Leixlip's history has been dictated by its unique location at the confluence of the River Liffey and the Rye.
At Leixlip, or Salmon Leap as it used to be called, the Liffey tumbled down two spectacular water falls.
These waterfalls formed a natural obstacle for salmon as they swam upstream to spawn and so it was possible to see the salmon leaping from the water to get further upstream.
The Salmon Leap
Drawing of the Salmon Leap, Leixlip, Co. Kildare
The Salmon Leap
The Salmon Leap
Drawing of the Salmon Leap, Leixlip, Co. Kildare
Leixlip was a very popular place in the 1700s to the 1900s. Many visitors came to see the salmon leap waterfalls.
The waterfalls are no longer visible. In 1947 these beautiful Salmon Leap Falls were submerged under a hydroelectric dam built for the ESB.
Because of its position due west of the capital, Leixlip has benefited from all the major schemes that have been undertaken through the centuries to connect Dublin with the west of the country.