Aughrim (; ) is a small town in

County Wicklow County Wicklow ( ; ga, Contae Chill Mhantáin ) is a county in Ireland. The last of the traditional 32 counties, having been formed as late as 1606, it is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is bordered by t ...

, Ireland. It lies in a scenic valley in the Wicklow Mountains in the east of Ireland where the Ow and Derry rivers meet to form the Aughrim River. Aughrim is on the R747 road between Arklow and

Baltinglass Baltinglass, historically known as Baltinglas (), is a town in south-west County Wicklow, Ireland. It is located on the River Slaney near the border with County Carlow and County Kildare, on the N81 road. Etymology The town's Irish name, ''Bea ...

, and the R753 regional road.

Architecture

The Rednagh Bridge south of the village was the site of an engagement during the

1798 rebellion The Irish Rebellion of 1798 ( ga, Éirí Amach 1798; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ''The Hurries'') was a major uprising against British rule in Ireland. The main organising force was the Society of United Irishmen, a Irish republicanism, ...

between Crown forces and the rebels. A plaque on the bridge commemorates Anne Devlin, who was employed by and supported Robert Emmet, a revolutionary who was hanged in

1803 Events * January 1 – The first edition of Alexandre Balthazar Laurent Grimod de La Reynière's ''Almanach des gourmands'', the first guide to restaurant cooking, is published in Paris. * January 5 – William Symington demonstrates his ...

for his leadership of an aborted uprising. There are a number of unusual granite terraced houses throughout the village, constructed - along with a

forge A forge is a type of hearth used for heating metals, or the workplace (smithy) where such a hearth is located. The forge is used by the smith to heat a piece of metal to a temperature at which it becomes easier to shape by forging, or to th ...

, and

town hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

- at the behest of the Earl of Meath. Aughrim was a granite mining village, and this material is widely used, giving the village a distinctive and coherent architecture. Aughrim has won the Irish Tidy Towns Award for the tidiest village in County Wicklow from 1996–2007 and won the Irish Tidy Towns Competition in 2007.

Wind farm dispute

Since 2014, German-owned company ABO Wind has applied to build a wind farm surrounding Aughrim. It would include eleven turbines (150 m tall) with access roads, covering the hills between Aughrim and Arklow, in the townlands of Ballymanus, Roddenagh, Killaduff, Askekeagh, Ballinglen, Preban, Tomcoyle, Kilballyowen, Killacloran, Clone, Coolahullin, Ballycoog Upper and Lower, Ballykillageer Upper and Lower, Ballintemple, Coolgarow, Kilcarra East and West, Glenart, Shelton Abbey, Kilbride and Killinskyduff. Local residents have opposed the plan and formed the South Wicklow Wind Action Group (SWWAG) to campaign against it. Wicklow County Council voted to reject the wind farm. In 2017, ABO Wind applied to build the wind farm again, with minor adjustments. This was also opposed, but in 2019 An Bord Pleanála approved the wind farm, against the recommendation of their own inspector. This controversial decision has been awaiting judicial review.

Sports

Aughrim has a number of walking trails, with the Sean Linehan Way starting by Tinakilly Bridge on the east side of the village, while just to the west the Ciaran Shannon Way can be accessed via the Rednagh Road or by parking at Annacurragh village. The village is home to the county grounds of the Wicklow county Gaelic Athletic Association team. The 'Angling for All' fishing lake and Aughrim river provide rainbow and

brown trout The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a European species of salmonid fish that has been widely introduced into suitable environments globally. It includes purely freshwater populations, referred to as the riverine ecotype, ''Salmo trutta'' morph ...

fishing. A Paul McGinley-designed golf course is open at nearby Macreddin.

People

* Tara Blaise, singer, grew up in the village * Shane Byrne, Irish rugby union international was born in Aughrim

Gallery

References

* ''Illustrated road book of Ireland, Second Edition'', Automobile Association, London (1970)

External links

The Tidy Towns of Ireland "Celebrating 50 years"

Aughrim in Wicklow Tourism
{{Tidy Towns (Ireland) Towns and villages in County Wicklow