Robertstown Tidy-Towns

The village of Robertstown probably gets its name from St Robartac a 9th. century Bishop of Kildare. It was not until the Grand Canal reached Robertstown in 1785 that we have much mention of the place in history apart from a 14th century Fitzgerald connection.     
The Grand Canal was opened to traffic in 1779 and by links with the Rivers Shannon and Barrow it connects the Irish Sea to the Atlantic Ocean and touches 16 counties It was the most importent transport system  in Ireland until the coming of the railways.
The passenger service was discountined in 1852. Commercial barges, horse drawn and mechanically propelled continued to use the Canal until all trade ceased in 1960. Cargoes mainly consisted of turf, grain, potatoes,building materials and suger beet and Guinness. 
Today the Canal is an importent tourism attraction with pleasure cruising gaining in popularity each year.

The Hotel in Robertstown was opened to passengers on 15th. of October 1801 with Allen McMillan as manager. It was a great success and an extension was built on and opened in 1804.
In 1807 a Board Minute states that McMillian was authorised to " recieve two baskets, each day, 1 to contain 6 shillings worth of bread and the other 400 oysters for the use of the passengers".
Business declined gradually and when the passenger boats no longer stopped overnight in Robertstown the Future of the Hotel was gloomy and in 1816 it was leased to Nicholas Whyte for a fee of £26 per annum. Mr Whyte ran it successfully as a hotel until 1849.
In 1850 the Hotel was leased to Josper W Rogers who set up a factory in the hotel to manufacture sacks for an enterprise to produce peat charcoal from Derrymullen bog.
In March 1869 the hotel was taken over as a barracks by the Royal Irish Constabulary and it remained a barracks until 1905.
During the late 1930's and 40's it became a billeting camp for Bord Na Móna workers and was later an An Oige Hostel.
In 1961 Rev. P.J. Murphy was appointed Curate in Allen Parish and he took up residence in Annesboro House and he was a man who dreamt dreams and brought the dreams to reality. He founded a branch of Muintir na Tire in Robertstown and set about restoring the Hotel and restoring some of the canal barges and on Augest 1st 1965 the first Grand Canal Festa was held, a festival with banquets in the hotel and barge trips on the canal etc. This festival became a huge annual event attracting thousands to the village. President Childers and Barbara Castle came to open the festival.
Musical recitals and illustrated talks on the Waterways of Ireland where held and indeed Fr. Murphy and the people of Robertstown spearheaded the successful compaign to hault the filling in of the Canal, in Dublin, in the 60's. Following on this campaign the Inland Waterways Association was founded to protect the Canals and waterways of Ireland.

Banquets were held all through the summer and thousands attended with the waitresses wearing period costumes and the boatman like wise and the barge was drawn by a Clydesdale horse named Dolly.
Fr. Murphy was killed in a car crash on November 8th in 1975 but his work was continued on by the local Development Association with the Hotel being opened for daily meals and Sunday lunches with the help of  F.Á.S.
However the Hotel was sold a few years ago and planning permission has finally been granted for the upgrading of the building to modren standard and we wish the new owners the best of luck in their new endeavours.
Our beautiful village has had an intresting past and with all of us, both our established residants and our many new comers working together we can all have a bright and successful future.
                                                 Ní neart go cúr lé chéile.



A brief history compiled by Maurace Musgrave