Dunlavin ()
is a village in
County Wicklow,
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 ...
, situated about south-west of Dublin. It is centred on the junction of the
R412 and
R756 regional roads. It was founded around the end of the 17th century and became a prominent town in the area for a time.
Rathsallagh House Golf & Country Club and the Wicklow National Park are both nearby. Dunlavin is also close to the
Curragh
The Curragh ( ; ga, An Currach ) is a flat open plain of almost of common land in County Kildare. This area is well known for Irish horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is located on the edge of Kildare town, beside the ...
and
Punchestown
Punchestown Racecourse is located in the parish of Eadestown, between the R410 and R411 regional roads near Naas, County Kildare, in Ireland. It is known as the home of Irish Jumps Racing and plays host to the annual Punchestown Irish Nationa ...
racecourses in
County Kildare. Dunlavin's unusually wide streets are characteristic of the village with the Market Square measuring 108ft across at its widest point.
[ It ranks as one of the widest village squares in Ireland.] The village is known for the Market House which stands in the centre of the Market Square, which was built c.1740. The Dunlavin Festival of Arts, which is held each year in late June, has been running since 1982.
History
The settlement of Dunlavin was founded during the late 1650s by the Bulkely family from Cheshire (occasionally and erroneously referred to as "Buckley"). In 1702, Heather Bulkely married James Worth-Tynte and started the long association of the Tynte family with Dunlavin.
In 1777 the Dunlavin Light Dragoons were founded as a Volunteer
Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...
corps, which was raised to defend Ireland from French invasion.
The Dunlavin Green executions
The Dunlavin Green executions was summary execution of 36 suspected United Irishmen rebels in County Wicklow, Ireland by the Irish Yeomanry shortly after the outbreak of the rebellion of 1798. There are several accounts of the events, reco ...
occurred in 1798. The Catholic Church (dedicated to St Nicholas of Myra) was built on adjacent land donated by the local Tynte family. The church dates from 1815, although Catholic worship was observed on the site prior to this.
Education
There are local schools: Jonathan Swift National School (primary, with a Church of Ireland ethos), St. Nicholas of Myra National School (primary, with a Catholic ethos), St. Kevin's Community College (secondary and vocational) and a preschool located beside Jonathan Swift National School.
Historic buildings and places
Market house
The Market House
A market house is a covered space historically used as a marketplace to exchange goods and services such as provisions or livestock, sometimes combined with spaces for public or civic functions on the upper floors and often with a jail or lockup ...
in the centre of the village, built in the Doric style of Grecian architecture, was built c.1740 to designs by Richard Cassels
Richard Cassels (1690 – 1751), also known as Richard Castle, was an architect who ranks with Edward Lovett Pearce as one of the greatest architects working in Ireland in the 18th century. Cassels was born in 1690 in Kassel, Germany. Althou ...
, one of the greatest architects working in Ireland in the 18th century. The landlord of the area, Sir James Worth Tynte, reputedly paid £1,200 for its construction. The building is set on an 'island' which bisects the R412 in the centre of Market Square. For a time the Market House was the centre of economic activity in the village and surrounding hinterland, making ample use of the generous proportions of the Market Square which allowed for cattle dealing and trading.[ The building was temporarily used as a jail 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, ...
and was later repurposed as a courthouse during the 1830s.[ As of 2022, the Market House is currently in use as the village library.]
Fairgreen
Dunlavin fairgreen is thought to date from the mid-seventeenth century and formed the south-eastern boundary of the original village.[ Fairs were held in the green from 1661. The area is best known for the ]Dunlavin Green executions
The Dunlavin Green executions was summary execution of 36 suspected United Irishmen rebels in County Wicklow, Ireland by the Irish Yeomanry shortly after the outbreak of the rebellion of 1798. There are several accounts of the events, reco ...
that took place on 24 May 1798 at the beginning of the 1798 Rebellion. Thirty-six prisoners were taken from the Market House and summarily executed on the green without trial. Up to nine others were also hanged from the pillars of the Market House. The majority of the corpses were not claimed or removed on the day of the massacre and were taken to the nearby location of Tournant that evening and buried in a large pit.[ Fairs continued on the green until the 1960s, when cattle marts took over the principal function of fairs in rural Irish society. The Tynte Estate gifted the fairgreen to the people of Dunlavin in 2021.]
St. Nicholas’ holy well
A holy well
A holy well or sacred spring is a well, spring or small pool of water revered either in a Christian or pagan context, sometimes both. The water of holy wells is often thought to have healing qualities, through the numinous presence of its guar ...
exists on the slopes of Tornant moat to the south of the village and is dedicated to Saint Nicholas. 'Patterns' were the name of rituals that were routinely performed by pilgrims when visiting such sites and involved walking a prescribed circular clockwise journey around a holy well. The "Tournant pattern" at St. Nicholas’ holy well was traditionally held in late June each year. Patterns became social occasions, with music, singing, dancing, alcohol, festivities and fighting involved.[ A major renovation project in 2016 saw a waymarked path installed across the fields to grant access to the well from the side of St. Kevin's Community College. The well was also refurbished and a new mass rock altar was installed.][
]
Tornant moat
Tornant, or ''Tournant'', moat is a National Monument composed of a ringfort and nearby barrows located 1.3 km south of the town. The name derives from the Irish
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 ...
