Urlingford

Since, the opening of the M8 in 2010, ‘through traffic’ in the Town has declined, resulting in a change in the retail offering within the town core. Urlingford is located to the west of the County, in an accessible location approximately 750m from Junction 4 of the M8 Motorway. The town is situated approximately 22 km from Kilkenny City, 15 km from Thurles, 128 km from Dublin City and 129 km from Cork City.

The Islands are located to the north-west of the Town beyond the M8 Motorway. The wooded area previously formed part of a trail that began at Urlingford Library.

Early industries in the town dating to the 19th Century included wool manufacturing, a distillery, and a malt house.  The majority of the town’s buildings were built in the latter part of the 18th and early part of the 19th centuries – roughly corresponding to the Georgian period.

The Town is built on a flat site – a cut-over bog.  The River Goul, a minor tributary of the River Nore, has its source in the Slieveardagh Hills, approximately 6 kilometres south of Urlingford it enters the town from the south, passes under Main street and then turns east to skirt the northern fringe of the town, passing under the bridge at the Castle. 

Due to the town’s advantageous regional positioning, strong connections through transport infrastructure, and rich social, industrial and cultural heritage, Urlingford is recognised as presenting a truly unique and exciting opportunity for furthering its development and potential.

This Town Centre First Plan relied on effective communication and coordination throughout all stages of design development. Key to the success of this project was consultation with the residents and stakeholders of the town as part of a ‘co-design’ process, including Municipal District Meetings, continual engagement with the Urlingford Town Team and stakeholder workshop events.