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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Kildare => Topic started by: Celtic Damsel on Friday 11 August 23 19:02 BST (UK)
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Hi All, just found out recently that I have ancestors from a place called Bluetown in Allenwood in Kildare and I got chatting to new found cousins about it and no one seems to know where the place got its name from, anyone every heard of it or found anything of interest on it on their net travels etc? thanks
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Bluetown, Allenwood, Co Kildare
Have a look at its location NE of Allenwood-
https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/5490788#map=15/53.2866/-6.8546
https://www.google.com/maps/dir///@53.2888,-6.8517,1606m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!4m1!3e0!5m1!1e1?hl=en-GB&entry=ttu
It's not on the 1897-1913 OSi 25 inch map (pan upwards).
https://arcg.is/1KCrWr0
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The earliest reference I've found in the newspapers is 1881.
Appears as Allenwood(Bluetown)
Allenwood North otherwise known as Bluetown.
That part of Allenwood commonly called Bluetown.
The reports are about the deplorable state of the hovels people have to live in, an out break of typhoid and sinking a well.
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In 1924 they are still using 'known as'
by 1965 Bluetown, Allenwood is used in a report on chimney fires, and the name appears that way in 1968 and 1971.
It looks like Bluetown as an official name came into being only since the 1960s or possibly 1950s likely when some new houses were built.
Trying to figure out why the common name existed is always very difficult, it could be something as simple as it was a good place for Bluebells, you would need someone local if there is even anyone left who would know.
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I thought I recall reading somewhere that most of the "towns" in Ireland were typically named by foreign settlers.
It was not uncommon to have "town" appended to some man's name.
Depending on its antiquity, I would suggest that Blue might be the English/Scottish surname "Blew."
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Thank you everyone for your comments and taking the time to look it up