Photos Castledermot

Castledermot's derelict Main Street

2008-06-05T15:06:00.006+01:00

As regular visitor to Castledermot in the past year, I can't help but notice the boarded up derelict buildings which 'adorn' both sides of the street as you enter the town from Dublin.
This state of affairs is not specific to Castledermot as you will see the same scenario in many Irish towns where there are people who own properties and who don't use them themselves and who won't make the properties available to anyone else at reasonable rent.
Of course, there are other factors to be considered but, in certain cases, county and Town Councils could play a roll if they had the will to do so.
There was a piece in the Kildare Nationalist in May highlighting this issue.
At the end of the article they have printed the reply from the mouthpiece of Kildare County Council, Charlie Talbot who said: “Kildare County Council is working on dealing with derelict sites in the county and all will be captured in due course”.
In my experience, by the time Mr Talbot and his cohorts in 'The Council' get around to doing anything positive, the buildings will have fallen.

Below are some photos taken around Castledermot in late Aug 2008

Castledermot...May 08

2008-05-09T19:21:00.008+01:00

Castledermot...April 08

2008-04-30T13:25:00.010+01:00

It' a brave man who faces the wife every night sober!

Two photos of the nice little green in the town.

The 'Antiques Roadshow' has moved on.

Castledermot, like everywhere else in Ireland, has it's share of 'intellectuals'.

There is NO glass in the phone box.

The Athy road during road works which are a constant feature of the town while it gets ready to be by-passed by the under construction M9.

This used to be the old courthouse.

I found these two swans in a little lake very close to Castledermot.
Can't say where as I don't want them disturbed.

"Cosy and warm inside"...That used to be a logo for Peter Murphy's cinema...history now.

Castledermot National School.

This house used to be used as an extra classroom by the old Vocational School in the 60's.

Carlow Gate...I believe.

High Cross Inn...08

2008-04-23T21:19:00.006+01:00

Back in the 50's and 60's this pub was owned by Bob Byrne and it was here that I saw television in a pub for the first time in about 1963. Ireland didn't have TV until 1961 and I remember how we used to be 'glued' to Bat Masterson. Charles Mitchell read the news and some people believed that he could see them watching.
At that time, Bob Byrne's was your typical country shop/store selling fuel - solid and liquid - groceries, animal feeds and, of course, drink.
The pub was later taken over by the father of the present owner who is John Clynch...a local man who has a photo in the bar of himself and the actor Clint Eastwood who called in one day. A couple of minutes down the road is Kilkea Castle. A must visit if you are in the area. Close by are the townlands of Bolton Hill, Hobartstown, Belan, Sherrifhill, Marshalstown and Ballyvass with the villages of Timolin and Moone - where you can see a real High Cross - just down the Dublin road.
All the photos below are from a little park at the front of the premises.

The 'gadget' is called a Culm Crusher. It was used in the mixing of anthracite with clay in order to make the the mixture suitable for burning in domestic fires.
More detailed information can be found HERE and HERE

Photos from Castledermot Town...Spring 2008

2008-03-19T16:24:00.021Z

Photos on this page all taken March 2008.

First five photos are of Castledermot Abbey.

More information links on Castledermot Abbey:
Groses's Antiquities of Ireland"
Wikipedia
Forgotten Ireland...More Photos
Megalithomania

No area in Ireland is safe from the 'Skanger Culture'. The first two photos above are of a little stream at the back of the abbey which is littered with empty beer cans.
The other two photos are of a tree lined avenue from the main street to St John's Tower. On the day I took these photos I came upon a group of teenagers in the graveyard beside the tower. Having seen a trail of beer cans, I beat a hasty retreat.
At the moment, Ireland is plagued by groups of drunken teenagers who regularly 'take over' amenity areas and who intimidate other people to amuse themselves.

The two photos above are from St John's tower and church.

This building used to be the old Vocational School headed by Michael Hunt when I attended in the early sixties.

Castledermot... Vintage Working Day (Part 2)

2008-03-16T22:33:00.006Z

All photos on this page and this page are from Threshing & Vintage Working Day which was held in Castledermot on 23 Sep 2007.

Castledermot... Vintage Working Day (Part 1)

2008-03-16T22:05:00.004Z

The organizers were very lucky weatherwise as the rain threatened on numerous occasions. Could have done with more light.

Below is a report on the event from Kildare.ie

Castledermot hosted its first vintage day on Sunday 23rd September 2007 on the Corcoran farm on the Tullow Road, Castledermot, Co. Kildare.

