Courtown () is a village in County Wexford, Ireland. It was developed after Lord Courtown ordered the construction of a harbour during the Famine years, 1839–1846. The economic boost of the new harbour led to a small village developing with fishing being the primary economy of the village. Courtown is situated on the

Irish Sea The Irish Sea or , gv, Y Keayn Yernagh, sco, Erse Sie, gd, Muir Èireann , Ulster-Scots: ''Airish Sea'', cy, Môr Iwerddon . is an extensive body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Ce ...

coast and with the recent development during the Celtic Tiger years, has merged into the adjoining village of Riverchapel. It lies on the R742 regional road.

Development and amenities

The name Courtown originally applied to a townland in North Wexford, 4 kilometres east of Gorey town. The townland was home to the seat of Lord Courtown during the 18th and 19th centuries. Courtown House was demolished in 1962. The remains of his private church and cemetery can still be seen in the townland. Today it is home to Courtown Golf Club and Kiltennel Church. In the late 20th and early 21st century, significant

urbanisation Urbanization (or urbanisation) refers to the population shift from rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. It is predominantly the ...

has taken place, especially in Riverchapel, just south of Courtown Harbour. Large

housing estate A housing estate (or sometimes housing complex or housing development) is a group of homes and other buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Popular throughout the United States ...

s are now home to

commuters Commuting is periodically recurring travel between one's place of residence and place of work or study, where the traveler, referred to as a commuter, leaves the boundary of their home community. By extension, it can sometimes be any regu ...

working in

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 ...

. While the population of Courtown is somewhat smaller, the census combines the area of Courtown, Riverchapel and Ardamine. As of the 2006 census the population of this area was 1,421, and had grown to 3,591 by the time of the 2016 census. Courtown is home to 'The Dinky Take-Away', serving the "best chips in Ireland", as voted on Marty Whelan's morning show on the 2FM radio station. Courtown also has a confectionary shop, ice-cream shop, and hair salons. The town features

crazy golf Miniature golf, also known as minigolf, mini-putt, crazy golf, or putt-putt, is an offshoot of the sport of golf focusing solely on the putting aspect of its parent game. The aim of the game is to score the lowest number of points. It is played ...

amusement ride Amusement rides, sometimes called carnival rides, are mechanical devices or structures that move people especially kids to create fun and enjoyment. Rides are often perceived by many as being scary or more dangerous than they actually are. This ...

ten-pin bowling Ten-pin bowling is a type of bowling in which a bowler rolls a bowling ball down a wood or synthetic lane toward ten pins positioned evenly in four rows in an equilateral triangle. The objective is to knock down all ten pins on the first rol ...

, a

golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". ...

, as well as a

beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc sh ...

and forest park. Courtown is also home to a Class D RNLI inshore

lifeboat Lifeboat may refer to: Rescue vessels * Lifeboat (shipboard), a small craft aboard a ship to allow for emergency escape * Lifeboat (rescue), a boat designed for sea rescues * Airborne lifeboat, an air-dropped boat used to save downed airmen ...

. Seal Rescue Ireland (SRI), a charity organisation that works to rescue, rehabilitate and release sick or injured seals, is based in Courtown.

Transport

There is a bus once a day (except on Sundays) to and from

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 ...

, departing in the morning and returning in the afternoon. On Mondays and Saturdays Bus Éireann route 379 operates and continues to

Wexford Wexford () is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the island of Ireland. The town is linked to Dublin by the M11/N11 ...

via

Curracloe Curracloe () is a village in County Wexford, a few miles northeast of the town of Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It lies on the R742 road (Ireland), R742 Regional road (Ireland), regional road at the junction with R743 road (Ireland), R74 ...

. Route 879 operates on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. On Wednesdays, the service is provided by the Rural Roadrunner bus operated by Wexford Local Development. The nearest station is

Gorey railway station Gorey railway station ( ga, Stáisiún Ghuaire) is a railway station located in Gorey, County Wexford, Ireland. Services/routes The service from the station is: ''Monday to Friday'' *5 trains per day to Dublin Connolly (one continuing to ...

, around 7 kilometres away.

Tourism

As a harbour and seaside village, there is a high tourism rate during the months of the summer (May–August). Local tourist accommodation types include a number of bed and breakfasts, guesthouses, and caravan and holiday parks.

History

The name 'Courtown' dates to 1278, but the harbour was not built until the mid 1800s as a response by Lord Courtown to the Great Famine, and cost £25,000 to complete. Courtown was by then already well known for its beaches, but the presence of the harbour made it a fashionable destination, with people from Dublin and the midlands frequenting the village and beaches. Its popularity as a summer holiday resort for Dublin people increased after 1863, when the

railway line Rail terminology is a form of technical terminology. The difference between the American term ''railroad'' and the international term ''railway'' (used by the International Union of Railways and English-speaking countries outside the United Sta ...

from Dublin reached nearby

References

External links