2011 Athens Special Olympics and gold medallist at the 2015 Los Angeles Special Olympics . Irish language Irish ( Standard Irish : Gaeilge ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( / ˈ ɡ eɪ l ɪ k / GAY -lik ), is a Celtic language of
5994-481: The Straffan Inn and Friel's, a gaelic football club, a soccer club and a primary school, Scoil Bhríde (present building constructed in 1963). The heritage of the area is reflected in the fact that fifty sites of archaeological and cultural interest in the locality have been identified and listed for preservation by Kildare County Council, ranging from an ancient hill fort and round tower to the 1913 Lych Gate to
6105-460: The Straffan area." The village post office, opened c. 1845 , was closed in April 1924. A separate office was opened at Straffan Station in May 1872, this adjacent to the former station, 1.5 mi (2.5 km) from the village. On the adoption of Irish language names by the Department of Posts and Telegraphs in the 1920s, the name of Cluainíní was adopted for the station office, this being
6216-603: The Tyrrell in the 13th century, the Aylmer family in 1271 and to the Lawless family, Barons Cloncurry in 1796 after which they built the nearby house. It was substantially rebuilt and refurbished by Valentine Lawless , the second Baron Cloncurry 1803–10. Lodge Park ( 53°18′44″N 6°35′52″W / 53.31226°N 6.59789°W / 53.31226; -6.59789 ) was designed by Nathaniel Clements for Hugh Henry. It
6327-445: The Uí Dúnchada branch of the Uí Dúnlainge who supplied ten kings of Leinster from their base on nearby Lyons Hill between 750 and 1050. Sruthán (stream) was mistakenly cited by Thomas O'Connor in the Ordnance Survey Letters in 1837, and adopted as the Irish form of Straffan. Seosamh Laoide used it in his list of Irish names of post-offices published in Post-Sheanchas (1905). An Sruthán gained currency among those involved in
6438-441: The battle of Ovidstown, a party of 1798 Rebels met at Straffan Bridge including Patrick O'Connor 'a lawyer from Straffan', and spent some time in stables of Straffan Lodge (18 June). In 1803 Straffan men marched to Dublin to join Emmet's rebellion, while Barney Daly's pub in Baronrath was used as a rendez-vous. Local landowner Valentine Lawless , later the second Baron Cloncurry, was sworn into United Irishmen by James O'Coigly . He
6549-577: 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
6660-446: The business, powers, duties and functions of the branches and officers of the public services specified in the Eighth Part of the Schedule to this Act, and of which Department the head shall be, and shall be styled , an t-Aire Puist agus Telegrafa or (in English) the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs. The Minister for Posts and Telegraphs was responsible for Ireland's postal and telecommunications services from 1924 to 1984. At its height
6771-457: The club reached the Counties Cup semi-final but were beaten. They decided to move to the Dublin section of the Leinster Junior League in 1981 and the club went on to win its first league title in 1981–1982. Straffan GAA club was described in 1934 as the "cradle of the GAA in Kildare Straffan". JL Carews played Sallins in their first match on the same day, 15 February 1885, that Maurice Davin 's first rules of Gaelic football were being agreed by
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#17327835254886882-709: The department was one of the largest civil service departments in Ireland. The reform of the sector and department began in 1978 with the creation of the Posts and Telegraphs Review Group. This led, following the delivery of a report in 1979, to the creation of the ad hoc Interim Board for Posts ( An Bord Poist ), chaired by Feargal Quinn , and the Interim Board for Telecommunications ( An Bord Telecom ), chaired by Michael Smurfit . These two boards continued to sit until An Post and Telecom Éireann , respectively, replaced them in 1984 as state-sponsored agencies . The Department of Posts and Telegraphs ceased to exist in 1984, and its powers and responsibilities were transferred to
6993-422: The east of the village. This was formerly the site of Straffan railway station and the post office, and so it has been erroneously used as an Irish name for Straffan itself. Dinnshenchas Érenn , probably composed by Cináed Ua Hartacáin (d. 975), also selected the nearby Cnoch Liamhna for mention as one of the "assemblies and noted places in Ireland", an indication of the strength of the local ruling family,
7104-406: The east), remained on the site until removed to the visitor centre in Kildare town. Straffan was the scene of a railway accident on 5 October 1853 in which 18 people died including four children. It occurred in heavy fog when a goods train ran into the back of a stalled passenger train at a point 974 yards (891 m) south of Straffan Station. The goods train smashed the first class carriage, which
7215-414: 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
7326-434: The estate at Straffan and the family's 37-hectare vineyard in St Julien near the Gironde north of Bordeaux, producers of Chateau Leoville-Barton and Chateau Langoa-Barton . On his death Bertram Barton left the Straffan estate to his eldest son Derrick and the Bordeaux estate to his second son Ronald Barton. Anthony Barton moved to St Julien in 1951 and took over the vineyard on the death of Ronald in 1986. The Barton dynasty
7437-430: 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
7548-474: The graveyard at the centre of the village can be dated to the 15th century from its distinctive bell cote , and defensive living quarters over the main building in the manner of Oughter Ard and other local churches. Straffan Church of Ireland parish church (1833) has stained glass windows by Alfred Child and Catherine O'Brien and several monuments to the Barton family. It was modelled on churches in France. St. Brigid's Catholic church (1787, rebuilt 1987)
