To most people, Maynooth is a university and somewhere with a Big Tesco.
But there's so much more to this great North Kildare town that locals take pride in.
From its pubs to its school musicals, there are many iconic parts of Maynooth that make it special to its residents.
Traffic
Is it possible to travel the 300m distance between Tesco and Main Street without being stuck in traffic for 20 minutes? Most locals would say no.
On weekends, everywhere in Maynooth is quicker to get to by walking. No one has the time or patience to spend half an hour sitting in traffic on the Straffan Road.
Student nights in The Roost
Pre-Covid, there was only one place you could be on a Thursday night: The Roost.
Locals and University students can confirm that nothing beats a student night there.
There's something really special about running into everyone you know in the smoking area at midnight.
Big Tesco
Maynooth is blessed to have one of the few Tesco Extras in the country.
Is it possible to shop there and only buy what's on your list? Absolutely not.
You'll always leave with your trolley full and your wallet empty.
Supermarkets
How many towns in the country can say they have every main supermarket chain?
Maynooth has them all. Tesco, Dunnes, Supervalu, Aldi, Lidl, Spar, Londis and a couple of Centras.
Restaurants
Supermarkets aren´t the only thing that Maynooth has plenty of.
No exaggeration, with every turn you can find a restaurant or cafe.
The choices are endless.
Feels like a ghost town during the summer
When the students are on their summer break, Maynooth feels like a ghost town.
Even though excluding the college Maynooth has a population of over 15,000, the place feels deserted when the students are gone.
Fighting for a place to walk on the footpath (before Covid) feels so normal that during the summer months the town feels empty.
The School Musical
Every year, there's a fight to get tickets for the Transition Year school musical.
It's a big event on the calendar, and always sells out five or six nights.
It never disappoints. The secondary school put so much effort into it that it feels like you´re watching a professional production.
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