Send flowers to Monasterevin, County Kildare

The canal town on the Barrow

Monasterevin (Mainistir Eimhín in Irish, sometimes spelled Monasterevan) is a town in County Kildare on the River Barrow and the Barrowline, a canal branch of the Grand Canal. It sits on the border of County Kildare and County Laois, and the towns of Rathangan, Kildare, Portarlington and Athy surround the parish. It is 63 kilometres from Dublin on the R445, and the M7 bypass opened in 2004 and took most through-traffic away from the main street.

Between the censuses of 2002 and 2022, the population more than doubled, from 2,583 to 5,307. Many newer homes sit on the edges of the town, and a few older addresses are on canal-side lanes where a house name matters more than a number. Always include the Eircode.

Why people call it the Venice of Ireland

The town has an unusual number of bridges, which gave it the nickname "Venice of Ireland". The Grand Canal arrived here in 1786, and an aqueduct built in 1826 carries the canal over the River Barrow. For a recipient who loves boats, walking and the water, a country-style bouquet in soft greens and whites suits the setting.

Abbeys, saints and a famous tenor

The town takes its name from Saint Evin, who was put in charge of a monastic settlement by the Barrow by Saint Abban. A Cistercian abbey was founded in the twelfth century. Later, Moore Abbey became a grand house, and from 1925 the tenor Count John McCormack was its tenant. He recorded albums in the Great Hall and one scene from his film Song of My Heart was shot in the grounds.

From 1987 to 2015 the town also held a Gerard Manley Hopkins Literary Festival every year, before it moved to Newbridge. That literary pride is still part of local life, and a book token tucked in beside a bouquet is a pleasant gift for a keen reader.

Choosing the right flowers

A birthday call for a cheerful mixed bouquet, with the recipient's favourite shades if you know them. Sunflowers and gerberas keep their bright look for a week or more in a cool room. For an anniversary, roses are the classic, and tulips in spring look relaxed and fresh.

For a thank-you after help with a move or a lift to an appointment, a smaller posy is ideal. For a new baby, pale pink, white or soft yellow works, and a small vase of scented stems is easier for new parents than a large arrangement. If you are choosing for an older relative, avoid heavily scented lilies and pick lightly fragrant roses or spray carnations, which tend to be well tolerated.

Funeral customs in Kildare

A death is usually announced on rip.ie and local radio, and the funeral often follows within two or three days. The wake is held at the family home or a funeral home, and the removal to the church takes place the evening before the funeral Mass. People attend in large numbers, and neighbours often take food to the house.

If the notice says "family flowers only", do not send flowers to the funeral. Offer a Mass card or a donation to the charity named instead, and consider sending a small posy to the house a little later. Where flowers are welcome, a low arrangement in whites and soft greens is a respectful choice that is easy to place at the front of the church.

A county with a strong Brigid tradition

St Brigid is said in local tradition to have ordered the building of an ancient plank road across boggy ground near the town. St Brigid's Day on 1 February is a public holiday on the first Monday of February, or on 1 February itself if that date falls on a Friday. Daffodils, snowdrops and early tulips are a good fit for the occasion, and many families put a small posy on the table to mark it.

Mothering Sunday falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent. Orders are plentiful on that weekend, so book your delivery early and pick the date when you order.

Getting the details right

Include the recipient's full name, the house name or number, the road, the town and the Eircode. Because the town lies on a county boundary, add "Co Kildare" so a courier does not look across the border to Laois. If you are sending to a workplace, write the company name and the person's department. Keep the card message short and warm, and add your own name at the end.

Did you know? Monasterevin has so many bridges that it was nicknamed the Venice of Ireland.