Kildare Ireland

Day 90/Ireland 24

Travelled: 279km from Kilkenny to Brownshill Dolmen, Kildare, Monasterevin, Robertstown, Ballybeg and Red Cow P&R Dublin

Stay: Red Cow P&R Dublin €2/4hrs, €4/24hrs N53.3165 W6.3688

We slept quite peacefully after midnight when the music died down. Then we hit the road again nice and early stopping for breakfast at the Brownshill Dolmen carpark. We strolled along the field to have a closer look at the biggest capstone in Ireland weighing in at 100tons. It’s always remarkable at how they managed to move these heavy stones back 5000 years ago. 

We continued our journey northwards to Kildare and went to have a look at St.Brigid’s Cathedral. 

Next to it is the highest round tower in Ireland that can be climbed, boasting 33m and 130steps. We paid €4pp/€2seniors for the privilege and we were rewarded with lovely views at the top.

  We had a quick look at the center of town and continued on. In Monasterevin the Grand Canal crosses the River Barrow. The canal, 131km and with 43 locks from Dublin, was built in 1804 and was used to transporter freight until 1960. Now it is used mainly by pleasure boats. We looked at the aqueduct over the river, another engineering marvel.

Robertstown was a prettier town also on the Grand Canal. 

The hotel is the large brick building.

After a stroll around we decided to go to Ballybeg (little town in Gaelic). It is where Mark’s mother’s ancestors have been traced to. Henry Doolittle was born here in 1600. Later he was to become a farmer. His son Thomas married in Co. Westmeath, so we presume he stayed around. A couple of generations later John Delittle (once a Doolittle), was a builder in Dublin and travelled to Hobart in 1830.

 We chatted to some very friendly locals who gave us a bit of history of the area. 

We then doubled back on the motorway (€4.40 each way) to the outskirts of Dublin to stay at the Red Cow Park and Ride and got ready to visit the capital of Ireland tomorrow.