placenamesBroadford
An tÁth Leathan
Broadford’s old stone school and Saint Mary’s Church are prominent reminders of nineteenth-century community building in north Kildare. The school’s later move and the church’s restoration continued that history into more recent times.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- An tÁth Leathan · Irish · main form · validated name
- Broadford · English · main form
Place & story
The old school’s two entrances
Broadford’s former national school is dated 1830. The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage describes a substantial two-storey stone building with a central round-headed doorway and a separate upstairs entrance reached by outside steps. It interprets the two entrances as probably reflecting separate accommodation for boys and girls. The carved stone doorway, fanlight and date stone distinguish a building that later passed into residential use. [2]
A new school beside the church
The school’s own history records the closure of the village building in 1958 after 128 years of teaching. Its replacement stood beside the church and initially contained three rooms. An extension followed in 1985, adding classroom accommodation and facilities that included a general-purpose room, kitchen and basketball court. These changes trace the move from the surviving nineteenth-century schoolhouse to premises adapted to a broader range of school activities. [3]
Saint Mary’s and its restored sanctuary
Saint Mary’s Church was completed in 1865 under Father Felix Tracy, to designs by John Sterling Butler. Its Gothic architecture and stained glass remain central features. About 150 years later, a refurbishment also reordered the sanctuary. Architect Richard Barnwall’s account explains that the original French soapstone reredos front was incorporated into a new limestone altar, bringing an older furnishing into the renewed interior. The restoration combined retained fabric with a changed liturgical arrangement. [4]
Geographic information
- Place type
- Population centre
- County
- Kildare
- Barony
- Carbury
- Civil parish
- Ballynadrumny
- Coordinates
- 53.43259, -6.96173 (approximate)
- Logainm ID
- 128507 ↗
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Broadford. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Broadford School, registration 11900306 · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- History and Expansion · Scoil Maighdine Mhuire, Broadford National School, Kildare
- St. Mary’s Church, Broadford: history and architect’s refurbishment reflection · Balyna Parish; Richard Barnwall, Quinn Barnwall Architects
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2025-01-10. How this page was prepared.