Tramore (; ) is a seaside town in
County Waterford, on the southeast coast of Ireland. With humble origins as a small fishing village, the area saw rapid development upon the arrival of the
railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
from
Waterford City
"Waterford remains the untaken city"
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in 1853. Initially, the town flourished as a tourist destination, attracting visitors from as far away as Dublin in summer and from closer to home all year-round. As the population grew steadily in the latter part of the 20th century, Tramore became a satellite and dormitory town of
Waterford City
"Waterford remains the untaken city"
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, situated some 13 km to the north. Today the town is a popular destination for surfing and other water sports due to its large, sheltered bay and provision of accommodation and amenities.
History
The Sea Horse tragedy
On 30 January 1816, the transport ship ''Sea Horse'' foundered in Tramore Bay with the 2nd battalion of the
59th Regiment of Foot
The 59th (2nd Nottinghamshire) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1755 in response to the threat of renewed war with France. Under the Childers Reforms it amalgamated with the 30th (Cambridgeshire) Regiment ...
on board. 292 men and 71 women and children perished.
A monument to the incident is located on Doneraile Walk and an obelisk marks a burial plot at Christ Church on Church Road.
The town's connection to the tragedy led to the image of a
seahorse
A seahorse (also written ''sea-horse'' and ''sea horse'') is any of 46 species of small marine fish in the genus ''Hippocampus''. "Hippocampus" comes from the Ancient Greek (), itself from () meaning "horse" and () meaning "sea monster" or " ...
being adopted as a symbol of the town of Tramore and later adopted as the logo for
Waterford Crystal
Waterford Crystal is a manufacturer of lead glass or "crystal", especially in cut glass, named after the city of Waterford, Ireland. In January 2009, the main Waterford Crystal manufacturing base on the edge of Waterford was closed due to the ...
in 1955.
The Metal Man
![Greater Newtown Head in Tramore](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Greater_Newtown_Head_in_Tramore.jpg)
From the sea, the sheltered yet treacherous Tramore Bay can be easily confused with the traditional safe haven of the Suir estuary. After the sinking of the ''Sea Horse'', its insurers
Lloyd's of London
Lloyd's of London, generally known simply as Lloyd's, is an insurance and reinsurance market located in London, England. Unlike most of its competitors in the industry, it is not an insurance company; rather, Lloyd's is a corporate body gove ...
funded the building of piers and the erection of pillars on two headlands as a visual aid to prevent similar calamities from happening. The pillars, three on Newtown Head and two on Brownstown Head, were erected in 1823.
"The Metal Man" is a 3-metre tall cast-metal figure of a sailor pointing seawards, set atop the central pillar on Newtown Head. According to local lore, he is said to warn seafarers away from dangerous shallow waters by calling out "keep off, keep off, good ship from me, for I am the rock of misery".
Many myths and legends surround the Metal Man. It is reputed that a woman who hops backwards on one bare foot around the base of his pillar three times will be married within the year.
The Guillamene
The Newtown and Guillamene swimming coves are located just off Cliff Road at the base of Newtown Head. Until the early 1980s, the Guillamene was a men-only swimming cove. Women and children were expected to bathe at Newtown. The "men-only" sign has been preserved as a reminder of times past, but today both coves are popular with swimmers of all genders and ages.
The Waterford and Tramore Railway
Before the late 18th century, Tramore was a small fishing hamlet. Thereafter its potential was realised as ''"a pleasant retreat for the citizens of Waterford and others who assembled there for the benefit of the saltwater".'' A tourism boom has left a legacy of buildings dating from the 1860s such as the terraced housing on Strand Street. Opened in 1853, a 12 km (7 mi)-long railway line ran from Waterford's Railway Square to the terminus in Tramore. It was unique in that it was not connected to any other line. Tramore railway station opened on 5 September 1853 and finally closed on 1 January 1961.
The Pickardstown ambush
On the night of 6 June 1921, during the
Irish War of Independence, 50 local IRA Volunteers attempted to ambush a party of 40 British troops from Waterford City, who were coming to Tramore following an attack on the RIC barracks there. The ambush took place at Pickardstown, about a mile to the north of Tramore. The ambush failed to go according to plan as they could not see in the dark field. This caused the death of two IRA men and two wounded. Tramore's Micheál MacCraith GAA Club is named after one of the dead Volunteers.
Geography
The town is situated on the north-western corner of Tramore Bay on a hill that slopes down to the strand, or
sand spit
A spit or sandspit is a deposition bar or beach landform off coasts or lake shores. It develops in places where re-entrance occurs, such as at a cove's headlands, by the process of longshore drift by longshore currents. The drift occurs due to ...
