Bray ( )
is a coastal town in north
County Wicklow, Ireland. It is situated about south of
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
city centre on the east coast. It has a population of 32,600 making it the
ninth largest urban area within
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
(at the 2016 census).
Bray is home to
Ardmore Studios
Ardmore Studios, in Bray, County Wicklow, is Irelands's only four wall studio.
It opened in 1958 under the management of Emmet Dalton and Louis Elliman. Since then, it has evolved through many managements and owners. It has been the base for ...
, and some light industry is located in the town, with some business and retail parks on its southern periphery. Commuter links between Bray and Dublin are provided by
rail
Rail or rails may refer to:
Rail transport
*Rail transport and related matters
*Rail (rail transport) or railway lines, the running surface of a railway
Arts and media Film
* ''Rails'' (film), a 1929 Italian film by Mario Camerini
* ''Rail'' ( ...
,
Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus ( ga, Bus Átha Cliath) is a State-owned bus operator providing services in Dublin. By far the largest bus operator in the city, it carried 138 million passengers in 2019. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann.
...
and the M11 and M50 motorways. Small parts of the town's northern outskirts are in
County Dublin
"Action to match our speech"
, image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Dublin.svg
, map_alt = map showing County Dublin as a small area of darker green on the east coast within the lighter green background of ...
.
Originally developed as a planned
resort town in the 19th century, Bray's popularity as a
seaside resort
A seaside resort is a town, village, or hotel that serves as a vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements, such as in the Germ ...
was serviced by the
Dublin and Kingstown Railway
The Dublin and Kingstown Railway (D&KR), which opened in 1834, was Ireland’s first passenger railway. It linked Westland Row in Dublin with Kingstown Harbour (Dún Laoghaire) in County Dublin.
The D&KR was also notable for a number of other ...
, which was extended to Bray in 1854. During the late 20th century, the town's use as a resort declined when foreign travel became an option for holiday-makers. However, day-trippers continued to come to Bray during the summer months.
Etymology
The name ''Bray'' is an
anglicisation of the Irish , whose meaning is unclear.
Liam Price
Liam Price (February 1891 – 1967) was a County Wicklow judge, historian and former president of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland (RSAI) who published work on historical topography and the history of placenames, especially for the co ...
suggested it may be an old name for the
River Dargle
The River Dargle () is a river that flows from the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland to the Irish Sea. It forms Powerscourt Waterfall, receives the Glencree and Glencullen Rivers, and later the Glenmunder Stream / County Brook, and the Swan River ...
or a tributary.
In 1875
P. W. Joyce mistakenly ascribed the Irish name , an old word meaning "hill", referring in this case to
Bray Head
Bray Head ( ga, Ceann Bhré) is a hill and headland located in northern County Wicklow, Ireland, between the towns of Bray and Greystones. It forms part of the Wicklow Mountains and is a popular spot with hillwalkers. At the top of the head i ...
.
In a 1905
Gaelic League
(; historically known in English as the Gaelic League) is a social and cultural organisation which promotes the Irish language in Ireland and worldwide. The organisation was founded in 1893 with Douglas Hyde as its first president, when it emer ...
publication advocating use of Irish-language postal addresses,
Seosamh Laoide
Seosamh Laoide ( en, Joseph H. Lloyd, 1865–1939), known as "Mac Tíre na Páirce" ("Wolf of the Park"), was an Irish language scholar and activist during the period 1893 – 1915. Today he is perhaps best remembered for his work on Irish placen ...
coined the name "Brí in
Cualu
Cualu or Cuala (genitive ) was a territory in Gaelic Ireland south of the River Liffey encompassing the Wicklow Mountains.
History
Edmund Hogan concludes from primary sources that it "seems to extend from Arklow to the Liffey, and to be coexten ...
