Kildare

County of the Republic of Ireland, in the province of Leinster; county town Naas; area 1,690 sq km/ 652 sq mi; population (2002) 163,950. The principal rivers are the Barrow, the Boyne, the Lesser Barrow, and the Liffey. Kildare is wet and boggy in the north with extensive grassy plains and rolling hills, and includes part of the Bog of Allen, the highest point being Cupidstown Hill (379 m/1,243 ft). The town of Maynooth houses a constituent part of the National University of Ireland; originally the college was a seminary for Roman Catholic priests. The Curragh, at Tully, is a plain that is the site of the national stud and headquarters of Irish horse racing; steeplechase racing also takes place at Punchestown. Cattle are grazed in the north, and in the south products include wheat, oats, barley, potatoes, beet, and cattle. Other main towns include Athy, Droichead Nua, and Kildare.

Kildare

See Fitzgerald family.