Allenwood

This article is about the Irish village. For the United States prison, see Federal Correctional Institute, Allenwood. For the hamlet near the prison, see Gregg Township, Union County, Pennsylvania. For a ship, see HMAS Allenwood.

Allenwood Fiodh Alúine
Town
File:Allenwood (irl).jpg 300px R403 through Allenwood
Allenwood Location in Ireland
Coordinates:
Country	Ireland
Province	Leinster
County	County Kildare
Elevation	80 m (260 ft)
Population (2011)
• Rural	845
Time zone	WET (UTC+0)
• Summer (DST)	IST (WEST) (UTC-1)
Irish Grid Reference	N759266

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1991	303	—
1996	341	+12.5%
2002	481	+41.1%
2006	667	+38.7%
2011	845	+26.7%

Allenwood (Irish: Fiodh Alúine) is a small Irish village in County Kildare situated on the Grand Canal. Allenwood is located about 50 km (31 mi) from Dublin and half way between Rathangan and Clane in north County Kildare.

The main road through Allenwood is the R403 and the village is within 20 km (12 mi) of both the M4 (to the north) and M7 (to the south) motorways.

Businesses in the area are centred on the crossroads, and consist of several shops and a public house. There is also a business park at the location of the old Power Station. The Grand Canal is traversed by means of a noteworthy bridge, known locally as the Skew (or Shee) Bridge.

History

Allenwood developed in the nineteenth century as a coaching post along the Edenderry Road. Later residential development primarily occurred on local roads to the east of the village, typically as single plot developments.

Allenwood is the location of a former electricity power station which was fueled by peat from the surrounding bog lands. The station was built in 1952 by the Electricity Supply Board (ESB). The cooling tower which could be seen from over 30 km (19 mi), was demolished shortly after the station was retired in 1994.

Bord na Móna which processed peat on the local boglands, established a camp for its workers at Allenwood Cross and the Roadstone quarry in Allen is also nearby. The industrial park located to the north-west of the village has grown around the location of the former ESB power plant.

Recent developments

Allenwood has undergone some rapid expansion in recent years. Several luxury homes have been built in the area as well as a number of housing estates and apartments.

Sport and recreation

The close proximity to the Grand Canal makes Allenwood a popular choice for fishing and walking. The local football club Allenwood G.F.C. is situated on the Station Road and offers its premises for a variety of other sports and recreations including kick boxing, dancing, scouting and annual school sports days. The local soccer club Allenwood Celtic is located just outside the village on the Edenderry Road. There are also several golf courses within a 15 km (9.3 mi) range of the village.

See also

List of towns and villages in Ireland

External links

• Allenwood Community Development Association
• Allenwood G.F.C.
• Allenwood Celtic A.F.C.