| County Wicklow Contae Chill Mhantáin |
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| Motto: Meanma Saor (Irish) "Free Spirits" |
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| Location | ||
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| Statistics | ||
| Province: | Leinster | |
| County seat: | Wicklow | |
| Code: | WW | |
| Area: | 2,024 km² | |
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Population (2006) |
126,194 | |
| Website: www.wicklow.ie | ||
County Wicklow (Irish: Contae Chill Mhantáin) is one of the traditional counties of Ireland and is located within the province of Leinster. It was named after the town of Wicklow (which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo).
The population of the county at the 2006 census was 126,194. Wicklow is the 17th largest of Ireland’s 32 counties in area and 17th largest in terms of population[1]. It is the fourth largest of Leinster’s 12 counties in size and fifth largest in terms of population.
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History
County Wicklow is sometimes known as 'the last county' as it was the last of the original counties to be established, in 1606 from land previously part of County Dublin and County Carlow (which then ran to the sea and included Arklow). Establishment as a distinct county was aimed at controlling local groups such as the O'Byrnes.
The Military Road, stretching from Rathfarnham to Aghavannagh crosses the mountains, north to south, was built by the British army to assist them in crushing rebels still active in the Wicklow Mountains following the failed 1798 rebellion. It provided them with access to an area that had been a hotbed of Irish rebellion for centuries. Several barracks to house the soldiers were built along the route and the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation was built alongside the remains of barracks there. Battalions of the Irish Army use firing ranges in County Wicklow for tactical exercises, especially the largest one in the Glen of Imaal which was previously used by the British Army prior to independence.
The ancient monastery of Glendalough is located in County Wicklow.
Geography
The Wicklow Mountains are the largest continuous upland region on the island of Ireland; the highest mountain in the range, Lugnaquilla, rises to 925 m. The Wicklow Way, the oldest waymarked long distance walking trail in Ireland, traverses the range, although tending to avoid major summits; the highest point, White Hill at 630 m, ranks as just the 29th highest peak in the county.
Wicklow rivers include the Avoca and the Liffey; other natural features include Lough Dan and Lough Tay, and the lakes of Glendalough.
Towns and villages
The county seat is Wicklow (pop. 10,070), although the largest urban centre is Bray (pop. 31,901), on the northern border and effectively a Dublin suburb. Other main towns include Greystones (pop. 14,569), and Arklow (pop. 11,749). All of these towns are situated on the east coast.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | %± |
| 1659 | 6,066 | — |
| 1821 | 110,767 | 1726.0% |
| 1831 | 121,557 | 9.7% |
| 1841 | 126,143 | 3.8% |
| 1851 | 98,979 | −21.5% |
| 1861 | 86,479 | −12.6% |
| 1871 | 78,697 | −9.0% |
| 1881 | 70,386 | −10.6% |
| 1891 | 62,136 | −11.7% |
| 1901 | 60,824 | −2.1% |
| 1911 | 60,711 | −0.2% |
| 1926 | 57,591 | −5.1% |
| 1936 | 58,569 | 1.7% |
| 1946 | 60,451 | 3.2% |
| 1951 | 62,590 | 3.5% |
| 1956 | 59,906 | −4.3% |
| 1961 | 58,473 | −2.4% |
| 1966 | 60,428 | 3.3% |
| 1971 | 66,295 | 9.7% |
| 1979 | 83,950 | 26.6% |
| 1981 | 87,449 | 4.2% |
| 1986 | 94,542 | 8.1% |
| 1991 | 97,265 | 2.9% |
| 1996 | 102,683 | 5.6% |
| 2002 | 114,676 | 11.7% |
| 2006 | 126,194 | 10.0% |
| [2][3][4][5][6][7] | ||
- Aghavannagh, Annamoe, Arklow, Ashford, Aughrim, Avoca.
- Ballinaclash, Ballinakil, Ballycoogue, Baltinglass, Blessington, Bray, Brittas Bay.
- Carnew, Coolafancy, Coolboy.
- Delgany, Donard, Dunlavin.
- Enniskerry.
- Glencree, Glendalough, Glenealy, Grangecon, Greenan, Greystones.
- Hollywood.
- Kilbride, (Kilcoole, Killincarrig, Kilmacanogue, Kilpedder, Kiltegan, Knockananna.
- Lacken, Laragh.
- Manor Kilbride, Meeting of the Waters.
- Newcastle, Newtownmountkennedy.
- Poulaphouca.
- Rathnew, Rathdrum, Redcross, Roundwood.
- Shillelagh, Stratford-on-Slaney.
- Tinahely.
- Valleymount.
- Wicklow, Woodenbridge.
Energy
The Turlough Hill pumped-storage scheme, a significant civil engineering project, was carried out in the mountains in the 1960s and 1970s. Ireland's first offshore wind farm is located off the coast at Arklow Bank.
Media
- The local radio station for Wicklow is East Coast FM.
Culture
Mermaid, County Wicklow Arts Centre is based in Bray. Mermaid is the county's hub of artistic activity and creation, offering an extensive and ambitious programme across the artforms. Mermaid offers a strong visual arts programme, compelling theatre productions, opera, cutting edge dance performances, arthouse cinema, comedy and a diverse music programme.Bray Jazz Festival, the county's premier arts festival event, takes place on the May Bank Holiday weekend each year in Mermaid and locations across the town.
County Wicklow is one of the most popular film-making locations in Ireland. Bray, in the north of the county, is home to Ardmore Studios, where many of Ireland's best known feature films, including John Boorman's Excalibur, Jim Sheridan's Oscar winning In the Name of the Father, and several Neil Jordan films, have been shot.
The BBC series Ballykissangel was also filmed in County Wicklow.
Scenes from the movie P.S. I Love You were shot in the Wicklow Mountains National Park.
Wicklow is also home to a number of notable figures in literature, film, and music.[citation needed]
See also
References
- ^ Corry, Eoghan (2005). The GAA Book of Lists. Hodder Headline Ireland. pp. 186-191.
- ^ For 1653 and 1659 figures from Civil Survey Census of those years, Paper of Mr Hardinge to Royal Irish Academy March 14 1865.
- ^ Census for post 1821 figures.
- ^ http://www.histpop.org
- ^ http://www.nisranew.nisra.gov.uk/census
- ^ Lee, JJ (1981). "On the accuracy of the Pre-famine Irish censuses". in Goldstrom, J. M.; Clarkson, L. A.. Irish Population, Economy, and Society: Essays in Honour of the Late K. H. Connell. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press.
- ^ Mokyr, Joel; O Grada, Cormac (November), "New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700-1850", The Economic History Review Volume 37 (Issue 4): pp. 473-488, doi:, http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120035880/abstract
External links
- Wicklow County Council
- Wicklow County Tourism
- Map of Wicklow
- Wicklow news
- Wicklow information and directory
- Walks in Wicklow Mountains
| North: Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and South Dublin Counties | ||
| West: Kildare and Carlow Counties | County Wicklow | East: Irish Sea |
| South: County Wexford |
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