The facts and figures.
Population:9,000.
Employment:main employer is building products firm Tegral which employs 400 people. Civil Service de-centralisation programme will see 250 staff from the Revenue Commissioners re-locate to the town.
Hospitals:St Vincent's Hospital (geriatric) includes a residential care centre and day-care facilities for Alzheimer's patients. Nearest general hospitals at Naas (22 miles) and Portlaoise (19 miles).
Education:four primary schools, including the Model School (C of I) and a Gaelscoil. The secondary boy's Scoil Eoin is to merge with the girl's Scoil Mhuire in September. There are plans to relocate the other secondary school, Athy Community College, by September 2008. Third-level courses 10 miles away at Carlow's Institute of Technology.
Nightlife:nearest cinema is Carlow (10 miles). Plenty of pubs - from the popular Emigrant to O'Brien's Bar/Grocery, a classic.
Restaurants:include Indian, Chinese, Italian and Irish. Hotel dining at the Carlton Abbey and Clonard Court hotels.
Heritage:annual Waterways Festival (every May) celebrates the river and canal heritage.
Must visit:the attractive Market House Heritage Centre has a permanent exhibition devoted to Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton, born at nearby Kilkea House, who died in 1922. The town hosts an annual Shackleton Autumn School in October.
Sports facilities:GAA, rugby, soccer, tennis, swimming, angling, rowing. There's also a pony club. Racing at the Curragh (21 miles).
Farmers Market:Sunday 10am-2pm at Emily Square.
Best aspects:friendliness; family-owned shops and businesses offering personal attention; waterside walking, boating and fishing along Barrow Way and Grand Canal.
Main issue:considerable traffic congestion but planned relief road and a second bridge over the Barrow are still some years off.
Local authority:www.kildare.ie/AthyTownCouncil.
Local radio:KFMR on 97.3 FM.