", as part of his policy that "If the name of the town
n Irishbe one word, the
ncient Gaelicterritory should be added to it in the
genitive case".
and remained in use in the mid 20th century despite having been refuted by
Liam Price
Liam Price (February 1891 – 1967) was a County Wicklow judge, historian and former president of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland (RSAI) who published work on historical topography and the history of placenames, especially for the co ...
and
Osborn Bergin
Osborn Joseph Bergin (26 November 1873 – 6 October 1950) was a scholar of the Irish language and early Irish literature, who discovered Bergin's Law.
He was born in Cork, sixth child and eldest son of Osborn Roberts Bergin and Sarah Reddin, ...
.
was adopted by statute in 1975.
History
![Bray Esplanade c](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Bray_Esplanade_c._1900.png)
In medieval times, Bray was on the southern border of
the Pale
The Pale (Irish: ''An Pháil'') or the English Pale (' or ') was the part of Ireland directly under the control of the English government in the Late Middle Ages. It had been reduced by the late 15th century to an area along the east coast st ...
, and the coastal district was governed directly by the English crown from
Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle ( ga, Caisleán Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a former Motte-and-bailey castle and current Irish government complex and conference centre. It was chosen for its position at the highest point of central Dublin.
Until 1922 it was the s ...
. Inland, the countryside was largely under the control of Gaelic Chieftains, such as the O'Toole and O'Byrne clans. Bray features on the 1598 map "A Modern Depiction of Ireland, One of the British Isles"
by
Abraham Ortelius
Abraham Ortelius (; also Ortels, Orthellius, Wortels; 4 or 14 April 152728 June 1598) was a Brabantian cartographer, geographer, and cosmographer, conventionally recognized as the creator of the first modern atlas, the '' Theatrum Orbis Terra ...
as "Brey". The
Earl of Meath
Earl of Meath is a title in the Peerage of Ireland created in 1627 and held by the head of the Brabazon family. This family descends from Sir Edward Brabazon, who represented County Wicklow in the Irish House of Commons and served as High Sher ...
purchased the
Killruddery Estate in Bray in 1627 with the establishment of the Earl title.
The
Dublin and Kingstown Railway
The Dublin and Kingstown Railway (D&KR), which opened in 1834, was Ireland’s first passenger railway. It linked Westland Row in Dublin with Kingstown Harbour (Dún Laoghaire) in County Dublin.
The D&KR was also notable for a number of other ...
, the first in Ireland, opened in 1834 and was extended as far as Bray in 1854. With the coming of the railway in the mid-19th century, the town grew to become a seaside resort.
It was developed primarily by local entrepreneurs as a planned
resort town, modelled on the
seaside resort
A seaside resort is a town, village, or hotel that serves as a vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements, such as in the Germ ...
s of the English south-coast, specifically
Brighton.
Hotels and residential terraces were built in the vicinity of the seafront. Railway entrepreneur
William Dargan
William Dargan (28 February 1799 – 7 February 1867) was arguably the most important Irish engineer of the 19th century and certainly the most important figure in railway construction. Dargan designed and built Ireland's first railway lin ...
developed the Turkish baths, designed in a
Moorish style at a cost of £10,000; built in 1859, these were demolished in 1980.
Bray was a popular destination from the 1860s onwards. While small amenities such as
regattas
Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and other water ...
, firework displays and band performances were plentiful in the town, Bray failed to secure the necessary capital to develop major attractions and sustain tourism, leading to its decline in the early 1900s.
Pleasure piers such as the
Palace Pier were a mainstay of resorts at that time. Despite repeated efforts, Bray never acquired such a pier and abandoned plans to build one in 1906. Additional planned amenities which were never built included a
concert hall, a
theatre
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...
, an
exhibition centre
A convention center (American English; or conference centre in British English) is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typica ...
, a marine aquarium,
winter garden
A winter garden is a kind of garden maintained in wintertime.
History
The origin of the winter garden dates back to the 17th to 19th centuries where European nobility would construct large conservatories that would house tropical and subtro ...
s and an electrified
tram
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
way along the seafront.
