Rathangan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Rathangan Ráth Iomgháin |
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| Location | ||
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| Irish Grid Reference N668196 |
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| Statistics | ||
| Province: | Leinster | |
| County: | County Kildare | |
| Population (2002) | 1811 | |
| Website: www.rathangan.ie | ||
Rathangan (Ráth Iomgháin in Irish) is a town in the west of County Kildare in the Republic Of Ireland. Rathangan is 40 miles from the centre of Dublin, and 9 miles from Kildare town. The Slate River and the Grand Canal run through the town and over the years have contributed to its success.
Rathangan is situated beside the Bog of Allen and is in close proximity to flatlands of the Curragh. In recent years the town has grown significantly to become a big commuter base for people working in Dublin, and a current housing boom swell the population in the coming years.
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[edit] History
The Rath or Fort of Iomghain from which the town gets its name has been dated to between 600 A.D - 700 A.D and is situated to the northwest of the modern town on the Clonbulloge road. The arrival of the Grand Canal in the late 18th century brought increased business and prosperity which is relected today in the architecture evident in the town.
Bord na Móna's increased activity in the 1940's boosted the population and the number of transient workers, but the closure of the canal systems and the decline of bog based interests of Bord na Móna led to a decline in the towns fortunes. This in turn led to an increase in immigration by the town's young people.
The upturn of Ireland's economy in the 1990s again led to increased prosperity, and the extension of the M7 through the nearby towns of Kildare and Monasterevin has made Dublin more accessible, leading to a housing boom in the town.
[edit] Sports
The primary sporting activities in Rathangan are Gaelic Football (Rathangan GAA), Tennis, Soccer and Hurling. Meggers or horseshoe pitching also takes place in the summer. Rathangan is famed for coarse angling for roach, bream, perch and hybrids. Trout have been caught in the Slate River on occasion. Winter Sports revolve around hunting and shooting.
[edit] Lughnasa Festival
The first Rathangan Lughnasa festival was held during the August Bank Holiday in 2004 to celebrate Arts & Crafts, Music, Literature, History and Sport of the town. It's success has meant that the festival has been adopted as a yearly event. Jerry Fish and the Mudbug Club, The Blizzards, The Walls, Jack L and John Spillane have all performed in the town as part of the Lughnasa since 2004.
[edit] Famous People
- Maura Laverty - a famous writer and novelist.
- William A.Byrne - poet.
- Brian Dowling - winner of Big Brother in 2002, ex-presenter of SMTV and presenter of The Mint.
