Athy Eye On The Past
Friday, January 23, 2026

Concrete Bridge across River Barrow

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Foundations for what was the then longest reinforced concrete bridge in Ireland were laid in June 1917. It was part of the work on the Athy...
Friday, November 7, 2025

Anna Edith Duthie

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Anna Breakey was 24 years old when she came to live and work in Athy 74 years ago. She was a native of Ballybay, Co. Monaghan, the third of...

Rev. Nicholas Ashe and Athy in time of Rebellion 1798

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In August 1782, the Irish antiquarian Austin Cooper, following a visit to Athy, wrote “Athy is a small town situated on the River Barrow ove...

Quakers and the Quaker Meeting House in Athy

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This year we celebrate the centenary of the establishment of the civic guards later named the Garda Siochana. The new Irish police force wa...

Early years of Garda Siochana in Athy

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This year we celebrate the centenary of the establishment of the Civic Guards later named the Garda Siochana. The new Irish police force wa...
Monday, September 15, 2025

Grave Memorials in St. Michael's Cemetery Athy

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It’s almost 40 years ago when with the assistance of FAS, the Industrial Training Authority, I organised a project intended to record all th...
Friday, August 1, 2025

Athy's Wallboard factory

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One of my earliest memories is of walking with my older brothers to the huge fire which broke out at the Wallboard factory in April 1949. I...

A look back over the past 1500 Eyes on the Past

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It is close on 29 years ago that I penned my first Eye on the Past. This week the 1500th article is printed and I want to take the opportun...

When Athy was the largest town in County Kildare

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In 1841 Athy had the largest population of any town in County Kildare. With 4,980 persons living within the town boundaries, it exceeded th...

Athy in the 1840s

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The worst effects of the famine which had ravaged Ireland following the failure of the potato crop in 1845 had abated by the time 1853 arriv...
Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Shackleton Autumn School 2024

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A small contingent from Athy was among the 2,500 people at the Royal Festival Hall, South Bank, London on 12th October last. The occasion w...
Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Athy men's involvement in the Boer War

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Last Tuesday night the Community Arts Centre in the Methodist Church, Athy hosted the second lecture in the Athy Historical Society’s Autumn...
Tuesday, October 22, 2024

Naas Hospital treatment 1966 and 2024

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Many of my readers were aware that I was hospitalised in recent weeks. I was discharged last Monday from Beaumont Hospital where I received...
Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Basilio Angeli v. Joseph Galbraith / Athy Summer Assizes July 1856

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The most famous court case in literature is Jarndyce v Jarndyce, immortalised in Charles Dickens Bleak House, published in 1853. It feature...
Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Launch of publication 'Woodstock' by Athy West Urban Community Group

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The vibrancy of an area can be measured by the activities of its residents and their engagement with their community as a whole. This was v...
Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Athy is defined by its built heritage

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There was a good turnout at the AGM of the Athy Historical Society held at the Arts Centre in Woodstock Street last Tuesday night, 24th of S...
Tuesday, September 24, 2024

White's Castle and the setting up of a Civic Trust

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This evening, 24th September at 8.00 p.m. the Annual General Meeting of Athy Historical Society will take place in the Community Arts Centre...
Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Athy Community Arts Centre

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Just over 16 years ago John MacKenna, having earlier founded the theatrical group, ‘Mend and Makedo’, sought to have a small theatre in Athy...
Tuesday, September 10, 2024

Athy Historical Society

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On the 24th day of September the previously adjourned A.G.M. of Athy’s Historical Society will be held in the local Community Arts Centre at...
Tuesday, September 3, 2024

Francis Taaffe, Film Art Director

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There are many talented persons living amongst our local community here in South Kildare who are perhaps unknown to the general public. I w...
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