County Kildare is located and adjoins County Dublin to the south west of the capital of Ireland. Indeed, much of the county makes up the Greater Dublin Area, with many of the towns often confused as being suburbs of the city. Kildare also borders Meath, Offaly, Carlow and Wicklow. Naas and Newbridge are the two largest towns in County Kildare and the population is constituted of commuter families of Dublin origin and natives. Maynooth, Celbridge and Leixlip are practically in Dublin. Maynooth is the home of National University of Ireland and St Patricks Seminary Training College. Kildare is noted for the presence of the giant Intel factory and campus, located between Leixlip and Maynooth, which employs nearly 6,000 people in a county where technology and pharmaceutical industries dominate.
Most people will, however, always associate Kildare as the centre of the Irish horse industry and it is too a huge contributor to jobs and wealth in the county. Kildare has more stud farms than any other county in Ireland, with the rich flatlands of the county and the huge commons that is the Curragh of Kildare, making it ideal horse training territory. This is reflected in actual racing activity at the three courses in the county, The Curragh, which hosts all the flat racing classics, including the Irish Derby, Punchestown, which is more National Hunt (jumps) orientated (and also holds equestrian events) and the Naas track which features both flat and jump meetings. Kildare is also home to the state owned National Stud Farm, the National Equestrian Centre in Kill, and Goff's Equine Auction centre (also in Kill). Most of Ireland's prominent show jumping competitors are located in, or come from county Kildare, especially the areas near Kilcock and Sallins. Several prominent international breeders have substantial stud farms in Kildare, including many from the Arab world.
Kildare has much more to offer in the other well populated areas. Luxury hotels are in abundance and those seeking golf are well catered for by the K-Club in the up-market village of Straffan (host of the 2006 Ryder Cup) and Carton Demense, near Maynooth. Part of the National Stud is devoted to the Kildare Japanese Gardens which is a “must see” attraction on any itinerary. Castletown House in Celbridge has both stunning gardens and a feast of architecture, including the dubious “Connollys’s Folly” monument on the grounds. Also worth visiting if there if motor racing rather than horseracing is in your blood, is the Mondello Car Racing Track between Naas and Newbridge. Here they provide track days for car owner enthusiasts and host international events.
Kildare is not Dublin, even if commentators describe it as such sometimes. It has a proud, wonderful heritage with an identity all of its own. It is not a large county so all the sights are in great proximity. Perhaps the name one of its villages describes the place best of all – Prosperous!
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