Sallins is a town in County Kildare, Ireland, situated 3.5 km north of the town centre of Naas, from which it is separated by the M7 motorway. Sallins is the anglicised name of Na Solláin which means "The Willows". According to the official CSO Census of 2016 Sallins has a population of 5,849. The town expanded rapidly between the 2002 and 2016 census, almost doubling the population in those years. It is the 9th largest settlement in Kildare and the 78th largest in Ireland. Sallins grew as a result of its position on both the Grand Canal and the Dublin to Cork railway line. Historically, the major employers in the town were Odlum'sFlour Mills and a meat factory, although both have now closed. Theobald Wolfe Tone is buried near Sallins in Bodenstown graveyard. Each summer, Irish Republicans of various political and paramilitary groupings congregate at Sallins to hold commemorations at Tone's grave.
Transport
The village's railway station serves both Sallins itself and neighbouring Naas, as reflected in its official name of "Sallins and Naas". Originally named just "Sallins", it opened on 4 August 1846 and was the junction for the Tullow branch, which included the original Naas station. It closed in 1963, and was renamed Sallins & Naas upon re-opening in 1994, as part of the Kildare "Arrow" commuter rail project. A feeder bus operates between the station and the centre of Naas. The station was also the location for Ireland's largest train robbery - the so-called "Sallins Train Robbery" - which occurred on 31 March 1976. Several hundred thousandpounds were stolen from a Córas Iompair Éireann train. Several people were tried for the robbery and jailed and the case eventually was adjudged a significant miscarriage of justice.
Sport and amenities
has its grounds in the centre of the village which include a championship sized pitch, a clubhouse, and dressing rooms. The GAA club has been in existence since 1885. The canal near the village is used for fishing and boating. There are many canal barges moored in Sallins, some of them serving as permanent residences. The Leinster Aqueduct is situated nearby. It is located mid-way along the canal between Sallins and Caragh. This is the point where the Grand Canal crosses the River Liffey. Each year since 2004 during August, the Sallins Community Festival is held which includes some local activities, including a beauty contest called 'Queen of the Waterways'. Sallins has one primary education level school, Sallins National School. constructed by Richard Evans In 2015, a passenger boat service began operating offering cruise excursions to Leinster Aqueduct and Digby Lock.
