Kildare Cill Dara
—  Town  â€”
Saint Brigid's Cathedral
Kildare Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 53°09′28″N 6°54′41″W / 53.15772°N 6.91128°W / 53.15772; -6.91128Coordinates: 53°09′28″N 6°54′41″W / 53.15772°N 6.91128°W / 53.15772; -6.91128
Country	Ireland
Province	Leinster
County	County Kildare
Elevation	105 m (344 ft)
Population (2011)[1]
• Total	8,142
Irish Grid Reference	N726124

Round Tower Kildare

Kildare Cathedral

Kildare (Irish: Cill Dara, meaning "church of the oak") is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. Its population of 8,412 (2011 Census^[4]) makes it the eighth largest town in County Kildare and the 55th largest in the state, with a growth rate of 8.0pc since the 2006 census. Although Kildare gives its name to the county, Naas is the county town. The town lies on the R445, some 50 km west of Dublin – near enough for it to have become, despite being a regional centre in its own right, a commuter town for the capital.

History[link]

Rich in heritage and history, Kildare Town dates from the 5th Century, when it was the site of the original �Church of the Oak' and monastery founded by St. Brigid. This became one of the three most important Christian foundations in Celtic Ireland.

It was said that Brigid's mother was a Christian and that Brigid was reared in her father's family, that is with the children of his lawful wife. From her mother, Brigid learned dairying and the care of the cattle, and these were her occupations after she made a vow to live a life of holy chastity. Both St. Mel of Ardagh and Bishop Mac Caille have been credited with the consecration of Brigid and some companions, after which the woman established a community beneath an oak tree, on a hill on the edge of the Curragh. Hence the name Cill Dara, the church of the oak.

Not too far away, on Dun Ailinne, lived the King of Leinster who had donated the site to the holy woman. A story told was that the King offered Brigid as much land as her cloak would cover. When she spread her garment it miraculously stretched out to embrace the entire Curragh. True to his promise, the King gave her the fertile plain, and there the new community grazed their sheep and cows.

Birth of British motor racing[link]

On Thursday, 2 July 1903 the Gordon Bennett Cup ran through Kildare. It was the first international motor race to be held in Great Britain, an honorific to Selwyn Edge who had won the 1902 event in Paris driving a Napier. The Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland wanted the race to be hosted in the British Isles, and their secretary, Claude Johnson, suggested Ireland as the venue because racing was illegal on British public roads. The editor of the Dublin Motor News, Richard Mecredy, suggested an area in County Kildare, and letters were sent to 102 Irish MPs, 90 Irish peers, 300 newspapers, 34 chairmen of county and local councils, 34 County secretaries, 26 mayors, 41 railway companies, 460 hoteliers, 13 PPs, plus the Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, Patrick Foley, who pronounced himself in favour. Local laws had to be adjusted, ergo the 'Light Locomotives (Ireland) Bill' was passed on 27 March 1903. Kildare and other local councils drew attention to their areas, whilst Queen’s County declared That every facility will be given and the roads placed at the disposal of motorists during the proposed race. Eventually Kildare was chosen, partly on the grounds that the straightness of the roads would be a safety benefit. As a compliment to Ireland the British team chose to race in Shamrock green^[b] which thus became known as British racing green, although the winning Napier of 1902 had been painted Olive green.^[5][6][7][8]

The route consisted of two loops that comprised a figure of eight, the first was a 52-mile (84 km) loop that included Kilcullen, The Curragh, Kildare, Monasterevin, Stradbally, Athy, followed by a 40-mile (64 km) loop through Castledermot, Carlow, and Athy again. The race started at the Ballyshannon cross-roads (53°05′07″N 6°49′12″W / 53.0853°N 6.82°W / 53.0853; -6.82) near Calverstown on the contemporary N78 heading north, then followed the N9 north; the N7 west; the N80 south; the N78 north again; the N9 south; the N80 north; the N78 north again. Competitors were started at seven minute intervals and had to follow bicycles through the 'control zones' in each town. The 328 miles (528 km) race was won by the famous Belgian Camille Jenatzy, driving a Mercedes in German colours.^[6][9]

Places of interest[link]

