Athy

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Template:Infobox Irish Place Athy situated about one hours drive south west of Dublin in County Kildare, Ireland is a market town on the convergence of the River Barrow and Grand Canal. The town is named after a second century AD chieftain Ae who was killed on the river crossing thus giving the town its name meaning "the town by Ae's ford".

The town developed from a 12th century Anglo-Norman settlement to an important military outpost on the border of the pale. The first town charter dates from the 16th century and the town hall was constructed in the early 18th century. The completion of the Grand Canal in 1791 and arrival of the railway in 1846 illustrates the importance of the town as a commercial center.

Of the many church ruins in Athy, St. Michael's is perhaps the most ancient. It was built in the fourteenth century. Some of the vestry and sidewalls have disappeared, but there is still some of the original church remaining. The dedication to St. Michael is derived from the St. Michael family who were lords of Athy and it is quite probable that it was this family who were the founders of the church.

The 15th century White Castle, long a private residence, and is said to be opening soon for public visits under its new owner.

Athy also has coarse fishing on the Grand Canal and the River Barrow. Places to stay include the many B&Bs around the town, Forest Farm and Ballindrum House are but two of those available.

Athy is connected to the Irish rail network via the Dublin–Waterford main line.

John Minihan who was Samuel Beckett's official photographer, and was originally from Athy, took a series of world famous photographs of the town. Beginning in the early sixties this body of work showed the changes in the town from that time.

It is famous for being the answer to a question in Larry Gogan's Just A Minute (the sixty-second radio quiz). The question was: Give the name of a town in Kildare that contains a part of the human anatomy. "A thigh" was the required answer, but the contestant named another Kildare town.

Athy contains the only permanent exhibition on Ernest Shackleton, who was born not far from Athy in Kilkea House. The exhibit is housed in the Athy Heritage Center, which has a collection of artifacts from Athy's past as well as some interesting articles from Shackleton's expeditions.

Among the most impressive is a scale model of the Endurance. Each year the Center arranges and hosts the Shackleton Autumn School, with speakers from around the world to speak on different aspects of Antarctica and Shackleton's life in particular.

Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh famously referred to Athy in his poem "Lines written on a Seat on the Grand Canal, Dublin", as a "far-flung town". The town is also recalled in the well-known folk songs "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye", "Lannigans Ball" and "We're on the Road to Sweet Athy". Among Athy's many famous inhabitants are Liam O Flynn of Planxty, the award winning writer John MacKenna, the singer Jack L, You're A Star finalists The Sullivan Brothers and ledgendary musican Robbie Robinson .

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