7659-505: The graveyard which has been adopted as the symbol of the village. Local commercial visitor attractions include a Steam Museum at Lodge Park . The site of a tower house at Castledillon passed to the de Hereford and Rochford families (1359). No visible evidence of this tower house remains, with farm buildings now occupying the site. A Wogan family tower house "in the north part of Richardstown townland" described as "a square building about 60 feet (18 m) in height' by Thomas O'Conor in 1837
7770-432: The grounds of the K Club in the 2000–2004 period. As of 2007, a planning application had been lodged with Kildare County Council to develop a separate town to the south west at Turnings . Straffan is situated at a low lying point in the Liffey valley and is surrounded by flood meadows along the Liffey and River Morell. Agriculture is important to the local economy. Since the 18th century, Straffan farmers were prominent in
7881-400: The house accidentally burned and the Henry family settled in France. Hugh Barton, of the wine firm Barton and Guestier, purchased the Straffan estate and built a new house, Straffan House (1828–32, designed by Frederick Darley ), slightly downriver from the Henry's burned out home. Twenty years later an attic and a distinctive mansard roof were added, and the stacks raised and embellished in
7992-487: The house in 1749, and became MP for Longford 1761–68, Joseph Henry is featured in many of the caricatures painted by William Hogarth and on display in the National Gallery of Ireland . His son John Joseph Henry gave the site for Straffan Catholic church in 1787. At the request of Valentine Lawless , Henry subscribed £500 for defence of Armagh rebel priest James O'Coigly . In 1801 he married Lady Emily Fitzgerald
8103-591: The land as tenants and the land passed to John Gaydon (1490), Thomas Boules (1653), Richard Talbot (1679), John White (1691), Robert Delap (1717) and Dublin Banker Hugh Henry who purchased the house for £2,200 in 1731. Hugh Henry who was MP for Limavady 1713 and Antrim 1727–43 built a house which resembled Oakley Park in Celbridge. Another Hugh Henry (a nephew) built Lodge Park in 1775. His son Joseph Henry matriculated from Trinity College at 13, inherited
8214-716: 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
8325-410: 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
8436-476: 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 ,
8547-582: 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
8658-468: The name cited in the tale, Tech Srafáin and Tige Srafáin , are Middle Irish nominative and genitive case forms. The spelling Strafáin is unusual. "Straphan" or "Straffan" is a shortened Anglicised form of the original Irish Teach Srafáin (the initial Str- is the usual development of Irish Sr in English). The second Irish name of the village is Cluainíní ; this refers to the townland of Clownings, to
8769-804: 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
8880-469: 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
8991-402: The newly created Department of Communications. This was one of the largest reorganisations of the civil service in modern times, the old department having had a workforce of about 30,000 prior to dissolution. With the transfer of personnel to the new agencies, the number of civil service employees was almost halved overnight. The Minister for Communications was created in 1983 to replace both
9102-655: 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
9213-624: 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
9324-503: 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
9435-566: The plan was aborted. Telephone wires were destroyed at Bishopscourt and Straffan volunteers took part in the ambush at Stacumny on 5 July 1921. Prominent local volunteers included John Logie, Tom Cornelia, James Travers and John McSweeney. During the Civil war the barnewall homestead near the 13th Lock in Lyons was the North Kildare brigade headquarters for the anti-treaty IRA. On 22 June 1975
9546-557: 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
9657-486: The prize lists at events run by the Royal Dublin Society . The research station for the agriculture department of University College Dublin is situated at nearby Lyons Hill . As with the rest of County Kildare, racehorse breeding and training is common in the area. In the 1920s, Straffan Station stud was one of the leading horse breeding studs in the country when owned by Edward "Cub" Kennedy. The village
9768-492: 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 )
9879-432: 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
9990-647: 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
10101-677: The robbery. In 1171, Trachstraphli was granted to Maurice Fitzgerald by Richard de Clare (Strongbow). In c1185 -1189 Gerald Fitzgerald was accorded "Trachstraphli" in the Red Book of the Earls of Kildare (G. MacNiocaill, ed., Dublin, 1964). In 1288 Sir John Fannyn conveyed Straffan and Ballespaddagh (Irishtown) to Richard Le Penkiston on a deed witnessed by Richard de la Salle, John Posswick and Nicholas Barby, each of whom gave their names to surrounding townlands, Sealstown (de la Salle), Possextown (Posswick) and Barberstown (Barby). In 1473 Suttons held
10212-515: The summer. The area was ravaged in the wars of 1641–2. The Lords of the Pale who allied with Rory O'More in 1642 included Nicholas Wogan of Rathcoffey (member of the Council of War), Andrew Aylmer of Donadea , Nicholas Sutton of Barberstown , John Gaydon of lrishtown (whose estate included the present Straffan), Garret Sutton of Richardstown and James Eustace of Clongowes . In 1641 Lyons Castle
