Despite its early history, Hilltown has a very strong connection to Irish culture. Irish traditional music is quite popular, and GAA is the hub of the community. It is a strongly &lt;a href="Irish%20republicanism"&gt;nationalist/republican&lt;/a&gt; village, as is Cabra and the surrounding rural areas that comprises the parish of Clonduff. Throughout the troubles, both had a small contingent of paramilitaries, mainly the Provisional Irish Republican Army.