Places near here
Photo credits
- National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- William Murphy from Dublin, Ireland, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Alvesgaspar, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Sitomon, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
- AugusteBlanqui, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
- C O'Flanagan, Geograph · CC BY-SA 2.0
Saint Mary's Catholic ChurchPresbytery/parochial/curate's house · 220 ydExplorer Tom Saint Mary's in Maynooth was built because someone bet a priest they couldn't finish it before Easter Sunday. The porch looks like an apology for that specific deadline, but the whole thing still stands proud. Find a local and ask them the real story behind it.
Amicus AmericanisMemorial · 283 ydExplorer Tom Amicus Americanis would bring a bag of potato chips and a really bad joke to any party it attended. It’s basically a friendship bracelet for nations, but made out of very expensive and dusty stone. Ideal place to rehearse an excuse for being late, just stand there looking thoughtful.
MariavilleHouse · 321 ydExplorer Tom Mariaville in Maynooth has made a New Year's resolution to stop showing off so much. Its roughcast and brick mix is just too fancy for its own good. Bring your own legend, I've run out of time.
Saint MaryMemorial · 460 ydExplorer Tom Saint Mary is convinced the postman is trying to deliver bills directly to heaven through her window. She keeps checking the mail slot for winged envelopes that never seem to arrive on time. Bring a coin for luck and keep it in your pocket.
Maynooth CastleHeritage attraction · 468 ydExplorer Tom Maynooth Castle stood where two streams meet, a clever place to build if you like water on your side. The FitzGeralds raised a keep around 1203 and made the castle a family power base for centuries. Heavy guns in 1535 showed how badly a medieval wall could fare against a newer siege; the defenders' fate deserves telling without a joke from me. Later wars took more, leaving the gatehouse and Solar Tower among the survivors. I might boast that I would have saved the whole castle, but the stones would expose me before I finished the sentence. Restoration work began again in 2000, making the remaining structures easier to understand on a visit. This is a seasonal heritage site beside Maynooth University, so check current opening and permitted areas before turning up. Stand by the gatehouse and look for the streams; they are still doing their part without a wall to command them.
Common Lime500 ydExplorer Tom There’s another Common Lime across the sea that thinks it’s this tree’s imaginary twin, but they’ve never actually met. They probably argue about which one gets to drop more leaves in autumn. Bring a map, get lost anyway, that's the fun.
CastleCastle, Anglo-Norman masonry castle · 509 ydExplorer Tom The Castle in Maynooth had a fox take charge of the kitchen once. Apparently, the rodents were terrified and very well fed that year. Hang around long enough and you'll hear a story from a local.
European Yew566 ydExplorer Tom European Yew in County Kildare is in the middle of a fairy dispute over parking rights. The little guys are furious about the lack of space. Ideal stop for a big stretch and a bigger yawn.
Enclosure in MaynoothEnclosure · 753 ydExplorer Tom Enclosure in Maynooth would tell its younger self to stop worrying about the landscaping mounds that are currently smothering it like a heavy duvet. It’s just a cropmark now, but it used to be a proper circle with opinions and boundaries. Pop by and tell it it's looking well.
National Science MuseumMuseum · 847 ydExplorer Tom National Science Museum is proud of its one interactive exhibit that hasn’t worked since 2018 but everyone still pretends it’s broken because they’re shy. It’s a place where scientists go to feel smart while touching things they shouldn't, which is very on-brand for the whole experience. Pretend you're a lost aristocrat, nobody will check.
Ecclesiastical enclosure in Laraghbryan EastEcclesiastical enclosure · 1315 ydExplorer Tom Ecclesiastical enclosure in Laraghbryan East promised glory that never arrived because the priest got stuck in traffic. It’s just a shallow ditch now, minding its own business while the castle down the road gets all the credit. Take a breath of that air, it's older than your car.
Moygaddy Tower HouseRuins · 1471 yd
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