Naas

Naas is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. It is a major commuter suburb of Dublin and has experienced rapid growth in recent decades.

Understand

The Irish language name for Naas, Nás na Ríogh literally translates as Meeting Place of the Kings. The town proportedly hosted meetings of pre-Norman Irish kings from the Kingdom of Leinster. After the Norman invasion in 1169–71 AD, some meetings of the Parliament of Ireland were held in the town. Many of the early settlers in Kildare were Cambro-Normans from Wales therefore the medieval church was dedicated to Saint David.

In the Middle Ages, Naas became a walled market town and was occasionally raided by the O'Byrne and O'Toole clans from the nearby area which became County Wicklow.

A mayor and council were selected by the richer merchants and landowners. The mayor was titled the "Sovereign of Naas" and carried a ceremonial mace until the post was abolished in 1840. Naas became known as the "county town" of County Kildare because of its importance as a place for trading, public meetings,local administration including law courts, racecourse and the army's now defunct Devoy Barracks.

More recently, Naas's proximity to Dublin has led to it becoming a commuter town for many of those working in Dublin, aided by the development of significant transport infrastructure such as the M7 motorway.

Get in

By car

Naas is about 30 minutes southwest of Dublin, accessible via junctions 9 or 10 of the N7.

By bus

The Bus Eireann 126 bound for Kildare from Bus Aras in Dublin (the main bus station) serves Naas. This also stops outside Heuston Station in Dublin en route. It costs approx €6 one way.

By train

By train you can take a train to the nearby 🌍 Sallins and Naas station from Heuston Station in Dublin. There is a regular shuttle between Sallins and Naas town centre which takes under 10 minutes.

Get around

Naas is a very small town so everywhere is within walking distance. It is well served by taxis. There are ranks in Poplar Square and at the town hall on Main St.

See
  • 🌍 Canal Harbour, Basin St.. 
  • 🌍 St. David's Church, North Main St. Parts of this church date back as far as the 12th century and it is thought that the site was connected to St Patrick and his missionary work. 

Do

Buy

Eat
  • 🌍 Butt Mullins, Poplar Square, ☎ +353 45 874252. A family-owned, well-established restaurant in the town centre. Great for typical Irish food. Offers catch of the day seafood. 
  • 🌍 Trax Brasserie, Friary Rd, ☎ +353 45 889333. We-Sa 17:00-22:00 Su 13:00-16:00, 17:00-20:30. Probably the best restaurant in Naas. A very reasonable steak house with set menus. Early birds: 3 courses for €25.. (updated Apr 2016)
  • 🌍 Vie De Chateux, Harbour View, ☎ +353 45 888478, e-mail: . Mo-Sa 18:00-22-00 We-Fr 12:00-14:30 Su 13:00-21:00. High end French restaurant with top-class cuisine. 2 course dinner from €24.50. (updated Apr 2016)
  • VDC@home (On Friary Rd). Owned by Vie De Chateux. Bright little cafe. Great for fresh sandwiches, ice-cream and coffee. 
  • Yum Yums (Opposite VDC). Known for its hearty sandwiches. Try the chocolate fudge cake. 
  • Aprile Takeaway, Fairgreen street, ☎ +353 45 831133, +353 45 889295, e-mail: . Mo-Su noon-midnight. Fresh food, fair prices (updated Sep 2018)

Drink
  • Court Pub. Late bar that draws 25+ age group. Cover charge after 23:00. Nice courtyard garden which shows matches on the big screen in the summer. 
  • 🌍 Graces, 1 North Main St, ☎ +353 45 895408, e-mail: . Good for sports and lunch during the week. Draws a younger lively crowd on weekends with live music, DJ and drinks promotions on weekends. 
  • 🌍 Haydens, 9 Poplar Square (On the main street), ☎ +353 45 866544. If you want a genuine Irish pub then look for this place. Lots of little snugs, good Guinness and live Irish music a few nights a week. A local favourite. 
  • 🌍 Kavanaghs, 10 North Main St, ☎ +353 45 897423, e-mail: . A quiet and relaxed typical Irish pub. Busy all week. Get there early on weekends to get a good seat. Restaurant upstairs, Irish food with a modern twist. 
  • McCormacks. Has all age groups and a lively atmosphere. 
  • Time Bar and Venue (The Osprey Hotel) (Slightly outside town, shuttle buses run from Poplar Square from 22:00 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights). The bar is in the Osprey Hotel and attracts 30+ age group. The nightclub is generally 18 to 25 year olds. 

Sleep

Connect

Go next

Regular buses pass through Naas town en route to Newbridge, Kildare, Portlaoise and Limerick. Enter route number 126 for details. Buses leave from Poplar Square outside the Spar shop and outside the main post office.

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