Posted 08/07/2018

The Story of the Curragh

Situated in the heart of County Kildare the Curragh is a truly unique landscape. The circumstances by which this remarkable natural feature was created are fascinating and the combined forces of humankind and nature have shaped the Curragh over many millennia. What has resulted is an exceptional array of flora and fauna which is of international importance.

Crafted with the help of local historians and expertsand narrated by actor Gerry O'Brien, The Story of the Curragh audiobook helps to tell the story of this remarkable landscape. You’ll find chapters on the physical geography, flora and fauna, archaeology, history, folklore, myths and legends, the military history, the equine industry and more.

What to expect?

Introduction
The Story of the Curragh guide helps to tell the story of the rich and varied heritage and history of The Curragh, an area of immense environmental, archaeological, historical and cultural significance.

Physical Geography of the Curragh
Hear how the Curragh was formed at the end of the Ice Age

Flora and Fauna of the Curragh

Discover the unique flora and fauna of the Curragh

The Archaeology of the Curragh
The wealth of archaeology around the Curragh show its importance over millennia

Myths and Legends of the Curragh

The abundance of archaeological monuments in and around the Curragh is certain evidence of prehistoric human activity. Myths and legends that have been handed down across the centuries, as well as written evidence from early documents, provide some clues as to the nature of this early society.

History of the Curragh

Due to its strategic importance, the Curragh of Kildare has a complex history

Military History

From the 18th century onwards, the Curragh became home to regular military activity

Grazing on the Curragh

The Curragh has a long and unique history of being commonage pastureland

The Equine Industry

Since time immemorial, the Curragh has found favour with the equine fraternity.

Recreation on the Curragh

Although best known as a centre of horse-racing, the Curragh has provided a location for many other recreational pursuits over the years. As far back as the 1660s, Thomas Monk, referred to it as “a place naturally adapted to pleasure”.

A Curragh Miscellany
There are many other fascinating strands to the story of the Curragh explored.

Conclusion

Details

Itinerary: 12 stops
Duration: 58 min
Language: English
Audio: 51 min total
DownloadSize: 47 Mb

The free audioguide can be downloaded from Abarta Audioguides at the following link:

www.abartaheritage.ie

The free audio-visual guide can be downloaded from www.guidigo.com at the following link:

www.guidigo.com

Credits

This guide was made possible thanks to the invaluable work and input of Bridget Loughlin, AJ Mullowney, Hugh Crawford, Des Travers, Padraig Clancy, Matt McNamara, Guy Williams, Mario Corrigan, Mary O' Connor, Comdt Mick Moore, Cllr. Fiona McLoughlin Healy, Mark Weld, Reggie Darling, Fintan Darling and Fred Bradley.

The audioguide was written by Dr. Conor of Abarta Audioguides and narrated by actor Gerry O'Brien. It was recorded by Abarta Audioguides at Bluebird Studios, Castlewarden, Kildare, by sound engineer Declan Lonergan and producer Róisín Burke.

The Story of the Curragh audioguide has been funded by Kildare County Council in partnership with The Heritage Council and is an action of the County Kildare Heritage Plan.

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