10323-542: The track. On 31 March 1976 the biggest train robbery in Irish history took place at Wheatfield. Eight men in fluorescent jackets used emergency signals to stop the mail train bound from Cork to Dublin and escaped with £600,000 in small denomination notes. The incident became the centre of a celebrated miscarriage of justice case, known mistakenly as the Sallins Train Robbery case after the nearest rail station then open, when three men were wrongly convicted of
10434-675: 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
10545-594: 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
10656-604: Was a civilian casualty in the Easter Rising of 1916. A branch of the Irish National Volunteers was formed in Straffan in 1914. The St Anne's Brass Band from Ardclough played at the Bodenstown commemoration in 1914 at which Thomas Clarke spoke. In February 1917 a Company was reformed in Straffan and a branch of Sinn Féin formed in 1918. Volunteers planned to bomb the bridge at Straffan but
10767-531: 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
10878-436: Was also the site of the national school until 1963. A well and stone roofed chapel at Ardrass (restored 1898) are associated with St Patrick . The hill was a place of pilgrimage until the 19th century. Castledillon, on the south bank of the River Liffey opposite Straffan, is an ancient monastic site which was founded by Iollathan of the desert (feast day listed as 2 February in the Martyrology of Tallaght ) and accorded
10989-576: Was created by the Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924 , which reorganised the Irish system of government shortly after the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. The Minister exercised those functions which had formerly been exercised by the Postmaster General of the United Kingdom . Legislation in 1831 had amalgamated the earlier offices of Postmaster General of Great Britain and Postmasters General of Ireland , which became
11100-440: Was driven a quarter of a mile through station. The tragedy was the subject of a poem by Donegal-born poet William Allingham . It was the third worst accident in rail history to that date. Straffan railway station was last used for scheduled services in 1947 and the last special train stopped at Straffan in 1963. Straffan railway station opened on 1 August 1848 and finally closed on 10 November 1947. The Straffan Steam Museum
11211-623: Was elected colonel of United Irishmen in Kildare, was the last proprietor of 'The Press' (United Irish newspaper) and became the United Irish organiser in London until his arrest and detention in the Tower of London. He was also related to Robert Emmet and according to Emmet's biographer Ruan O'Donnell provided a link between 1798 and 1803, waiting in Paris for word of success of the rebellion and
11322-609: 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
11433-674: Was established on 24 September 1887. Bertram H. Barton was a member of the Unionist Party and instigator of a sedition charge against the Principal of Ardclough School in 1917. Straffan casualties in the Great War included James Cash, (died 27 May 1918), D.A. Carden (4 September 1915), Thomas Goucher (22 January 1918), Ronald B.C. Kennedy (died of illness, 18 August 1917), G. Kinahan (14 October 1916), William Lawless (15 September 1917), and Peter McLeish, (21 January 1918). Francis Salmon
11544-588: 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. Minister for Posts and Telegraphs The Minister for Posts and Telegraphs ( Irish : Aire Poist agus Telegrafa )
11655-474: 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
11766-562: Was searching for a suitable estate to develop as a country club, acquired Straffan House in 1988 (via the Jefferson Smurfit company). Purchased for £7m, a further £35m was spent developing the house as a hotel and golf course. In 1991, Straffan House was opened as a 31-bedroom hotel. In 1990, the north golf course, designed by Arnold Palmer , was completed. Straffan staged the PGA cup in 1991 and Irish professional Championship in 1992. As
11877-693: 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
11988-474: Was taken and sacked on the orders of the new LJs William Parsons and John Borlase and two castles belonging to Edward Tipper of Tipperstown burned When James Butler, 12th Earl of Ormond marched into Kildare in 1642, he burned Lyons, Newcastle and Oughterard on 1 February 1642. General George Monck landed in Dublin in February 1642 for the parliamentarians and camped in Straffan (the horses field at Ardrass
12099-590: Was the holder of a position in the Government of Ireland (and, earlier, in the Executive Council of the Irish Free State ). From 1924 until 1984 – when it was abolished – the minister headed the Department of Posts and Telegraphs (also known as the P&;T in English and P⁊T in Irish, and later stylised as p+t ), the government-run postal, telegraph and telephone service covering the Republic of Ireland . The office of Minister for Posts and Telegraphs
12210-459: Was to be member of Emmet's government. O'Donnell describes as "disingenuous" Lawless's 1857 account of how he had pleaded with Emmet not to return to Dublin. The Sammon family form Straffan and the Pitts family from Bishopscourt were listed among the rebels. On 22 January 1812, 100 persons assembled at night with carts for the purpose of retrieving hay which had been seized in lieu of rent. Leading to
12321-442: 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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