Picture of White's castle Athy Co. Kildare, with swan passing on Barrow River. Photo by Al Geraty 2025.
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White's Castle is a 3 storey tower house dating from 1417 & built to protect the nearby bridge over the River Barrow, it's located in the centre of Athy town in County Kildare, Ireland. The town of Athy is named after a 2nd century chieftan Ae, who is reputed to have been killed in a battle between the men of Munster and the men of Leinster at a ford on the Barrow River. Athy evolved from a 12th century Norman settlement to a market town and stronghold for the Earls Of Kildare.
During the Irish Civil Wars, (1641-1658), White's castle was captured several times. The Confederation leader Owen Roe O'Neill occupied the castle in 1648.
The Irish Confederacy were defeated with the invasion of Oliver Cromwell and his army in 1649 & Cromwell occupied the castle during his time in Kildare. In 1730 it was in use as the town jail until the construction of a new facility on the Carlow road a century later, at a cost of £6,000. The castle was later in use as an RIC barracks & residence for police and their families until 1894.
Picture of White's castle Athy Co. Kildare, with swan passing on Barrow River. Photo by Al Geraty 2025. |
Irish tricolour flag flying aloft White's Castle, March 2025 photo. |
Crom-A-Boo bridge, built in 1796.
 View of Athy town & Crom-A-Boo bridge pictured from White's Castle parapet.
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 Athy town & courthouse pictured from parapet of White's Castle. Athy courthouse - formerly a corn exchange building which opened in 1857. The original building was destroyed by fire during the Irish War of Independence and rebuilt in 1928.
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Athy wall mural photos Wall mural beside the Grand Canal lock in Athy town.
The Barrow Line of the Grand Canal to Athy was completed in 1791 and links the Liffey River in Dublin with the River Shannon at Shannon Harbour and the Barrow at Athy, south of the Cromaboo Bridge.
Discover more on the Grand Canal & Athy history at Irish Waterways.
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Wall mural on Stanhope Street Athy Town featuring Barrow river bridge, swans, butterfly & local flowers.
Photos by Al Geraty 2025. |
In September 2022 A mural paying tribute to Irish and Norwegian explorers Ernest Shackleton and Roald Amundsen was unveiled by Norwegian Ambassador to Ireland Mari Skåre in Athy, Co Kildare.
The mural view was later disrupted following the installation of an ESB substation in close proximity.
However in mid-December 2024 the ESB confirmed that it is in the process of re-engaging with Kildare County Council to re-locate the substation unit.
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 Photo by Al Geraty, November 2025. |
Emily Square, Athy Town center c1900
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 Photo of Barrow River with boats moored near Athy Crom-A-Boo bridge, Co. Kildare.
Athy ancient graveyard & monastic ruins, Saint Michaels Church was in existence in 1297. 
Sunlight on the monastic ruins at Athy, Co. Kildare. photos by Al Geraty 2025. |
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