Historical governance

Maynooth was a long-term centre for the Geraldine or FitzGerald family, which dominated Irish affairs during the Anglo-Norman and Tudor periods.^{[citation needed]}

From 1932 to 1937, the town was the unofficial home to the King's representative in Ireland, Governor General Domhnall Ua Buachalla, who declined to take up official residence in the Viceregal Lodge in the Phoenix Park, and whose family operated a hardware store in the town until 2005.^{[citation needed]}

Historical features

The town is just inside the western edge of The Pale. It has, at either end of the main street, Maynooth Castle and Carton House, two former seats of the Dukes of Leinster. The castle was a stronghold of the 16th century historical figure Thomas FitzGerald, 10th Earl of Kildare who was better known as Silken Thomas. The castle was overrun in 1535,^[5] after the rebellion of the Earl.

The most important historical buildings in the town are those of St. Patrick's College and some which antedate the foundation of the college, while others are in the late Georgian and neo-Gothic revival style. The "new range" of buildings was erected by A. W. N. Pugin in 1850 under a commission from then college president Laurence F. Renehan, while the College Chapel was designed and completed by James Joseph McCarthy during the presidency of Robert Browne in 1894.

Conolly's Folly is within Maynooth's extensive town boundaries.

There are three old monastic settlements in the vicinity of Maynooth, including Laraghbryan and its cemetery, Taghadoe and its Round Tower and Grangewilliam (Donaghmore).

Maynooth Pound is a rare example of a surviving pound which has existed since the 18th century. The existing walls were built in 1822 although the pound is older than that. Historically, stray animals were impounded here to be returned to their owners for a fee or sold at auction if not claimed. More recently^[when?] the pound was renovated and is now a place of recreation by the Lyreen River.^[6][7]

Canal

When the Royal Canal was designed in 1790, with a planned length of 175 km, with 76 locks, 65 aqueducts and 85 bridges, it was intended to pass north of the town of Maynooth. However the Duke of Leinster contributed £1,000 towards the cost of the £200,000 undertaking and insisted that his town would be served by the canal.^[15] Maynooth has a canal harbour, and the canal is navigable from central Dublin to this point and onwards to Clondara, County Longford. It is now mostly used mostly for leisure and drainage purposes but historically was used for passengers and freight (grain, potatoes, coal and coke, manure, turf, bricks, stone, sand, timber, and general merchandise) and Maynooth's canal harbour provided a stopping point before Dublin. When the railways arrived, passengers transferred to the quicker rail service.

The harbour, known locally as Duke's Harbour, is roughly triangular in shape and on the north side of the canal, opposite the railway station, is a popular fishing area.

Rail

Maynooth railway station is one of the busiest in the Dublin / Kildare region, as it serves two major educational institutions and is a major commuter town for people working in Dublin. The town is the terminus of most Iarnród Éireann Western Commuter trains, as well as being served by the Dublin-Sligo InterCity service.

In December 2019, Iarnród Éireann awarded a contract for Multi-Disciplinary Consultancy Team^[16] for the expansion of the Dublin Area Rapid Transit on the Maynooth Line which will lead to electrification of the line to Maynooth and increase capacity on the line.

Bus

Dublin Bus operates routes C3, C4 and the night buses C5 and C6, from Maynooth to Ringsend in Dublin.^[17] Go-Ahead Ireland operates the W61, which links Maynooth to the Hazelhatch and Celbridge Railway Station.^[18] Bus Éireann services 22 (Ballina to Dublin Airport), 23 (Sligo to Dublin Airport) and 115 (Mullingar/Kilcock to Dublin) serve the town, as well as Aircoach's route 706/706X (Galway to Dublin Airport).^{[19][20][21][22]} Passengers may travel from Maynooth westbound or to Dublin Airport. Airport Hopper route 767 provides an additional higher frequency link to Dublin Airport.^[23]

JJ Kavanagh/National Transport Authority route 139 links Naas to Blanchardstown via Maynooth. A number of private operators also serve the town, linking it with nearby towns and cities; many in college term-time only.

Golf

Carton House Golf Club is located in Maynooth. The Golfing Union of Ireland, the longest established golf union in the world, have their national headquarters on the estate. This facility also comprises the GUI National Academy, a 22-acre (89,000 m²) teaching facility. It has a driving range, putting green, and short game area, as well as lessons.^{[citation needed]}

GAA

Maynooth GAA is the local Gaelic Athletic Association club and has competed in the senior football championship in Kildare since 2009.^{[citation needed]}

Soccer

Maynooth Town F.C. is the local soccer club. The senior men's team competes in co-operation with Maynooth University as Maynooth University Town F.C., a member of the Leinster Senior League. They won the FAI Intermediate Cup in 2018^[24] and hence now compete in the senior FAI Cup. They progressed to the second round of the 2018 tournament. They reached the FAI Cup quarter-final in 2021 for the first time.^[25] They were beaten 4–0 in the quarter final by Bohemians F.C.^[26]

Rugby

North Kildare RFC is the local rugby club and is situated about 3 km from Maynooth on the Kilcock road. Maynooth native Bob Casey (born 1978) was a professional rugby player and a senior Irish international.^[27]

Maynooth University and the Leixlip based Barnhall Rugby Club merged in 2010^[28] and renamed to MU Barnhall RFC in 2015, fielding 28 teams both male and female from U7 to Senior All-Ireland League.

Equestrian

Maynooth is home to the thoroughbred horse racing and breeding operation, Moyglare Stud Farm.^{[citation needed]}

Basketball

North Kildare Eagles Basketball Club is based in Maynooth. The club runs an academy for kids aged 5-10, juvenile teams for girls and boys aged 11-18, and Basketball4All for children with disabilities. Juvenile teams compete in competitions run by the Midlands Area Basketball Board.

Cycling

There are two cycling clubs based in Maynooth. Maynooth Cycling Club is sponsored by and runs out of Maynooth Cycles in Newtown Shopping Centre.^[29] The other is Maynooth Students for Charity, also known as the Galway Cycle. This club runs out of Maynooth University, and from January to April culminating in a charity cycle to Galway and back over a weekend. The club has raised over 1 million euro for charity since its inception.^[30]

Scouting

The Maynooth Scout group has been in existence since 1975.^[31] After many years operating out of the Maynooth Post Primary school they restored and redeveloped the Geraldine Hall,^[32] a protected building, as their Den in 2013.^[33]