• St. Brigid's Cathedral and Norman tower House in the town center
• St Brigid's Well on the outskirts of the town,
• Father Moore's Well on the Milltown Road
• The National Stud and Japanese Gardens.
• The Curragh Race Course Just outside the town

People[link]

• Alan Dukes: Former leader of Fine Gael and Irish government minister
• Bláthnaid McKenna: Miss Ireland 2007
• Damien Leith: Winner of Australian Idol 2006.
• Timmy Murphy: Winner of the 2008 Grand National.
• Ray D'Arcy : TV presenter and radio host.
• Charles Ancliffe : Composer
• Sharon Condon: member of girlband Wonderland
• Damien Rice : Singer
• Richard Hughes : Jockey
• Pat Eddery : Former Jockey
• Seamie Heffernan : Jockey
• Sea the Stars Racehorse(John Oxx)
• Damien Molony : Actor

Politics[link]

Kildare Town lies in the Kildare South Dáil constituency and the Kildare Local Electoral Area of Kildare County Council.

Sports Clubs[link]

Transport[link]

Bus Eireann operates an expressway service between Dublin and Cork which calls at Kildare, whilst Aircoach operate a similar service that also calls at Dublin Airport.

Kildare railway station is located on the Dublin-Cork mainline and is served by the south western commuter service.

See also[link]

• List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Kildare)
• List of towns and villages in Ireland
• Market Houses in Ireland

Notes[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Kildare town
• Kildare Toastmasters
• Kildare railway station
• Kildare town history
• The Irish National Stud
• The Irish National Stud - Japanese Gardens
• kildare.ie

v t e Places in County Kildare County town: Naas Towns Athy Clane Kilcock Kildare Kill Leixlip Maynooth Monasterevin Naas Newbridge Prosperous Rathangan Sallins Villages and Townlands Allen Allenwood Ardclogh Ballitore Ballymore Eustace Calverstown Caragh Carbury Castledermot Coill Dubh Celbridge Derrinturn Eadestown Hawkfield Johnstown Kilberry Kilcullen Kildangan Kilmead Kilmeage Kilteel Lullymore Milltown Moone Narraghmore Nurney Robertstown Straffan Staplestown Suncroft Timolin Landforms Bog of Allen Cupidstown Hill Curragh Grand Canal Hill of Allen River Barrow River Boyne River Liffey River Rye Royal Canal Topics Geography of County Kildare List of National Monuments in County Kildare List of townlands in County Kildare Mountains and hills of County Kildare Rivers of County Kildare

Christy Moore
Christy Moore in Liverpool Philharmonic , October 2008.
Background information
Birth name	Christopher Andrew Moore
Born	(1945-05-07) 7 May 1945 (age 67)
Origin	Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland
Genres	Folk, traditional Irish, Pop
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, Bodhrán
Years active	1969–present
Associated acts	Planxty, Moving Hearts
Website	http://www.christymoore.com/

Christopher Andrew "Christy" Moore (born 7 May 1945) is an Irish folk singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is well known as one of the founding members of Planxty and Moving Hearts. His first album, Paddy on the Road (a minor release of 500, although made available again on CD through his website and at gigs in 2010) was recorded with Dominic Behan (brother of Brendan) in 1969. In 2007, he was named as Ireland's greatest living musician in RTÉ's People of the Year Awards.^[1]

Early life[link]

Moore was born in Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland. He was originally a bank employee who wanted to express himself using traditional music. A bank strike in 1966, which lasted six months (and effectively paralysed Irish commercial life for the duration), resulted in Moore spending considerable time practising music. When the strike ended, Moore had already decided where his passion in life arose, and left the bank for good.^[2]

Musical career[link]

1972 brought his first major release, Prosperous (named after the village of Prosperous, County Kildare, where the album was recorded), which brought together the four musicians who shortly thereafter formed Planxty: Liam O'Flynn, Andy Irvine, and DĂłnal Lunny. For a time they called themselves "CLAD", an acronym of their names, but soon decided on Planxty.^[2]

After leaving Planxty in 1975, Moore continued on his solo career, reforming his old band on occasion (which he has been doing ever since). He also formed the band Moving Hearts with Lunny and five other musicians in 1980. In 2000 he published his autobiography, One Voice.^[2]

Moore's earlier years of heavy drinking, sleeping dysfunctional hours, continual travelling, and often eating takeaway foods resulted in a decline in health, and several operations. Moore's battle with alcohol, and subsequent heart operations have taken their toll. At the end of the 1990s, Moore was requested to reduce his workload for medical reasons.^[2]

Some of Moore's songs are heavily influenced by drink and the effects of drink. His song "Delirium Tremens" being a good example. Listening to Johnny Mulhern's song "Hard Cases" causes Moore, in his website chat, to recall the Galway drinking scene with local musicians  Mickey Finn, Pete Galligan, Corky and Terry Smith.

