Wicklow

Wicklow (Irish: Cill Mhantáin , which means “church toothless one”) ^{[1] [2]} is the county town of Wicklow and capital of the Mid-East Region of Ireland.Located south of Dublin on the eastern coast of the island, has a population of 10,356 according to the census of 2011. ^[3] The town is to the east of the N11 route between Dublin and Wexford. Wicklow is also connected to the rail network with Dublin commuter services now extending to the city.Additional services contact with Arklow, Wexford and Rosslare Europort, a main port. There is also a commercial port, mainly importing timber and textiles. The Vartry River is the main river that runs through town.

Geography

Looks north of Wicklow Golf Club (foreground, with rock formations visible on the right), Wicklow Bay towards large Sugarloaf (center) and Bray Head (right) in the distance. Wicklow Town is hidden in the golf club house.

Wicklow town forms a rough semicircle around Wicklow harbor. To the immediate north is “The Murrough,” a popular grassy walking area by the sea, and the eastern coastal strip. The Murrough is a place of growing commercial use, so much so that a road that runs past the town directly to the commercial part of the area began construction in 2008 and was completed in summer 2010. The eastern coastal strip covering the Wicklow bay, a crescent-shaped stone beach about 10 km long .

Ballyguile Hill is in the southwest of the city. A large part of the residential areas in the 1970s and 1980s occurred in this area, despite the significant gradient from the center.

The country rises in the rolling hills to the west, going to meet the Wicklow mountains in the middle of the county. The dominant feature in the south is the rocky headlands of the bride’s head and Wicklow Head, easternmost point of mainland Ireland. On a very clear day it is possible to see the Snowdonia mountain range in Wales.

Climate

As with much of the rest of northwestern Europe, Wicklow experience a maritime climate ( Cfb ), with cool summers, mild winters, and lack of extreme temperatures. The average maximum January temperatures are 9.2 ° C (48.6 ° F), while the average maximum August temperature is 21.2 ° C (70.2 ° F). On average the sunniest month in May The wettest month is October with 118.9 mm (4.6 inches) of rain and the driest month is April with 60.7 mm (2.4 inches). With the exception of October and November, the rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year, with rain falling within a relatively narrow band of between 60 (2.4 in) and 86 mm (3.4 inches) a month. But a significant spike occurs in October and November that records almost double the typical rainfall in April.

Wicklow is protected locally by Ballyguile slope and the more distant of the Wicklow mountains. This sheltered location makes it one of the driest and warmest places in Ireland. It may only be about 60% of the rain on the West Coast. Moreover, since Wicklow is protected by the mountains from the south and westerly winds, has higher average temperature than many parts of Ireland. The average high in August of 21.2 ° C (70.2 ° F) is a full 1 ° C higher than the highest average month in Dublin, only 50 km (30miles) north.

While its location is favorable for protection against the winds that are common to a large part of Ireland’s Wicklow particularly exposed to easterly winds. As these winds come from northern European countries Wicklow, along with a large part of the east coast of Ireland, experience relatively sharp temperature drops in winter for short periods.

Economy

Since 1995 the city has undergone major changes and expansion that reflects the simultaneous growth in the Irish economy. Significant residential development has occurred west of the city along Marlton Road (R751). More recently, residential areas concentrated in the northwest of the city towards the neighboring village of Rathnew. The completion of the Ashford / Rathnew Bypass in 2004 has meant that Wicklow is now linked to the capital Dublin, located 42 km north of dual carriageway and motorway. These factors have led to a steady growth in population in Wicklow and its surrounding townlands while its importance as a commuter town for Dublin increasing.

toponymy

Past spellings of its name include Wykinglo in 1173, Wygingelow in 1185,Wykinglo in 1192, Wykinglowe in 1355. ^{[5] [6]}

The Swedish toponymist Magne Oftedal ^[7] criticize the usual explanation that the name comes from the Old Norse Vikingr (meaning “Viking”) and Norse Ló (which means “meadow”), that is, “the Vikings’ meadow ‘or’ Viking meadow”. He notices that -LO never been used outside Norway (see Oslo) and Scandinavia. Furthermore, this word almost never in combination with a male name or a generic word meaning “a category of persons”. Moreover, it seems “Viking” Never in toponymic records. For him, the first element can be explained as Uikar- or Uik- “bay” in Old Norse, and between N of the old forms is a mistake of the clerks.

But all recorded forms show that N. That is why Liam Price ^[8] says it’s probably a Norwegian ortnamns and A. Sommerfelt ^[9] provides that previously Viking-lo and understands it as “Viking” meadow “. Yet the Irish patronimics could Ó hUiginn and Mac Uiginn (anglicised O’Higgins and Maguigan) keep a key to meaning “Meadow of a man named Viking”. ^[10]

Wykinglo were common names used by Viking seafarers and traders who traveled around the Anglo-Scandinavian world. The Normans and Anglo-Normans who conquered Ireland preferred the non Gaelic placename.

