Page 143 - (DK Eyewitness) Back Roads Travel Guide - Ireland

DRIVE 13: The Plains of Kildare 141

PLAN YOUR DRIVE
Maynooth
Maynooth
Portglor
Portgloriamiam
Lar
Laraghagh
Start/finish: Celbridge to Kilcullen.
Lyreen Lyreen Number of days: 2.
Distance: 60 km (37 miles).
Newpark
Newpark Baltracey
Baltracey
Derry
Derrycribcrib Toolestown
Toolestown
Road conditions: The roads are in good
DONADEA
DONADEA condition, larger roads well signposted.
CELBRIDGE
Timahoe l l l l e n e n Staplestown Painstown Newtown CELBRIDGE When to go: Summer is the best time
Timahoe
Painstown
for horse-racing and musical events.
Newtown
Staplestown
The autumn colours of the county’s
Boherhole
Hodgestown
o f f A A Hodgestown Boherhole Liffey Liffey woodlands are spectacular.
o

Opening times: Shops and attractions
g
g
Mainham
Mainham
Coolcarrigan
Garv
Straffan
Richardstown
B o B o Coolcarrigan Garvageage Richardstown Straffan open 9am–6pm. Shops open Mon–Sat;
Newcastle also 12–6pm on Sun. Convenience
Newcastle
Coolearaghagh stores in villages open 8am until late.
Coolear
Grand Canal
CLANE
Prosper
Blackwood
Blackwood Prosperousous CLANE Grand Canal
Allenwood
Allenwood Main market days: Celbridge: Sat;
Black
Blackhallhall Kildare Town: Thu.
Oughterard Major festivals: Celbridge: Castletown
Oughterard
Goatstown
Slate Slate ROBERTSTOWN Goatstown Concerts (Castletown House), summer;
ROBERTSTOWN
The Curragh: Irish Derby, Jun; Punches ­
town: National Hunt Festival, Apr;
KILDARE Kildare Town: Medieval Festival, Aug.
KILDARE
Kilmeage
Kilmeage
Sallins
Porterstown
Sallins Kill Kill Porterstown
DAY TRIP OPTIONS
Allen Allen Carraghagh Johnstown
Carr
Johnstown
Hill of Allen
Hill of Allen Maudlings Lovers of history and nature could
Maudlings
Lattensbog
206m 206m Lattensbog Halverstown
Halverstown
Furness
Thomastown
Dunbyrne
Dunbyrne Thomastown Furness combine a visit to Castletown House
Naas Naas with a stroll in Donadea Forest Park.
Rathmore
Rathmore
Walkers might prefer to walk a stretch
of the Grand Canal and climb the Hill
Morristown
Morristown
Milltown Upper Beggars End of Allen. And, if the timing is right, a
Milltown
Upper
Beggars End
day at the races at The Curragh is
0 kilometres 3
Friarstown
Friarstown unmissable. For details, see p145.
0 miles 3
Newbridge
Newbridge Below St Brigid’s Cathedral in Kildare Town, with
its striking 9th-century Round Tower, see p144
THE CURRA
Connellmore
THE CURRAGHGH Connellmore
Mylerstown
RACECOURSE Kilbelin Mylerstown
RACECOURSE
Kilbelin
Redhills
Redhills
KILDARE
KILDARE
Silliothill
TOWN Athgarvanvan Silliothill
TOWN
Athgar
IRISH NATIONAL The Curraghagh
IRISH NATIONAL
The Curr
STUD
Silliothill
Silliothill STUD Liffey
Liffey
KILCULLEN
KILCULLEN
Brannockstown
Brannockstown
Old Kilcullen
Old Kilcullen
Martinstown
Martinstown
Germanstown
Germanstown
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