On 17 April 2009, Moore released his first new studio album in four years, titled 'Listen' and it was promoted through a series of live gigs.^[3]

In December 2011, Moore released his latest album Folk Tale and made it available on Irish music website IrishCountry.ie

Political and social commentary[link]

Moore is best known for his political and social commentary, which reflects a leftwing Irish Republican perspective, this despite the fact that his mother was a Fine Gael county councillor and parliamentary candidate in Kildare.^[4] He supported the republican H-Block protestors in the 1970s and 1980s with the album H-Block in 1978, the launch of which was raided by the police, and The Spirit of Freedom.^[5] He has also recorded songs by the hunger striker Bobby Sands. However, in 1987 he ceased supporting the military activities of the IRA as a result of the Enniskillen bombing.^[6]

Individual political songs he has performed throughout his career include Mick Hanly's 'On the Blanket' about the protests of republican prisoners, his own 'Viva la Quinta Brigada' about Irish volunteers in the Spanish Civil War and his own 'Minds Locked Shut' about Bloody Sunday in Derry.

Moore has endorsed a long list of left wing support causes, ranging from El Salvador to Mary Robinson in the 1990 Presidential Election.^[2] At Glastonbury Festival in 2005 he sang about the Palestinian solidarity activist Rachel Corrie.

With typical Moore social consciousness, he opened the festival marking Ballymun's inception as Dublin's first Fairtrade Town on 23 November 2006. Ballymun, once synonymous with social deprivation and drug problems, is currently the largest urban regeneration project in northern Europe.

Allusions in his songs[link]

• The former Bishop of Galway, Eamon Casey, is the subject of Martin Egan's song 'Casey' often performed by Moore.
• In 2005, his popular release "Don't Forget Your Shovel" (written by Christie Hennessey) was referenced in a number 1 UK single "The JCB Song" by Nizlopi: "And the engine rattles my bum like berserk. While we're singin, 'Don't forget your shovel if you want to go to work!'" It was further referenced in the video for the same song; as the line is sung, the characters in the JCB pass a shop called "Christie's Shovels".
• In his song "If I Get an Encore" he compares Tulsk to hell,"Mountbellew was like purgatory but Tulsk was just like being in hell". Its a reference to a row that broke during one of his gigs in a Tulsk venue.

Musical style[link]

His solo style includes driving rhythms on guitar and bodhrán as well as slower ballads.

Family[link]

Moore's brother Barry, whose stage name is Luka Bloom, is also a successful singer-songwriter.^[7] His nephew, Conor Byrne, is also an accomplished traditional flautist and tin whistle player, with Christy appearing on his Wind Dancer album.^[8]

Memorable events[link]

An GĂłilĂ­n Surprise[link]

On 6 October 2006 Moore paid a surprise visit to the An Góilín traditional singers' club in Dublin. There, before fifty or so people, Moore took out his guitar (instruments are rarely used in An Góilín, it being a singers' refuge) and sang songs reflective of the Irish language and socially radical culture of the club such as Na Conghailigh, about the deaths of Tomás and Seán Ó Conghaile off Conamara, and Viva la Quinta Brigada, about the role of the Irish fighting with the socialists in the Spanish Civil War.

[edit] Desert Island Discs

In June 2007, Moore was guest on Desert Island Discs, a BBC programme that is often considered an accolade. He selected mainly Irish folk music that had inspired him and spoke of personal and political issues that had shaped his life.

