Newbridge 4.49

Newbridge, officially known by its Irish name Droichead Nua, is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. Its population of 21,561 (2011 census) makes it the largest town in Kildare and the fifteenth-largest in Ireland.NameThe Irish language name of the town is the official name, "An Droichead Nua", meaning simply "The New Bridge" and was introduced in the 1930s. Noble and Keenan's map of Kildare 1752, drawn before the town was started, marks 'The New Bridge' in the vicinity of 'Old Connel'. Many of the other places marked on this map (e.g. Ballymanny, Morristown Billars, Roseberry) are still in use in the names of housing estates and streets.HistoryEarly local settlementSettlement in the area dates from the 13th century and the current town is made up of six ancient parishes and portions of others. The parishes are Ballymany, Great Connell, Killashee, Morristown Billar, Old Connell, and Carnalway.Great Connell Priory was an important Priory, founded in 1202 by the Augustinian Canons. This and other sites are a reminder that Newbridge was an early Christian settlement.