It experienced a brief revival from British tourists in the years immediately after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. However, Bray's popularity as a seaside resort declined significantly when foreign travel became an option for holiday-makers. Its proximity to Dublin still makes it a popular destination for day-trippers from the capital.
Location
![Map of Bray](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Map_of_Bray.png)
The town is situated on the east
coast
The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in ...
to the south of County Dublin.
Shankill, County Dublin lies to the north, and
Greystones
Greystones () is a coastal town and seaside resort in County Wicklow, Ireland. It lies on Ireland's east coast, south of Bray and south of Dublin city centre and has a population of 18,140 (2016). The town is bordered by the Irish Sea to ...
, County Wicklow to the south. The village of
Enniskerry
Enniskerry (historically ''Annaskerry'', from ) is a village in County Wicklow, Ireland. The population was 1,889 at the 2016 census.
Location
The village is situated on the Glencullen River in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains in the ea ...
lies to the west of the town, at the foot of the
Wicklow Mountains
The Wicklow Mountains (, archaic: ''Cualu'') form the largest continuous upland area in the Republic of Ireland. They occupy the whole centre of County Wicklow and stretch outside its borders into the counties of Dublin, Wexford and Carlow. ...
. People participate in such sports as sailing, rowing, and swimming. The beach and seafront promenade are used by residents and visitors. While Bray's promenade and south beach is to a
Blue Flag standard, the north beach has been impacted by erosion and leaching pollution since the closure and sale of a municipal landfill in the late 20th century.
The
River Dargle
The River Dargle () is a river that flows from the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland to the Irish Sea. It forms Powerscourt Waterfall, receives the Glencree and Glencullen Rivers, and later the Glenmunder Stream / County Brook, and the Swan River ...
which enters the sea at the north end of Bray rises from a source near
Djouce
Djouce () at , is the 74th–highest peak in Ireland on the Arderin scale, and the 91st–highest peak on the Vandeleur-Lynam scale.Mountainviews, (September 2013), "A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits: The Vandeleur-Lynams & the Arderins", ...
, in the Wicklow Mountains.
Bray Head
Bray Head ( ga, Ceann Bhré) is a hill and headland located in northern County Wicklow, Ireland, between the towns of Bray and Greystones. It forms part of the Wicklow Mountains and is a popular spot with hillwalkers. At the top of the head i ...
is situated at the southern end of the Victorian Promenade with paths leading to the summit and along the sea cliffs. The rocks of Bray Head are a mixture of
greywacke
Greywacke or graywacke (German ''grauwacke'', signifying a grey, earthy rock) is a variety of sandstone generally characterized by its hardness, dark color, and poorly sorted angular grains of quartz, feldspar, and small rock fragments or lit ...
s and
quartzite
Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tec ...
. There is a large cross at the summit.
Climate
Bray has a
temperate oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
: ''Cfb''), similar to most other towns in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
, with few extremes of temperature and abundant
precipitation
In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravitational pull from clouds. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hail. ...
year round. However, Bray is relatively sheltered from the prevailing south-westerly winds by the
Wicklow Mountains
The Wicklow Mountains (, archaic: ''Cualu'') form the largest continuous upland area in the Republic of Ireland. They occupy the whole centre of County Wicklow and stretch outside its borders into the counties of Dublin, Wexford and Carlow. ...
and receives around of rainfall per year. The sunniest months on average are May and June, while October is by far the wettest.
Access
Rail
A public transport network, both north into Dublin and south into County Wicklow and County Wexford, serves the town. Bray is on the
Irish Rail
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
DART Rail Network which stretches north to
Malahide
Malahide ( ; ) is an affluent coastal settlement in Fingal, County Dublin, Ireland, situated north of Dublin city. It has a village centre surrounded by suburban housing estates, with a population of over 17,000.
