Send flowers to Clane, County Kildare

About Clane

Clane (Claonadh in Irish) is a town in County Kildare, standing on the River Liffey and about 29 kilometres west of Dublin city centre. It sits at the crossroads of the R403 and R407 regional roads. At the 2022 census it had 8,152 residents, up from 7,280 in 2016, which makes it the ninth largest town in Kildare.

Clane is a commuter town for Dublin, so many of the people who live here work elsewhere during the week. That has a practical effect on flower orders. A bouquet sent to a home address on a weekday may arrive when nobody is in, so it helps to choose a date when someone will be around, or to give a neighbour's name on the card line if they have agreed to take it in.

A town with a very old story

The town most probably owes its origin to a religious foundation of the sixth century, when Ailbe of Emly founded an abbey here around 520 AD. A Franciscan friary was founded in 1272 by Sir Gerald FitzMaurice, and its ruins still stand. The parish also has the distinction of being the place where the 1798 rebellion broke out. The Abbey on Main Street, once a church and later a ruin, has been restored as a community centre and a garden of remembrance.

That history matters when you are sending a sympathy gift, because families in the town often choose the Abbey graveyard and other old burial grounds close to home. Clane Friary and Abbey Cemetery lie to the south of the village, and the Wogan Mausoleum and churchyard is at Mainham. If you are sending flowers to a grave rather than to a person, ask the family which cemetery they use and whether the caretaker permits fresh flowers.

What to send, and when

For a birthday, a bright hand-tied bouquet of seasonal flowers is the usual choice. Roses, freesias and chrysanthemums keep well in a warm kitchen, and a few sprigs of eucalyptus make a bunch look fuller. A smaller posy suits a colleague or a friend who commutes, since it can sit on a desk or windowsill without taking over.

For an anniversary, deep red or pink roses are traditional. For a house move into one of the newer estates around the town, a potted plant or a bunch of long-lasting blooms makes a more useful housewarming gift than a large bouquet, because a new kitchen often has no vase unpacked yet.

Funerals and wakes in County Kildare

Irish funerals usually follow quickly. A death is announced on rip.ie and on local radio, the wake is held at the family home or a funeral home, and the removal takes place the evening before the funeral Mass, often two or three days after the death. Neighbours will normally have sent a sympathy card or a Mass card before the funeral.

Read the notice for the phrase "family flowers only". If it is there, respect it: the family has asked others not to send flowers, and a Mass card or a donation to the named charity is more welcome. You can still send a small posy to the home a week or two later, when the visitors have gone and the house is quiet. Soft white lilies, roses and greenery are the traditional sympathy choice.

Flowers in a hospital setting near Clane

Clane General Hospital is a private hospital founded in 1985 that offers surgical and outpatient procedures, including a fertility clinic. Patients who stay overnight often prefer a modest bouquet, and a phone call to the nurses' station before ordering is wise, as a few wards do not accept flowers. For patients at the larger public hospital in Naas, see the page for Naas General Hospital.

Seasonal moments

Mothering Sunday falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent, and it is one of the busiest weekends of the year. Order early and choose a delivery date so that your gift arrives on the right morning. St Brigid's Day on 1 February holds special meaning across Kildare, and a posy of snowdrops or early daffodils is a good way to mark it.

The town also has a green side. The Liffeyside Nature Park is a small wilderness area with a paved path by the river, and the Butter Stream has a small park of its own. A bunch of wildflower-style stems suits a recipient who spends time outdoors.

Addressing the delivery

Give the recipient's full name, the house name or number, the estate or road, and the Eircode. The Eircode removes any doubt about the address. Add a phone number for the courier if the recipient agrees. If you are sending to a workplace, add the company name and the department.

Did you know? Clane's abbey on Main Street, once a church and later a ruin, is now a community centre and garden of remembrance.