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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Two important books arrived on my desk in the last week, both of them with listings of men who served our neighbouring country at a time whe...

During twelve months of lockdown we have witnessed a catastrophic change in the commercial life of our town and district. Local businesses h...

Last week’s Kildare Nationalist carried a news item concerning White’s Castle and an announcement of the forthcoming auction of what was des...

Athy’s transition from village to town status was marked by the construction of the town hall building. Its exact date of construction is n...

During the early days of my research into the history of Athy I spent many hours in the main reading room of the National Library in Kildare...

Looking back over the years I find that sport of all kinds has provided me with wonderful memories which I have been able to revisit time af...

Fr. Philip is dead. The news of the passing of the Pastor Emeritus passed quickly through St. Michael’s parish. There was sadness at the p...

Athy’s economic lifeline in the early years of the 19th century were its fairs and markets. The weekly markets were of particular commercia...

The All Ireland hurling final Sunday found me in the unusual setting of a Cork city household as I sat down to watch the 2022 senior hurling...

News of military activity in and around Athy in April 1642 just months after the start of the Rising in Ulster was the subject of a pamphlet...

In last week’s Eye on the Past when referring to Woodstock Castle, I mentioned the relocation to the east side of the river Barrow of the An...

Members of Kildare Archaeological Society visited Athy on Saturday last for a guided tour of the medieval and post medieval built heritage o...

One of the pleasures of writing a weekly newspaper column, which is made available on the internet, is the many queries one receives from ar...

Many of you, like myself, got a letter from the HSE a week or so ago informing us of the retirement of Dr. Giles O’Neill from 11th June. Me...

Four generations of the O’Neill family have provided medical care for the people of Athy and South Kildare, as well as patients in the insti...

Patrick Whelan, Ned Gleeson, Liam Langton, John Langton, Keith Langton, Martin Langton, Pascal Lacey, Ger Gibson and Nessa O’Meara Cardiff. ...