Malahide Castle dates from th ...
and
Howth
Howth ( ; ; non, Hǫfuð) is an affluent peninsular village and outer suburb of Dublin, Ireland. The district as a whole occupies the greater part of the peninsula of Howth Head, which forms the northern boundary of Dublin Bay, and includes ...
and south to
Greystones
Greystones () is a coastal town and seaside resort in County Wicklow, Ireland. It lies on Ireland's east coast, south of Bray and south of Dublin city centre and has a population of 18,140 (2016). The town is bordered by the Irish Sea to ...
. The town is also on the mainline
InterCity
InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to regional, local, or commuter trains) generally call at m ...
and
Commuter rail network which connects north to
Connolly Station
Connolly station ( ga, Stáisiún Uí Chonghaile) or Dublin Connolly is one of the busiest railway stations in Dublin and Ireland, and is a focal point in the Irish route network. On the North side of the River Liffey, it provides InterCi ...
in Dublin city centre and further to
Drogheda and
Dundalk
Dundalk ( ; ga, Dún Dealgan ), meaning "the fort of Dealgan", is the county town (the administrative centre) of County Louth, Ireland. The town is on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the east coast of Ireland. It is h ...
. To the south, the rail line goes through
Arklow
Arklow (; ; , ) is a town in County Wicklow on the southeast coast of Ireland. The town is overlooked by Ballymoyle Hill. It was founded by the Vikings in the ninth century. Arklow was the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the 1798 re ...
and
Gorey
Gorey () is a market town in north County Wexford, Ireland. It is beside the main M11 Dublin to Wexford road. The town is also connected to the railway network along the same route. Local newspapers include the ''Gorey Guardian''.
As a growi ...
before reaching
Rosslare Europort
Rosslare Europort ( ga, Europort Ros Láir) is a modern seaport located at Rosslare Harbour in County Wexford, Ireland, near the southeasternmost point of the island of Ireland. The port is the premier Irish port serving the European Contin ...
. Bray's railway station is named after
Edward Daly, an executed leader of the
1916 Easter Rising
The Easter Rising ( ga, Éirí Amach na Cásca), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the ...
. Bray Station was opened on 10 July 1854.
Road
Bray lies along the
M11 motorway corridor; an interchange at its northern side links with the
M50 Dublin bypass.
![IMG BrayDalyStation5405](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/IMG_BrayDalyStation5405.jpg)
Six bus companies pass through Bray:
Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus ( ga, Bus Átha Cliath) is a State-owned bus operator providing services in Dublin. By far the largest bus operator in the city, it carried 138 million passengers in 2019. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann.
...
,
Go-Ahead Ireland
Go-Ahead Transport Services (Dublin) Limited, known as Go-Ahead Ireland is a bus operator in Dublin that commenced trading in September 2018. It is a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group.
History
With the aim of improving efficiency, in 2015 the ...
,
Bus Éireann, Finnegan's Bray,
Aircoach
Aircoach is an Ireland-based subsidiary company of FirstGroup. It provides airport express coach services from Cork, Belfast, Galway, Greystones, Bray, Southside Dublin and Dublin to Dublin Airport. It also operates contracted bus services for ...
, and St. Kevin's Bus Service to
Glendalough
Glendalough (; ) is a glacial valley in County Wicklow, Ireland, renowned for an Early Medieval monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by St Kevin. From 1825 to 1957, the head of the Glendalough Valley was the site of a galena lead min ...
. Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead Ireland are the two primary bus operators in the town operating service on behalf of the
NTA. Bus services serving the town include the 145 which serves the town between Ballywaltrim just south of Bray to
Heuston Station
Heuston Station ( ; ga, Stáisiún Heuston; formerly Kingsbridge Station) also known as Dublin Heuston, is one of Dublin's largest railway stations and links the capital with the south, southwest and west of Ireland. It is operated by Iar ...
serving
UCD and Dublin city centre along the way. Other routes serving the town include the 45A/B, 84/A, 84N, 155, 184 and 185. Finnegan's Bray also offer a nightlink service from Dublin. Aircoach operates a service to and from
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport (Irish: ''Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath'') is an international airport serving Dublin, Ireland. It is operated by DAA (formerly Dublin Airport Authority). The airport is located in Collinstown, north of Dublin, and south of ...