Mrs Sheila Galbally - centre - enjoys the threshing The event was in memory of Ann Hyland (née Corcoran) of Rosebran, Athy, (and formerly of St. Mels’, Walkinstown and Davidstown, Castledermot), who passed away from cancer on 4th July 2007. It was organised by her extended family and friends, the Corcorans, Hylands, and Horans, who wanted to fulfil Ann’s wish to have a threshing day on the farm where she grew up, and raise money for cancer care services in our local Kildare hospital in Naas.

It was Castledermot’s FIRST vintage day and it was a phenomenal success, raising over €22,000, which completely exceeded our expectations. For our first vintage day that was organised in the space of about six weeks, we are ecstatic about the large sum raised for the cancer care services in Naas Hospital (in particular we hope to buy special palliative care beds for cancer patients).

vintage steam engine The event kicked off on Saturday night, 22nd September with a parade of steam engines through the town of Castledermot and a benefit night in The Castle Inn, Castledermot, where there was a display of steam engines and the traditional steam-powered carnival organ playing, as well as music, barbeque and a raffle with some fantastic prizes. The threshing and vintage day on Sunday 23rd was a great success, with lovely weather and a fantastic turn-out on the day, with a huge crowd attending (in excess of 1000 people and over 150 vintage machines).

All the Fun of the Fair Everyone commented on how enjoyable the day was for the young and old, with a perfect traditional, informal, non-commercialised feel to the event. There were threshing machines in operation, several steam engines, and a huge display and parade of all sorts of vintage tractors, trucks, fire engines, cars, and so much more. Fan of vintage particularly enjoyed the parade of a wide array of vintage tractors, steam engines, trucks, fire engines, and cars.

Families had a great day out, with all the sideshows and stalls, the funfair, and lots of competitions, with the welly-throwing and sheaf-pitching competitions going down particularly well.

Winners of the sheaf-pitching were Joe Kehoe for the men’s and Eibhlin Haughney in the women’s competition. Seamus Corcoran won the men’s title for the welly-throwing competition and the Hyland families were particularly successful in the women’s and children’s welly-throwing with Miss Hyland of Ballyfoyle winning the women’s, and Bridget and Maura Hyland winning prizes in the children’s competition.

The event was a wonderful memorial to Ann Hyland, and a special day for the Corcoran and Hyland families, who were deeply touched by the fantastic support. There was a large contingent from Castledermot and Athy, and counties of Kildare, Carlow, Kilkenny, Dublin, Wicklow, Wexford, and further afield with some people travelling from as far as Louth and England to be there on the day.

The event is most definitely going to become an annual occurrence with everyone promising to return next year for an even bigger event. We would like to say a heart-felt “Thank You” to everyone for their support and hope that they will continue to support Castledermot Threshing and Vintage Working Day for years to come.

Thanks to all who helped organise the event and all who volunteered to help on the day. We want to thank all our sponsors, including Horans Maxol & Mace Service Station Castledermot, Walsh Civil Engineering, The Dales Pub Castledermot, The Castle Inn Castledermot, Woodies DIY, Kilkea Castle, Ramada Killerig, TopGifts.ie, Walshes Pub Killerig, Keatley Concrete, Bord na Mona, Deasy Photography Newbridge, Celtic Hampers, Curragh Golf Club, Athy Golf Club, Tom Kearney Construction Castledermot, John Horan & Sons, Anthony Quinn (QDC Builders Limited), and so many more who gave donations and prizes.

See you all again next year at Castledermot Threshing & Vintage Working Day.

Around Castledermot ...Jan 08

2008-03-12T22:27:00.002Z

ALL PHOTOS ON THIS PAGE TAKEN EARLY 2008

Ruins of old forge at Corballis cross roads about 3km from Castledermot.

The scarecrow was 'made' for the kids in Plunketstown, Castledermot 2007 for Halloween. Still there March 2008.

Some rabbit 'real estate' near Castledermot. The owner was gone to the shopping center to buy some decking.

A winter lake in a field just over Crop Hill, Castledermot.

These four 'items' were once cutting edge technology and now lie forgotten near Castledermot.

Old stone farmhouse Hobartstown, Castledermot where I spent the first 18 years of my life. Who am I?

Huge Monkey Puzzle tree outside Moone National School just north of Castledermot.

The four photos above are from Mullaghcreelan Wood near Kilkea Castle on the Castledermot-Athy road. Taken as the Winter sun was going down. John McKenna country