Athy is a market town situated at the convergence of the River Barrow and the Grand Canal in County Kildare, Ireland, 72 kilometers southwest of Dublin.
Its population of 7,943 (2006 Census) makes it the sixth largest town in Kildare and the 50th largest in the Republic of Ireland, with a growth rate of 31.3% since the 2002 census.
The town is named after a second century chieftain Ae, who is said to have been killed on the river crossing, thus giving the town its name "the town by Ae's ford".
From the first official records in 1813 (population 3,192) until 1891 (population 4,886) and again in 1926-46 and 1951-61 Athy was the largest town in Kildare. In 1837 the population was 4,494 .
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