.
Air
Dublin Airport is reachable via the M50 which passes to the west of Dublin City. The AirCoach has two stops in Bray to and from Dublin Airport. Newcastle Aerodrome is the closest private airfield a short distance south of Bray.
Demography
![Brayview](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Brayview.JPG)
Bray has a growing population of permanent residents.
Local government
Bray is represented on
Wicklow County Council
Wicklow County Council ( ga, Comhairle Chontae Chill Mhantáin) is the authority responsible for local government in County Wicklow, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for ...
by two
local electoral area
A local electoral area (LEA; ga, Toghlimistéir Áitiúil) is an electoral area for elections to local authorities in Ireland. All elections use the single transferable vote. The Republic of Ireland is divided into 166 LEAs, with an average p ...
s. Bray East is approximately two-thirds of the town, while Bray West is the other third and includes the neighbouring villages of
Enniskerry
Enniskerry (historically ''Annaskerry'', from ) is a village in County Wicklow, Ireland. The population was 1,889 at the 2016 census.
Location
The village is situated on the Glencullen River in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains in the ea ...
and
Kilmacanogue
Kilmacanogue () is a village in north County Wicklow, Ireland.
Location and transport
The village lies on the junction of the R755 road to Roundwood and the N11 road, southeast of Bray town centre. It lies between the Little Sugar Loaf t ...
. Bray Municipal District consists of both of these local electoral areas.
The following are the eight councillors representing Bray at Bray Municipal District and Wicklow County Council. The local
elections took place in 2019.
The Bray Town Commissioners were established by a
local act in 1866. The
Earl of Meath
Earl of Meath is a title in the Peerage of Ireland created in 1627 and held by the head of the Brabazon family. This family descends from Sir Edward Brabazon, who represented County Wicklow in the Irish House of Commons and served as High Sher ...
was named in the act as the first chairman of the commissioners. In 1899, this body became an
urban district council
In England and Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected urban district council (UDC), which shared local gove ...
under the
Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898
The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 (61 & 62 Vict. c. 37) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland that established a system of local government in Ireland similar to that already created for England, ...
. At the same time, a portion of the town which had been in
County Dublin
"Action to match our speech"
, image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Dublin.svg
, map_alt = map showing County Dublin as a small area of darker green on the east coast within the lighter green background of ...
was transferred to County Wicklow and the jurisdiction of the urban district. The boundary of the town was further extended in 1952 (taking in the area around
Killruddery), in 1958 (taking in the area in Rathmichael which had been transferred the previous year from County Dublin to County Wicklow), and in 1978 (extending the town to the west).
The urban district council became a
town council
A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities.
Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions.
Republic of Ireland
Town Councils in the Republic of Ireland were the second t ...
in 2002. It was abolished by the
Local Government Reform Act 2014
The Local Government Reform Act 2014 (No. 1) is an act of the Oireachtas which provided for a major restructuring of local government in Ireland with effect from the 2014 local elections. It merged some first-tier county and city councils, ...
, with the powers and functions of the town council given to the county council, but its functions could be administered by the new municipal district council created by the act.
Part of the northern Bray area lies within the local authority area of
Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, and forms part of the
Shankill–
Killiney
Killiney () is an affluent seaside resort and suburb in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. It lies south of neighbouring Dalkey, east of Ballybrack and Sallynoggin and north of Shankill. The place grew around the 11th century Killiney Churc ...
local electoral area. The border between
County Wicklow and
County Dublin
"Action to match our speech"
, image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Dublin.svg
, map_alt = map showing County Dublin as a small area of darker green on the east coast within the lighter green background of ...
(
Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown) lies along Old Connaught Avenue and runs down along and across the Dublin Road to Ravenswell, making all areas north of that line Bray, County Dublin.