The origins of the Irish name Cill Mhantáin has no connection with the name Wicklow . It has an interesting folklore own. Saint Patrick and a few followers are said to have tried to land on Travailahawk beach, south of hamnen.Fientliga locals attacked them, causing one of Patrick’s party to lose their front teeth. Manntach (toothless one), as he became known, was undeterred and returned to the city, eventually founding a church. ^[11]Therefore Cill Mhantáin , which means “church toothless one.” Although its anglicised spelling Kilmantan ^[12] was used for a time, eventually fell out of use.

History

During the excavations to build the Wicklow way bypass in 2010, was a bronze age cooking pit (Fulach Fiadh) and kennel space revealed in Ballynerrn lower part of town. A radio carbon-dating exercise on location sets timeline discovery in 900BC. ^[13] The first Celts arrived in Ireland around 600BC. According to the Greek cartographer and historian, Ptolemy, the area around the Wicklow was a Celtic tribe called Cauci / Canci. This strain is believed to have originated in the region that includes today’s Belgium / German border. The area around the Wicklow called Menapia in Ptolemy map which in turn goes back to 130 e.Kr .. ^[13]

Vikings landed in Ireland around 795 AD and began raiding monasteries and settlements of wealth and to capture slaves. In the mid-9th century, Vikings established a base that utilized the natural harbor in Wicklow. It is from this chapter in Wicklow history that the name “Wicklow” from. ^[13]

Norman influence can still be seen today in some of its rooms and surname.After the Norman invasion, was granted Wicklow Maurice FitzGerald, who started to build the “Black Castle”, a country facing the fortification is destroyed on the coast just south of the harbor. The castle was briefly held by the local O’Byrne and the O’Toole Kavanagh clans ^[14] in the uprising in 1641, but was quickly abandoned when British soldiers approached the city.Sir Charles Coote, who led the troops then recorded engaging in “wild and indiscriminate” slaughter of the citizens in an act of revenge. ^[15] Local oral history claims that one of these documents “wanton cruelty” was trapping and intentional burning to death of an unknown number of people in a building in the city. Although no record of this detail Coote attack on Wicklow is a small laneway, locally called “Melancholy Lane”, said to have been where this event took place.

Even the surrounding County Wicklow is rich in Bronze Age monuments, is the oldest settlement in the city destroyed Franciscan monastery. This is located in the west end of Main Street, in the gardens of local Catholic parish grounds. Other notable buildings include the Town Hall and Gaol was built in 1702 and has recently been renovated as a heritage center and tourist attraction. East breakwaters, arguably the most important building in town, built in the early 1880s Wicklow Harbour Commissioners. The architect was William George Strype and the builder was John Jackson of Westminster.North breakwater was completed by about 1909 – John Pansing was the designer and Louis Nott Bristol builder. The Gaol was a place of execution until the end of the 19th century and it was here that Billy Byrne, a leader of the 1798 uprising, met his end in 1799. He is commemorated by a statue in the square. The prison was closed in 1924 and is now a tourist attraction with live displays and exhibitions. ^[16]

At Fitzwilliam Square in the center of Wicklow town is an obelisk commemorating career Captain Robert Halpin, commander of the telegraph cable ship Great Eastern, who was born in Wicklow, 1836. ^[17]

Transport

Bus Eireann and Irish Rail both active through the city. Bus Eireann provide an hour which is half an hour at peak time service to Dublin city center and Airport.Also a service operated twice daily via Arklow Rathdrum.

Route 133 Wicklow (monuments) -Dublin Airport via Grand Hotel, Wicklow Community College, Lidl, Rathnew, Ashford, Newcastle hospitals, Newtownmountkennedy, Garden Village, Kilpedder, Glen of the Downs, Kilmacanogue, Ballywaltrim, Bray, Loughlinstown Hospital, N11, UCD Belfield , RTÉ, Donnybrook Village, Leeson Street, Dawson Street / Kildare Street, City Quays route to Dublin Airport. ^[18]
Route 133 Wicklow (monuments) -Arklow through the Grand Hotel, Wicklow Community College, Lidl, Rathnew, Glenealy, Rathdrum, Meeting of the Waters, Avoca and Wooden path to Arklow. ^[18]
A train service operates north to Dublin Connolly via Kilcoole, Greystones, Bray, Dun Laoghaire, Pearse Street and Tara Street on the way to Connolly 6 times on Monday to Friday. ^[19]

Train traffic south to Rosslare Europort via Rathdrum, Arklow, Gorey, Enniscorthy, Wexford and Rosslare Strand. ^[19]

International relations

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