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Naas

An Nás / Nás na Ríogh (Irish)

Town

View of the town and of Naas General Hospital

Seal

Motto(s):

Prudens ut Serpens (Latin)
Wise as a Serpent

Naas

Location in Ireland

Country

Kildare County Council

Dáil Éireann

Kildare North

European Parliament

Midlands–North-West

Elevation

114 m (374 ft)

Population

(2022)

26,180

Time zone

UTC±0 (WET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+1 (IST)

Eircode

W91

Telephone area code

045

Irish Grid Reference

N893196

Naas (pronounced NAYSS) is a busy town in County Kildare, Ireland. It is the main town of the county. In 2022, about 26,180 people lived there. This makes Naas the biggest town in County Kildare. It is also the fourteenth-largest urban area in all of Ireland.

Discovering Naas's Past

Naas Town Hall

The name Naas has a long history. In the Irish language, it has been called different things. One name, Nás na Ríogh, means 'Place of Assembly of the Kings'. Another, An Nás, simply means 'the Place of Assembly'. A third name, Nás Laighean, means 'Place of assembly of the Leinster Men'.

Myths and Legends of Naas

Old Irish stories say that Naas got its name from a woman named Nás. She was a wife of Lugh, a powerful figure from ancient Irish myths. It is believed that Nás was buried on a hill called The Moat Hill (Dún Nás). Lugh was also said to have held his royal court here.

An old book called the Book of Leinster talks about the history of places. It includes verses about Naas. These verses suggest that the town was named after Nás because she died there. They describe Naas as a famous place with strong laws.

Naas in the Middle Ages

During the Middle Ages, Naas grew into a walled market town. This meant it had walls around it to protect its people and markets. Sometimes, groups from nearby areas would attack Naas. To keep the town safe, walls were built around 1415. Naas even appeared on an old map from 1598, shown as 'Nosse'.

Royal Charters and Local Government

In 1409, King Henry IV of England gave Naas its first special document, called a charter. This charter allowed the town to have its own local government. It was run by officials called Portreeves and Burgesses. In 1413, King Henry let the town collect money at its entrances. This money was used to make the town walls and gates stronger.

Local business owners and landowners chose a mayor and a council. Naas became known as the "county town" of County Kildare. This was because it was a key place for trading, meetings, and local government. Law courts and even the army used to be based here. Sometimes, the Parliament of Ireland (like a government meeting) would meet in Naas, too.

Saint David's Castle is an old Norman castle from the 13th century. It was first built around 1210. The building you see today is an 18th-century fortified house.

In 1568, Queen Elizabeth I gave the town a new charter. This created a new leader for the town called the Sovereign.

Challenges and Changes in Naas

On March 3, 1577, a leader named Lord Rory O'More burned Naas. He did this to get revenge for his family, who had been killed by English officials. An English leader at the time described the attack as very fierce.

Later, in 1609, King James I gave Naas another charter. This allowed the town's leader to have a special officer carry a ceremonial mace (a fancy staff) in front of them. In 1628, another charter gave the town the right to make its own local rules, as long as they followed the country's laws.

In 1798, one of the first battles of the Irish Rebellion happened in Naas. On May 24, about 1,000 rebels attacked the town but were defeated.

Over time, the way Naas was governed changed. In 1840, the old town council was replaced. Then, in 1898, the Naas Urban District Council was set up. This later became Naas Town Council. However, in 2014, Naas Town Council was closed down. Now, Kildare County Council manages the whole county, including Naas. Naas Town Hall was originally built in 1796 as a jail.

Modern Amenities in Naas

St. David's church

Canal Harbour, Basin Street

Canal from Abbey Bridge

South Main Street

Naas has many useful places for its residents. These include Naas General Hospital, a hospital for medical care. For sports fans, there's Naas Racecourse and Mondello Park International Motor Racing Circuit. The town also has a library, a 200-seat Moat Theatre for shows, and a five-screen Odeon cinema. You can find a tax office, a district court, and local government offices here. Naas also has several supermarkets, pubs, schools, hotels, and nightclubs.

Naas's Economy and Shopping

Naas is home to important businesses. Kerry Group has a big technology and innovation center here. International Fund Services, a State Street company, also has offices in the town.

The town center of Naas has many shops, restaurants, and boutiques. There are also new retail parks and shopping centers on the edges of town. A large shopping center on Monread Road opened in 2010. It has Ireland's biggest Tesco Superstore. Other retail parks offer stores like Harvey Norman, PC World, B&Q, Smyths Toys, and Halfords.

The Naas/Sallins area has two Aldi supermarkets, two Lidl stores, and two Supervalu supermarkets. There's also a Tesco Extra and a smaller Tesco Metro in the town center. A new Dunnes Stores food hall opened in 2019. JYSK, a Danish home store, opened its first Irish shop in Naas in 2019. Aldi also has a large distribution center in Jigginstown, Naas.

Places of Worship in Naas

Naas has several churches for different faiths. There are two Roman Catholic churches. The older one is the Church of Our Lady and St. David, built in 1827. The second Catholic Church, dedicated to the Irish Martyrs, opened in 1997. The town also has a Church of Ireland church, St David's Church. There is also a Presbyterian church, Naas Presbyterian Church, built in the Victorian period. An old Augustinian Friary was founded in the late 14th century.