Tourism
Bray is a long-established holiday resort dating back to the early 19th century. The Parliamentary gazetteer of 1846 described it thusly:
The town has for many years been a favourite summer resort of the wealthier of the Dublin citizens and of the gentry from a large part of Ireland; and it possesses, in a state of high facility and polish, the various appliances required for their accommodation and comfort, whether as lodgers or as tourists. Handsome cottages ornees, boarding houses on different scales of economy, and furnished houses from the small abode to the luxurious mansion, abound both in the town and in its environs, for the special use of visitors.
Bray has numerous hotels and guesthouses, shops, restaurants and evening entertainment. The town also hosts a number of festival events. In the town's vicinity are an 18-hole golf courses, a tennis club, fishing, a sailing club and horse riding. Other features of Bray are the amusement arcades and the
National Sealife Centre. It has a beach of sand and shingle which is over long, fronted by an esplanade and
Bray Head
Bray Head ( ga, Ceann Bhré) is a hill and headland located in northern County Wicklow, Ireland, between the towns of Bray and Greystones. It forms part of the Wicklow Mountains and is a popular spot with hillwalkers. At the top of the head i ...
, which rises from the coast, has views of mountains and sea. The concrete cross at the top of Bray head was erected in 1950 for the
holy year
A jubilee is a special year of remission of sins and universal pardon. In '' Leviticus'', a jubilee year ( he, יובל ''yūḇāl'') is mentioned to occur every 50th year; during which slaves and prisoners would be freed, debts would be forgi ...
.
![Esplanade Hotel, Bray](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Esplanade_Hotel%2C_Bray.jpg)
Bray is used as a base for walkers, and has a promenade which stretches from the harbour, with its colony of
mute swans, to the base of Bray Head at the southern end. A track leads to the summit. Also used by walkers is the Cliff Walk along Bray Head out to
Greystones
Greystones () is a coastal town and seaside resort in County Wicklow, Ireland. It lies on Ireland's east coast, south of Bray and south of Dublin city centre and has a population of 18,140 (2016). The town is bordered by the Irish Sea to ...
.
In January 2010, Bray was named the "cleanest town in Ireland" in the 2009 Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) survey of 60 towns and cities.
Tourist sites
Tourist sites in the area include the Elizabethan-revival mansion
Killruddery House (which is open to the public in the summer months), and the hill and headland at
Bray Head
Bray Head ( ga, Ceann Bhré) is a hill and headland located in northern County Wicklow, Ireland, between the towns of Bray and Greystones. It forms part of the Wicklow Mountains and is a popular spot with hillwalkers. At the top of the head i ...
(which has a number of walking trails).
Raheen-a-Cluig, a medieval church which is catalogued as
national monument, is located on the north face of Bray Head. Other religious sites and churches in the area include the
Fassaroe Cross (12th century), the
Holy Redeemer Church, Bray (1792), and the
Gothic Revival churches of
Christ Church (1863) and
Bray Methodist Church (1864).
Festivals and events
The Bray St. Patrick's Carnival and Parade is presented by Bray and District Chamber to celebrate
Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick ( ga, Lá Fhéile Pádraig, lit=the Day of the Festival of Patrick), is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (), the foremost patr ...
.
Bray also hosts a yearly silent film festival, the Killruddery Film Festival in
Killruddery Gardens.
Bray Jazz Festival
Bray Jazz Festival is an Irish jazz music festival that takes place in Bray, Ireland, on the May bank holiday weekend. The festival celebrated its 20th anniversary on 3–5 May 2019, and featured performances by John Scofield, Norma Winstone ...
takes place annually on the May bank holiday weekend and includes performances by jazz and world music artists.
The annual Bray Summerfest takes place over six weeks in July and August and includes free entertainment, live music, markets, sporting events, and carnivals. Performers who have headlined include
Mundy
Edmond Enright (born 19 May 1975), known professionally as Mundy, is an Irish singer-songwriter and founder of the independent record label Camcor Records.
Biography
He released his debut album ''Jelly Legs'' in 1996 on the Epic Records label ...