Detention incident, 2004[link]

In October 2004, a story in several news agencies revealed how Moore had been stopped and detained by customs officers at the Welsh port of Holyhead.^[9][10] The article claimed the singer was stopped in his van with his driver, taken into an office and questioned over the lyrics of his songs. The following day in response to The Irish Times article, Moore released a statement saying: "My driver and I were stopped and held for two hours at Holyhead last Monday, under the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2002. My driver and I were held separately in two interrogation rooms. I found the whole experience threatening. I was questioned about the contents of my briefcase." Despite initial reports to the contrary, the singer's van, which was full of musical equipment, was not searched. "I was questioned about lyrics of songs and I was asked a lot of personal questions about members of my family and my children and about my home. At no time was I given any explanation as to why I was being held and interrogated in this manner", he added. He said the fact that Irish people are still being treated this way on their way to Britain is very "saddening". "I had hoped to deal with this matter out of the public domain. But seeing as it has become a news item, I feel the need to offer my side of the story. I found the whole affair quite frightening."^{[citation needed]}

Oxegen[link]

On Sunday 10 July 2011 Moore joined Chris Martin from Coldplay on stage at 2011 Oxegen Festival performing the song "Ride On".

Discography[link]

Solo[link]

• Paddy on the Road (1969)
• Prosperous (1972)
• Whatever Tickles Your Fancy (1975)
• Christy Moore (1976)
• The Iron Behind the Velvet (1978)
• Live in Dublin (1978)
• H Block (1980)
• Christy Moore and Friends (1981)
• The Time Has Come (1983)
• Ride On (1984)
• Ordinary Man (1985)
• The Spirit of Freedom (1986)
• Unfinished Revolution (1987)
• Voyage (1989)
• Smoke and Strong Whiskey (1991)
• King Puck (1993)
• Live at the Point (1994)
• Graffiti Tongue (1996)
• Traveller (1999)
• This is the Day (2001)
• Live at Vicar Street (2002)
• Burning Times (2005)
• Live at The Point 2006 (2006)
• Listen (2009)
• Folk Tale (2011)

With Planxty[link]

• Planxty (1972)
• The Well Below the Valley (1973)
• Cold Blow And The Rainy Night (1974)
• After The Break (1979)
• The Woman I Loved So Well (1980)
• Words and Music (1983)
• Planxty Live 2004 (2004)

With Moving Hearts[link]

• Moving Hearts (1981)
• Dark End Of The Street (1982)

Compilation albums[link]

• High Kings of Tara (Christy Moore, Planxty,..) (1980)
• Nice 'n Easy (1984)
• Aris (Planxty) (1984)
• Christy Moore (Compilation USA) (1988)
• The Christy Moore Collection 1981–1991 (1991)
• Christy Moore Collection Part 2 (1997)
• The Box Set 1964 2004 (2004)

Video[link]

• Christy (1995) 54 mins - Christy reflects on life and career.

DVDS[link]

• Christy Moore Uncovered (2001) 104 mins - features collaborations with Jimmy MacCarthy, Wally Page, Shane McGowan, SinĂ©ad O'Connor and John Spillane.
• Planxty Live 2004 The reunion of the hugely popular and influential group after a 20 year hiatus.
• Christy Moore Live In Dublin 2006 (2006) 143 mins - First time a live solo concert has been recorded and released outside CD format. Filmed over 4 nights in December 2005 and January 2006.
• Christy Moore's Come All You Dreamers - Live At Barrowland (2009) - Filmed in Barrowland in Glasgow featuring Declan Sinnott.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Christy Moore's home page
• Review of a Christy Moore concert in Nottingham November 2007
• Review of a Christy Moore concert in Dublin in 2001
• Christy Moore The Early Years
• 4711ers.org '4711' is a term Christy coined which refers to his online fanbase.

SĂ©bastien Le Toux

Personal information
Full name	SĂ©bastien Le Toux
Date of birth	(1984-01-10) 10 January 1984 (age 28)
Place of birth	Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Playing position	Forward
Club information
Current club	Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Number	7
Youth career
2001–2004	Rennes
Senior career*
Years	Team	Appsâ€	(Gls)â€
2004–2006	Lorient	15	(1)
2007–2008	Seattle Sounders	47	(24)
2009	Seattle Sounders FC	28	(1)
2010–2011	Philadelphia Union	62	(25)
2012–	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	10	(3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of May 18, 2012. † Appearances (Goals).