Local Media in Naas

Naas is a hub for local media. Kfm 97.3FM – 97.6FM, County Kildare's local radio station, is based here. The Leinster Leader, a regional newspaper, also has its offices in Naas. Kildare TV, a local television station, is based in the area too.

Getting Around Naas

"Perpetual Motion", located at the north end of the Naas bypass, created by Rachel Joynt and Remco de Fouw in 1995.

Naas is well-connected by roads. The nearby N7 Naas Road links the town to Dublin and the M50 motorway (Ireland). The M7 Motorway connects Naas to the South and South West of Ireland. A motorway is a major highway designed for fast travel.

The original Naas railway station opened in 1855 but closed for passengers in 1947. It was used for goods trains for a while and then closed completely in 1959. Today, people from Naas who travel to Dublin use the Sallins and Naas railway station, which is located in nearby Sallins.

Bus services are provided by companies like Go-Ahead Ireland, JJ Kavanagh and Sons, and Dublin Coach. Popular routes include the Go-Ahead Ireland route 126 to Dublin city center and services to Dublin Airport.

The N7 Naas Road was improved in 2006. It now has six lanes and special interchanges to help traffic flow smoothly. A new junction for the M7, called Junction 9a, was finished in April 2021. It helps connect to Clane, Millennium Park, and the Sallins Bypass.

Major Roads Connecting Naas

M7 Motorway – This road connects Naas with Limerick. It also links to Cork (via the M8) and Waterford (via the M9).
N7 (R448 N From Monread Boulevard to Maudlins Interchange) – This road connects Naas with Dublin.
R410 – Connects Naas with Blessington.
R411 – Connects Naas with Ballymore Eustace.
R448 – Connects Naas with Kilcullen.
R445 – Connects Naas with Newbridge.
R409 – Connects Naas with Caragh.
R407 – Connects Naas with Sallins, Maynooth, Clane and Celbridge.
(South Outer Ring) – This road connects the Limerick Road at Primrose (West Naas) with the Blessington Road at Mountain View (East Naas).
(Millennium Blvd Ring Road) – This road connects the Limerick Road at Newhall Interchange M7 with Monread Road at Millennium Roundabout.

Learning and Education in Naas

Naas has excellent schools for young people. There are five secondary schools:

St. Mary's College Naas (for girls)
Meanscoil Iognáid Rís Nás na Riogh (Naas CBS) (for boys)
Piper's Hill College (a mixed school)
Naas Community College (a mixed school)
Gaelcholáiste Chill Dara (a mixed Irish-speaking school)

For younger students, Naas has several primary schools:

Convent of Mercy (a girls' school)
St. Corban's Boys National School (a school for boys)
Scoil Bhríde, Ballycane (a mixed school)
St. David's (a mixed school)
Gaelsoil Nás na Ríogh (an Irish-speaking school)
Killashee National School (a mixed school)
Naas Community National School (a mixed school)

Naas also has a public library located near the canal harbour. There are plans to move it to the town center soon.

Sports and Fun in Naas

Naas offers many ways to enjoy sports and leisure activities.

Arts and Entertainment

The Moat Theatre is a great place for performances. It has 200 seats and hosts local and national plays, live music, and other events.

Team Sports

Naas GAA is the local Gaelic Athletic Association club. They have won many county championships in Gaelic football and hurling.
For soccer, there are several clubs like Naas AFC Soccer Club, Redwood Naas FC, Monread FC Soccer Club, and Naas United FC Soccer Club. Many of these play in the Kildare and District Football League.
Other team sports include Naas Rugby Club, Naas Hockey Club, and Naas Cycling Club.

Individual Sports and Activities

Naas Panthers Gymnastics Academy offers gymnastics.
Naas Lawn Tennis Club has 11 courts for tennis players.
Naas Athletic Club is located on the Caragh Road for track and field.
Naas Golf Club is one of three local golf clubs, though it's actually in Sallins.

Equestrian Activities

The area is famous for horse-related activities.

Naas Racecourse is about 1 km from the town center.
Punchestown Racecourse is just south-west of the town. The annual Punchestown Race Festival is a big event every April.
Osborne Stables is also based at Craddockstown, Naas.

There are also several swimming pools and leisure centers in the area for staying active.

Famous People from Naas

Many interesting people have connections to Naas:

Charlie Donnelly (born 1983) is a racing driver.
Marian Finucane (1950–2020) was a well-known radio presenter and television host who lived in Naas.
Jamie Heaslip (born 1983) is a famous rugby union player for Ireland and Leinster.
Geordan Murphy (born 1978) is another rugby union player who played for Ireland and Leicester Tigers.
Michael Roe (born 1955) is a racing driver.
James Roe Jr. (born 1998) is also a racing driver.
Andrew Strong (born 1973) is a singer and actor, known for his role in the movie The Commitments. He grew up in Naas.
Larry Tompkins (born 1963) is a Gaelic football manager.