,
Brian Kennedy,
the Undertones
The Undertones are a rock band formed in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1974. From 1975 to 1983, the Undertones consisted of Feargal Sharkey (vocals), John O'Neill (rhythm guitar, vocals), Damian O'Neill (lead guitar, vocals), Michael Bradle ...
,
the Hothouse Flowers and
Mary Black
Mary Black (born 23 May 1955) is an Irish folk singer. She is well known as an interpreter of both traditional folk and modern material which has made her a major recording artist in her native Ireland.
Background
Mary Black was born into a m ...
.
Bray also hosts an
air display during the Summerfest in late July.
Hell & Back is an adventure race that takes place in Kilruddery Estates.
The 10 km Cliff Run from Bray to Greystones is an annual run on the coast around Bray Head Mountain.
Pubs and restaurants
Bray's pubs and restaurants include the first Porterhouse Brewery, Porterhouse bar, who brew their own ales, stouts and beers. In 2010, the Lonely Planet Guide ranked the Harbour Bar in Bray the Best Bar in the World and the Best off the Beaten Track Bar in the world. The O'Toole family owned the bar for three generations, but it was bought by the Duggan family in 2013. The Duggans also operate two seafront premises, Katie Gallagher's and the Martello, both include restaurants on site.
There are twelve fully licensed restaurants, several unlicensed restaurants and cafes, and fast food outlets in Bray. In 2015, ''The Irish Times'' published a study which analysed the presence of Fast food restaurant, fast food outlets in Ireland. Bray was found to have the lowest per capita concentration of the ten towns and cities included, with just 0.09 stores per 1,000 people.
Culture
Film
Bray is home to Ireland's oldest film studios,
Ardmore Studios
Ardmore Studios, in Bray, County Wicklow, is Irelands's only four wall studio.
It opened in 1958 under the management of Emmet Dalton and Louis Elliman. Since then, it has evolved through many managements and owners. It has been the base for ...
, established in 1958, where films such as ''Excalibur (film), Excalibur'', ''Braveheart'' and ''Breakfast on Pluto (film), Breakfast on Pluto'' have been shot. ''Custer's Last Stand-up'' was filmed in Bray and the town was also used to film Neil Jordan's 2012 film ''Byzantium (film), Byzantium'', part of which was shot in the Bray Head Inn. Neil Jordan's 1991 film ''The Miracle (1991 film), The Miracle'' is set in Bray.
Theatre and literature
Bray hosts a number of theatre groups including the Bray Arts and Square One Theatre Group.
Authors who have lived in Bray have included James Joyce, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Molly Keane and Neil Jordan. Situated on Eglinton Road is a Carnegie library, Carnegie Library dating from 1910.
There is also another library serving the Ballywaltrim district on Boghall Road, at the southern end of the town
Media
The ''Bray People'' newspaper is focused on the news in the local areas and neighbourhoods, as does the Free newspaper, freesheet ''Wicklow Times'' (North Edition). East Coast FM Radio Station also operates locally.
Sports
![Carlisle Grounds, Bray Wanderers](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Carlisle_Grounds%2C_Bray_Wanderers.jpg)
Bray is home to League of Ireland football club Bray Wanderers who play at the Carlisle Grounds. It also hosts schoolboy football club Ardmore Rovers and Wolfe Tone F.C. The local Gaelic Athletic Association club's are Fergal Og's and Bray Emmets GAA, Bray Emmets. Bray Emmets Established in 1885, the club hosts the annual All-Ireland Kick Fada Championship.
There are a number of golf clubs and pitch & putt courses in the area, including Bray Golf Club, Dun Laoghaire Golf Club, and Old Conna Golf Club. Bray is also host to Bray Bowling Club, which trains in Fáilte Park, and there is 10 Pin Bowling at the Bray Bowling Alley.
