a borough town of Ireland, in the county of Kildare. It was anciently the residence of the kings of Leinster. A charter granted by Henry V. establishes beyond controversy the fact of the existence of the corporation as long ago as the year 1414. Its name signifies "the place of elders;" for here the states of the province of Leinster assembled during the sixth, seventh, and eighth centuries, after the Naasteighan of Carmen had been anathematized by the Christian clergy. On the arrival of the English it was fortified; many castles were erected, portions of the ruins of which are still visible; and parliaments were held there. Originally extensive possessions belonged to the town; but these the members of the corporation, one of the most exclusive in Ireland, have from time to time conveyed to themselves or their friends at rentals merely nominal; and great poverty exists in the district. Naas is distant about fifteen miles south-west from Dublin, with which it has a water communication by means of a branch of the Grand Canal; and it is the first considerable town from the metropolis on the great southern road; yet with these local advantages it presents a poor and neglected appearance. The corporation do not support any institution for relief of the poor, and there is no public school or other charitable foundation under their superintendence; but there is a diocesan school established under act of parliament, and there are Sunday and other schools for gratuitous education. There are markets which are held on every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. The corn-market is very extensive. The town contains about fifty houses of the value of L10 a year and upwards. According to the return of 1821, the population of the town was 3073; but in 1831 it was 3808, of whom 1755 were males, and 2053 females; the families were 743; houses inhabited, 573; uninhabited, twenty-five; building, six.