Naas
Naas is the county town and administrative capital of Co. Kildare with a population of 21,393. Situated on the Grand Canal, the Naas section is one of the most scenic on the canal network and is an outstanding natural resource for its townspeople.
Historically, Naas appears in three forms: An Nás, meaning ‘The Place of Assembly’, Nás Laighean, meaning ‘The Place of Assembly of the Leinstermen’, and Nás-na-Ríogh, meaning ‘The Place of Assembly of the Kings’. It was the seat of the Kings of Leinster for almost seven centuries.
The award-winning Moat Club, formed in 1954, and the Moat Theatre derive their names from the nearby ancient motte, a meeting site of the Kings of Leinster. Dennis O’Driscoll, regarded as one of the finest European poets of his time, made Naas his home until his death in 2012.