''tor neannta'', "nettle
{{redirect, Nettle
Nettle refers to plants with stinging hairs, particularly those of the genus '' Urtica''. It can also refer to plants which resemble ''Urtica'' species in appearance but do not have stinging hairs. Plants called "nettle" includ ...
mound." The mound marks the site of a large rath which probably dates from the Bronze Age. Later the Normans built a ringwork castle on the site around which the first Dunlavin village settlement grew. Scenic views of West Wicklow can be enjoyed from the top of the moat.
Tournant graveyard
There is a graveyard adjacent to the site of Tornant moat where the majority of the victims of the 1798 Dunlavin Green massacre were interred.[ In September 2021, a monument was erected at the site of the mass grave which provides information about the 1798 massacre and contains a listing of all the names of those who were executed on the day.][
]
Transport
Rail
Dunlavin railway station opened on 22 June 1885, as part of the line from Sallins
Sallins () is a town in County Kildare, Ireland, situated 3.5 km north of the town centre of Naas, from which it is separated by the M7 motorway. Sallins is the anglicised name of ''Na Solláin'' which means "the willows".
In the officia ...
to Tullow
Tullow (; , formerly ''Tulach Ó bhFéidhlim/ Tullowphelim'') is a market town in County Carlow, Ireland. It is located on the River Slaney where the N81 road intersects with the R725. , the population was 4,673.
History
There is a statue of ...
. It closed to passengers on 27 January 1947 and to goods traffic on 10 March 1947, and closed completely on 1 April 1959 along with the rest of the line. The station building is now a private residence.
Road
Classic and vintage motor enthusiasts are catered for by the West Wicklow Classic & Vintage Vehicles Club. The scenic R756 road leads from Dunlavin 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 ...
crossing the Wicklow Gap
Wicklow Gap () is one of the highest Irish mountain passes served by an asphalted road. It is located in County Wicklow, Ireland.
Geography
The pass is opened between Tonelagee (Nort east) and Turlough Hill / Camaderry (South). It connects ...
.
Bus
As of July 2022, the town is served by three separate 'Local Link' public bus routes; the 1400b, 1410 and 5030. The 1400b links Dunlavin with the nearby village of Donard
Donard (historically ''Dunard'', from ) is a small village in County Wicklow, Ireland, located at the northern end of the Glen of Imaal, in the western part of the Wicklow Mountains.
Donard takes its name from Dún Ard - High Fort - the ru ...
and Newbridge, County Kildare
Newbridge, officially known by its Irish name Droichead Nua (), is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. While the nearby Great Connell Priory was founded in the 13th century, the town itself formed from the 18th century onwards, and grew rapidly ...
once a week on a Saturday. The 1410 links the village to Castledermot
Castledermot () is an inland village in the south-east of Ireland in County Kildare, about from Dublin, and from the town of Carlow. The N9 road from Dublin to Waterford previously passed through the village but upon completion of a motorway ...
, Carlow 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, ''Be ...
once a week on a Friday. The 5030 links the village to Baltinglass once a week on a Saturday evening, taking in the neighbouring villages of Donard, Stratford-on-Slaney
Stratford-on-Slaney (), also known as Stratford or Stratford-upon-Slaney, is a small village on the River Slaney in west County Wicklow in Ireland. It was built by the Earl of Aldborough from 1774. According to the latest census, conducted in ...
and Grangecon and returns later in the night.
As of July 2022 the nearest 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.
...
stop from which to reach Dublin city centre is in the town of Ballymore Eustace
Ballymore Eustace () is a small town situated in County Kildare in Ireland, although until 1836 it lay within an exclave (a detached "pocket") of County Dublin. It lies close to the border with County Wicklow.
The town's name, which is frequ ...
11 km north of Dunlavin where route number 65 runs four times daily (Monday-Friday), seven times (Saturday) and six times (Sunday). From Ballymore Eustace the journey on the 65 takes approximately 1 hour 30 minutes depending on traffic and terminates in the city centre at Poolbeg Street.
As of July 2022, the village is not served by any Bus Éireann route.
People
* Raymond Daniels, Wicklow
Wicklow ( ; ga, Cill Mhantáin , meaning 'church of the toothless one'; non, Víkingaló) is the county town of County Wicklow in Ireland. It is located south of Dublin on the east coast of the island. According to the 2016 census, it has a ...
Gaelic footballer (1979–2008) was born in Dunlavin
* John Francis Shearman, the historian served as a curate in Dunlavin and researched early Christian relics around Dunlavin.A chronicler of Dunlavin – Fr. John Francis Shearman
/ref>
See also
* List of towns and villages in Ireland
* Market Houses in Ireland
References
{{Authority control
Towns and villages in County Wicklow