with MU Barnhall. Watersports Celbridge Paddlers canoeclub is a multidiscipline kayaking club, which was formed in 1984 and is affiliated to the Irish Canoe Union. The annual Liffey Descent Canoe Race passes through Celbridge, where competitors have to navigate the Vanessa weir and Castletown rapids. Other sports Celbridge tennis club was founded in 1923, and the clubs premises on Hazelhatch Road were opened in the 1970s. Celbridge horse racecourse is mentioned in the Freeman's Journal of 27 September 1763 and 4 October 1763 but was not in use after the end of the 18th century. Locally trained horse Workman, trained by Jack Ruttle out of Hazelhatch Stud was the winner of the Aintree Grand National in 1939. A point-to-point meeting was held at nearby Windgaps 1912–1954. A cricket club was active from 1880 to 1902. Kildare county polo club had their grounds on Castletown Estate 1901–1906. Among those who played polo in Celbridge was Prince Heinrich, younger brother to Kaiser William II. There is salmon and sea trout angling locally, with trout found from Islandbridge upstream, with other trout fishing grounds above Leixlip and all the way to Ballymore Eustace. Community groups There are three separate Scouting Ireland Groups in operation in Celbridge. The Groups are 1st Kildare (2nd Celbridge), 3rd Kildare (1st Celbridge), and 19th Kildare. The Celbridge Amenity Group is also active locally. Politics Celbridge is located within the Kildare North constituency which elects 4 TDs to the Dáil. Despite its size (third largest in the county – and larger than other towns which had their own councils such as Leixlip and Athy), and numerous proposals, the town was not granted a town council. This meant that Kildare County Council had full control over zoning land in the area, leading to some local discontent. The point is now moot, as town councils have been abolished in Ireland. History Origins There is evidence of 5,000 years of habitation as evidenced by beads and quern stones in the National Museum from Griffinrath () and the nearby high ground sloping down to the Liffey. Research has linked Celbridge with the Slí Mór possibly crossing the Liffey at a ford located below the site of the mill directly east of the bridge rather than at Castletown House, as previously thought. The etymology of Donaghcumper Church (church of the confluence, "Domhnach" is one of the earliest Irish words for church) (.) suggests it