Heritage · Co. Kildare

Historic buildings and monuments in Co. Kildare

County Kildare has 3,086 recorded archaeological monuments in the national Sites and Monuments Record; the 29 buildings below are the county's entries in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) rated International or National, out of 1,581 recorded post-1700 structures county-wide.

Monuments to visit

Please note that many of these monuments may be on private land and may not be publicly accessible. When setting out to visit monuments please ensure that you wear appropriate footwear and clothing. Access to monuments without Visitor Services may be across uneven ground which may not be suitable for everyone and, in particular, wheelchair users.

  • Castle - Anglo-Norman masonry castle
    This great stone castle was founded in the early 13th century and became the principal residence of the Kildare branch of the Geraldines.
  • Ecclesiastical site
    The ancient church of Old Kilcullen is situated on a high hill with panoramic views over the surrounding countryside.

NIAH buildings rated International or National

National Inventory of Architectural Heritage entries for Co. Kildare, curated to buildings rated International or National.

NameTypePeriodRating
(unnamed record) shop/retail outlet 1755–1770 National
Athy Library library/archive 1960–1970 National
Cassidy and Company mash house 1780–1820 National
Castlemartin demesne walls/gates/railings 1725–1775 National
Catholic Church of Our Lady and Saint David church/chapel 1825–1830 National
Catholic Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul church/chapel 1845–1850 National
Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart and Saint Brigid church/chapel 1865–1875 National
High Bridge bridge 1790–1810 National
Leixlip Castle country house 1835–1840 National
Monasterevin Charter School charter school 1755–1760 National
Moore Abbey convent/nunnery 1765–1775 National
Naas Courthouse court house 1805–1810 National
Naas Town Hall town/county hall 1795–1800 National
Newabbey Catholic Chapel graveyard/cemetery 1680–1720 National
Saint Brigid's Cathedral cathedral 1890–1900 National
Saint Conleth's Catholic Church church/chapel 1845–1860 National
Saint David's Church (Naas) church/chapel 1810–1850 National
Saint James's Church (Castledermot) church/chapel 1830–1835 National
Saint John's Cemetery graveyard/cemetery 1500–1900 National
Saint Mary's Church (Laraghbryan) church/chapel 1855–1860 National
Saint Mary's Church (Leixlip) church/chapel 1780–1820 National
Saint Michael's Old Cemetery graveyard/cemetery 1800–1820 National
Saint Patrick's College university 1796–1815 National
Saint Patrick's College church/chapel 1875–1891 National
Saint Patrick's College building misc 1845–1851 National
The Abbey monastery 1760–1790 National
White Abbey Catholic Church church/chapel 1880–1890 National
White Castle house 1500–1600 National
Wonderful Barn folly 1740–1745 National

Plan a visit around Co. Kildare

NIAH Buildings Open Data, captured June 2026; NMS Monuments to Visit, captured June 2026. Both data.gov.ie, CC-BY 4.0 (Dept of Housing, Local Government and Heritage). See methodology for the curation rule.