Edenderry Eadán Doire
—  Town  —
Main street Edenderry
Motto: Esto Fideles - The Faithful
Edenderry Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 53°20′42″N 7°03′04″W / 53.345°N 7.05116°W / 53.345; -7.05116Coordinates: 53°20′42″N 7°03′04″W / 53.345°N 7.05116°W / 53.345; -7.05116
Country	Ireland
Province	Leinster
County	County Offaly
Elevation	84 m (276 ft)
Population (2011)
• Urban	6,490
• Rural	487
Irish Grid Reference	N633328

Edenderry (Irish: Eadán Doire, meaning "hill-brow of the oak wood"^[2]) is a town in north County Offaly, Ireland. It is near the borders with Counties Kildare, Meath and Westmeath. The Grand Canal runs along the south of Edenderry, through the Bog of Allen, and there is a short spur to the town centre.

The R401 road from Kinnegad to the north and the R402 from Enfield to the east meet at the northeastern end of the Main Street. At the Grand Canal they split, with the R402 continuing westwards towards Tullamore and the R401 heads south to Rathangan and Kildare Town.

Edenderry is near the peat-burning Edenderry Power Station^[3] - the first Independent Power Producer (I.P.P) in Ireland - which is in Clonbullogue, a few kilometres to the south.

History[link]

In the 16th century, it had the name of Coolestown, after the family of Cooley or Cowley, who had a castle here, defended in 1599 against the Earl of Tyrone's rebellion. This subsequently passed by marriage to the Blundell family and was sacked in 1691 by the army of James II^[4].

The Blundell's land passed subsequently to the Marquess of Downshire who reversed the earlier opposition of the Blundell sisters to the establishment of a branch to the Grand Canal to Edenderry and paid for the £692 cost the project^[5], which was completed in 1802.

By 1716 there was thriving woollen cloth manufacturing, established by Quakers, which employed around 1,000 people^[6]. By 1911 the town had grown to 2,204 people. Other industries included the factory of Daniel Alesbury who made a variety of woodwork as well as the first car manufactured in Ireland, the Alesbury, in 1907.

A railway line connected Edenderry to nearby Enfield until 1963. The line provided both passenger and goods service until 1931, and goods only until its final closure. In the years up to 1963 the line saw very infrequent service, and mostly carried livestock, sugar beet, and turf, as well as private excursions. Little remains of the line, except for occasional landmarks, such as the station house near the town centre which is now a commercial business known as Station House Enterprises which is also owned and run by Sean Norman. (See the gallery below for photos of the Old Station house)

Demographics[link]

The population of Edenderry (and its environs) has risen by 53.9% from 1996 to 2006^[7]:

• 1996 ... 3,825
• 2002 ... 4,559
• 2006 ... 5,888

People[link]

• Neil Delamere, comedian.

Finbarr Cullen, Former Offaly & Ireland GAA player

Frantic Jack Band

Photos of Edenderry[link]

• 

  Sean Norman Ceili Band

• 

  The First Town Hall In Edenderry.

See also[link]

• List of towns and villages in Ireland

References[link]

External links[link]

• Edenderry Historical Society
• The Offaly Express Newspaper
• Edenderry Rugby Club
• Edenderry GAA Club
• Edenderry Swimming Pool
• Edenderry Soccer Club

v t e Places in County Offaly County town: Tullamore Towns Birr Clara Edenderry Ferbane Tullamore Villages and Townlands Ballinagar Ballyboy Ballycumber Banagher Blue Ball Bracknagh Brosna Cadamstown Capppancur Clareen Cloghan Clonbollogue Clonmacnoise Clonony Clonygowan Coolderry Crinkill Croghan Cushina Daingean Doon Dunkerrin Durrow Geashill Horseleap Kilcormac Killeigh Killoughey Kinnitty Moneygall Mountbolus Pollagh Rahan Rhode Roscore Shannonbridge Shannon Harbour Shinrone Walsh Island Landforms Arderin Barcam Bog of Allen Boora bog Carroll's Hill Farbreague Clara Bog Croghan Hill Esker Riada Grand Canal Raheenmore Bog River Brosna River Camcor River Shannon Silver River Stillbrook Hill Wolftrap Mountain Topics Education in County Offaly Geography of County Offaly History of County Offaly List of National Monuments in County Offaly List of townlands in County Offaly Media in County Offaly Mountains and hills of County Offaly Politics of County Offaly Religion in County Offaly Rivers of County Offaly Transport in County Offaly Counties of Ireland