There is fishing in both the River Dargle and on the sea coastline, and a number of clubs locally, including Bray Head Fishing Club and Dargle Anglers Club. Other clubs and facilities in the area include Bray Wheelers Cycling Club, Brennanstown Riding School, Bray Sailing Club, Wicklow Lawn Tennis Club, founded in 1894 and located on Vevay Road, Bray Hockey Club, and Wicklow County Cricket Club.
A short-lived Greyhound racing in Ireland, greyhound racing track existed in the town from 1949 until 1955, run by the Bray Greyhound Racing Association Ltd. In December 1947, notice was given that a track would be constructed at Sunnybank but the Wicklow County Manager refused the application. However, the greyhound company continued to build the facilities and in 1949 the track opened. It was not until 1950 that the High Court ruled against the company for building without planning permission and levied a fine of £470. The dispute continued until, in 1955, the track was bought by Bray Urban Council under a compulsory purchase order. The site, consisting of almost five acres, was bought at £440 per acre, and 36 houses were built on the land.
Thousands of people turned out on the seafront to see Olympic boxing champion Katie Taylor, return home from London in August 2012.
Education
![Car park at Presentation College, Bray, Co Wicklow](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Car_park_at_Presentation_College%2C_Bray%2C_Co_Wicklow.jpg)
There are approximately 13 primary schools in the Bray area, including National school (Ireland), national schools (like Saint Cronan's Boys' National School), gaelscoileanna, a co-educational day school (St. Gerard's School), and schools for special needs. Secondary schools in the area include Saint Brendan's College, Loreto Secondary School and St. Kilian's Community School and Presentation College, Bray. A number of "English as a foreign language" and third-level schools also operate locally, including Bray Institute of Further Education.
People
![IMG CoIBray2872](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/IMG_CoIBray2872.jpg)
Former or current residents of the town have included:
*Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh, fifth President of Ireland
*Dara Ó Briain, comedian and television host
*Denzil Lacey, former RTÉ 2fm and current Spin South West presenter
*Eddie Jordan, former racing driver and Jordan Grand Prix founder
*Seamus Costello, founding member of the Irish National Liberation Army
*Ed Joyce, professional cricketer
*Finn Bálor, Fergal Devitt, professional wrestler in WWE, who wrestles under the name Finn Bálor
*Fionn Regan, musician
*James Joyce, writer
*Jordan Devlin, professional wrestler in WWE
*Katie Taylor, world, European, and Olympic boxing gold medalist
*Laura Whitmore, TV personality and presenter
*Lennox Robinson, dramatist and poet
*Maria Doyle Kennedy, singer and actress who resided in the town as a child.
*Mary Coughlan (singer), Mary Coughlan, singer who resides in the town
*Sinead O'Connor, singer who resides in the town
*Sheridan Le Fanu, writer of gothic horror and mystery novels
*William Wilde and Jane Wilde, the parents of Oscar Wilde, built properties on Esplanade Terrace in 1863, one of which is now the Strand Hotel
*Thomas Langlois Lefroy, politician and judge, who lived in his family estate in Newcourt
*Darren Randolph, goalkeeper for the Republic of Ireland national football team
*Gary O'Toole, former Irish Olympic swimmer from Bray
*Eamon de Buitlear, writer, filmmaker and traditional Irish musician
*Keith Nolan (golfer), Keith Nolan, professional golfer, former GB & Ireland Walker Cup player, and PGA Tour player
* Fran O'Toole, former lead singer in The Miami Showband, murdered in the Miami Showband massacre of July 1975.
*Hozier (musician), Hozier, singer and songwriter
*Suzanne Crowe, President of the Medical Council of Ireland
Twin towns
Bray has town twinning agreements with:
* Bègles, France
* Dublin, California, United States
* Würzburg, Germany
References
External links
Bray on-lineBray Town Council(Wayback Machine archive)
Bray on Wicklow TourismBray in ''Lewis Topographical Dictionary of Ireland'' 1837
{{Authority control
Bray, County Wicklow,
Beaches of County Wicklow
Towers in the Republic of Ireland
Towns and villages in County Wicklow