SĂ©bastien Le Toux (French pronunciation: [sebastjÉ›Ě� lÉ™ tu]; born 10 January 1984 in Mont-Saint-Aignan) is a French-American footballer who currently plays for Vancouver Whitecaps FC in Major League Soccer.

Career[link]

Professional[link]

Le Toux was part of the youth setup at Rennes, and briefly played for Lorient in Ligue 2, prior to moving to the United States.

Le Toux unsuccessfully tried out for MLS side FC Dallas, before eventually signing with the Seattle Sounders of the USL First Division in early 2007. Le Toux netted 10 goals for the Sounders in 2007, tying him with Charles Gbeke of the Montreal Impact as the division's top goal-scorer; he would eventually go on to score 24 goals in 54 league appearances for the team. On 28 September 2007, Le Toux became Seattle's fourth USL First Division Most Valuable Player. ^[1]

On 8 May 2008, Le Toux became the first player to be signed by the Seattle Sounders FC^[2] following their expansion into Major League Soccer.^[3]

He scored the first goal in a 1-1 tie against the Los Angeles Galaxy. He has had more success in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on the run to the 2009 Open Cup Final and had an assist on the winning goal to Roger Levesque in the 2-1 victory at RFK Stadium against D.C. United.

Philadelphia Union[link]

Le Toux was not among Seattle's protected 11 players for the 2009 MLS Expansion Draft.^[4] He was selected by Philadelphia Union in the 2009 MLS Expansion Draft.^[5] He scored a hat trick in the Philadelphia Union's first official home match in Major League Soccer as the Union defeated D.C. United 3-2.^[6] Sebastien Le Toux’s eighth goal of the season gave the Union a first half lead in front of 18,137 fans at PPL Park. He scored his 10th goal of the season in the 33rd minute for the Union, taking a pass from rookie Danny Mwanga and sending a clean shot past Wizards goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen.^{[7] [8]} His 11th league goal of the season in the 36th minute, leading the Philadelphia Union over Chicago 1-0.^[9] Le Toux scored on a penalty deep into stoppage time to give the Philadelphia Union a 2-1 win over Toronto FC. He scored once again against his former club Seattle Sounders, trailing 1-0 entering the second half, Le Toux got the equalizer on a penalty kick in the 54th minute.^[10] He finished the 2010 MLS season with 14 league goals. On 8 June, Le Toux was named a nominee for the Major League Soccer All-Star Game.^[11]

On 18 January 2012, Le Toux, on his personal Twitter page, said that he was "on a jet plane to England"^[12] and the day after Bolton Wanderers manager Owen Coyle confirmed that the striker was having a trial with the Premier League side.^[13] The trial, however, did not lead to a contract offer.

Vancouver Whitecaps[link]

On 31 January 2012, Philadelphia traded Le Toux to Vancouver Whitecaps FC for allocation money.^[14] Le Toux scored four minutes into his MLS debut for the Whitecaps on 10 March, a 2-0 home victory over new side Montreal Impact.^[15]

International[link]

Le Toux has not been capped by France at any level. In an interview on 2 July 2008, he declared himself available and willing to play for the United States national team.^[16] On 5 August 2010, it was announced that Le Toux has received a United States green card, making him a permanent resident of the country and qualifying him as a domestic player for MLS roster purposes.^[17]

Personal[link]

Le Toux was born and raised in Rennes, France by parents Michel and Marlene. He has two brothers and one sister. He currently resides in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Career stats[link]

Honors[link]

Stade Rennais[link]

• Coupe Gambardella (1): 2003

Seattle Sounders[link]

• USL First Division Championship (1): 2007
• USL First Division Commissioner's Cup (1): 2007

Seattle Sounders FC[link]

• Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (1): 2009

Individual[link]

• USL First Division Top Scorer: 2007
• Major League Soccer All Star Team: 2010
• MLS Fair Play Award: (2): 2010, 2011
• MLS Best XI: 2010

See also[link]

• List of current MLS players

References[link]

External links[link]

• MLS player profile
• Bell, Jack. "A Frenchman Finds His Place, and His Position, in Seattle," The New York Times, Tuesday, 3 March 2009.