Athy Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
town in County Kildare, Ireland
About Athy
Baile Átha Íis Irish for "town of the ford of Ae" - Ae was supposedly a 2nd century chieftain slain at the river crossing. A bridge over the River Barrow definitely existed by 1417, along with a castle to defend it. The main conflict to afflict the town was the Confederate war of the 1640s, part of the Civil Wars, concluded definitively but brutally by Cromwell. The English then ensured that a large loyal garrison was stationed here. They stood firm against the rebels of 1798, who gained much of County Kildare but did the loyalists a good turn by killing the messenger bringing orders to retreat to Naas. In 1791 the river was linked by canal from Athy to the Grand Canal at Robertstown, and these all remain navigable. The tourist information centreis within the Heritage Centre or Shackleton
Top Attractions in Athy
Explore the best things to see and do in Athy:
- ★Burtown House & Gardens
- ★Quaker Museum
- ★Shackleton Museum
- ★White's Castle
Where to Stay in Athy
- 🏨Clanard Court Hotel
- 🏨Kilkea Castle
- 🏨Moone High Cross Inn
Athy Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 11 sections including: