Blessington
| Blessington Baile Coimín |
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WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates:
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| Irish
Grid Reference N976142 |
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| Statistics | ||
| Province: | Leinster | |
| County: | County Wicklow | |
| Elevation: | 223 m | |
| Population (2002) - Town: - Rural: |
2,184 325 |
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Blessington (Irish: Baile Coimín, meaning The town of Coimín) is a town in County Wicklow, Ireland. Located on the N81 which connects Dublin to Tullow.
History
Blessington was originally called Munfine and in the Medieval period was part of the lordship of Threecastles. In 1667 the Archbishop of Dublin and
Lord Chancellor of Ireland, Michael Boyle,
bought the lordship of Threecastles, previously the property of the Cheevers for £1,000. Boyle received a Royal Charter to
establish the town of Blessington, in the townland of Munfine, as a borough. Construction of
Blessington House was begun in 1673 and afterwards St. Mary’s Church in Blessington, which was
completed in 1683. On Boyle's death in 1702 his son Morough, Baron Boyle and
Viscount Blessington, inherited the Blessington estate. Morough’s son, Charles, died
in 1732 without an heir and the estate was inherited by his sister Anne, then her son William Stewart, Viscount Mountjoy and Baron Stewart. Stewart died in
1769 without an heir and the estate passed to Charles Dunbar, a great grandson of Morough Boyle, who also died heirless in 1778,
when the estate passed to Wills Hill of Hillsborough, County Down, a great great grandson of Michael Boyle and the first
Marquess of Downshire. The Hills held the estate until 1908.
Russborough House is 5 km (3 mi) south of Blessington.
In 1888 the Dublin and Blessington Steam Tramway service commenced from Terenure to Blessington via Tallaght, linking with the horse trams from the city. This service ended at the end of December 1932 and was replaced with a conventional bus service; the 65, which still acts as the only public transport in the area to the city centre. Bus Éireann, the national bus company also provides a minor service, because Blessington is upon the N81.
Pollaphuca Reservoir
Also known locally as the Blessington Lake, the reservoir was created when the waterfall at Poulaphouca on River Liffey (which flows from the Wicklow Mountains to Dublin City) was dammed by the ESB for a hydroelectric plant which is still in use today. The resulting lakes extend over approximately 5,000 acres (20 km²).
In addition to electricity the lakes also provide water for the locality and the Dublin region as well as provide a leisure resource. There is now a lakeside luxury hotel complex in the Blessington area, with its own helipad, and lakeside facilities which has helped to develop tourism in the area. The lake is also extensively used by boatmen, fishermen and is a training location for the Irish Air Corps HQ divisions from Baldonnel , km ( mi) north of Blessington) and also Local Civil Defence Water rescue teams based in Dublin South West (approximately 18 km east of Blessington).
Recent Developments
Since 2000, Blessington's population has increased substantially. It is believed to be over 6,000 at the moment. A new primary school has being built just across the road from the now 125 year old school. Housing estates are being constructed on the western side of the town, off the R410 which is the road to Naas. Due to the expanding pressures of Dublin, house prices in Blessington have soared in recent years, and it is now one of the most expensive outer suburban commuting areas to live in the Leinster region. It is estimated that the population will at least double between 2007 and 2012.
See also
External links
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