, that divides the bay. Behind the spit lies the tidal
lagoon
A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') ...
known as the "Backstrand". Holy Cross Church is an imposing Gothic Revival Catholic church, dominated by an asymmetrical tower and spire, situated on a monumental site overlooking the town. It was built between 1856 and 1871 by
J. J. McCarthy. Tramore's sand dunes and back strand were designated a
Special Area of Conservation
A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and a ...
by the National Parks & Wildlife Service, with
Tramore Eco Group
Tramore Eco Group (Irish: ''Grúpa Éice Trá Mhór'') is a voluntary environmental protection group based in Tramore, County Waterford, Ireland, devoted to the conservation and protection of Tramore's ecological environment and wildlife habita ...
working to advance the conservation and protection of this areas ecological environment and wildlife habitats.
Archaeology
The area within a 16 km (10 mi) radius of Tramore is rich in megalithic structures including Ballindud Cromlech,
Ballynageeragh Portal Tomb
Ballynageeragh Portal Tomb is a dolmen and National Monument situated in County Waterford, Ireland.
Location
The tomb is located in pastureland 1 km (⅔ mile) northwest of Dunhill, near the headwaters of the Annestown River.
History ...
,
Knockeen Dolmen and
Gaulstown Portal Tomb
The Gaulstown Portal Tomb or Gaulstown Dolmen is a megalithic portal tomb situated in Gaulstown, Butlerstown in County Waterford in the Republic of Ireland. It lies about 7 km south west of Waterford City.
Location
The tomb is named fo ...
, signifying habitation long before Christianity.
Tourism
![Tramore, County Waterford](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Tramore%2C_County_Waterford.jpg)
The town has long been associated with Irish tourists and offered a traditional seaside experience of ice cream, fairground and sand. The beachfront features a long promenade and an amusement park. It is a popular resort for tourists in the summer and has 5 km (3 mi) of beach and sand dunes looking out onto the Atlantic Ocean. There is a lot of accommodation for tourists, including hotels, apartments, homes and caravan sites. Tramore has a reputation for surfing.
The Promenade, erected in 1914, serves as a popular tourist spot in Tramore and is the focus of the attractions of the strand during the summer. The Cliff Road was built in 1872 as a carriageway on the site of an old Coastguard path and provides access to Newtown Head and the men's swimming club.
Waterford and Tramore Racecourse
Tramore is known for a horse-racing festival that has been held every August for more than 200 years. The horses used to run along the strand, the route later moved to a purpose-built racecourse. Soon after the railway arrived, Lord Doneraile and James Delahunty built a racecourse at Riverstown. Racing continued here until 1911 when the area finally succumbed to the sea, and, at low tide, one can still see part of the racecourse from the back strand.
Tramore Racecourse
Tramore Racecourse is a horse racing venue in Tramore, County Waterford, Ireland which stages both National Hunt and Flat racing
Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys ...
was built at Graun Hill in 1912. The course has been developed and improved and is regularly used as a venue for shows and music events.
Walks
The scenic landscape of Tramore, represented by the strand and cliffs, attracts many walkers. Walks in the locality include the Doneraile Walk, Cliff Road Walk, as well as the 5 km Strand walk commonly called 'down the back and up the front'. Another attraction between March and September every year is the set up of "The Amusements" a small amusement park with a selection of rides and other attractions opposite the beach.
Otherwise known as "down-around" by the locals
Surfing
Tramore has become renowned as a surfing location in Ireland, as well as other watersports including kitesurfing and windsurfing. The sport was first brought to the town in 1967 by Irish surfing pioneer Kevin Cavey. Tramore has many surf stores, board manufacturers, surf schools and hire shops in the town. There are many good breaks in and around Tramore. During big swell and wind locals also head to surf Killmurren Cove where there is some shelter and other breaks nearby often work when Tramore is blown out with big swell including Dunmore East, Bunmahon and Annestown.
People
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Louise Richardson
Dame Louise Mary Richardson (born 8 June 1958 ) is an Irish political scientist whose specialist field is the study of terrorism. In January 2016 she became the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, having formerly served as the Principa ...
,
political scientist, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, was born here
*
Shay Brennan
Seamus Anthony "Shay" Brennan (6 May 1937 – 9 June 2000) was an Irish footballer in the 1960s. He was a full back for Manchester United.
His first game for the club came in an FA Cup match against Sheffield Wednesday on 19 February 1958; this ...
, footballer for
Manchester United, died here
*
John Edward Carew, sculptor, was born here
*
Mary D. Cullen, born 1929, was educated here
*
Jim Goodwin
James Michael Goodwin (born 20 November 1981) is an Irish Association football, football manager and former player who manages Scottish Premiership club Aberdeen F.C., Aberdeen.
Goodwin had a playing career from 2000 to 2019 in Scotland and En ...
, football player and manager, was born here
*
Gordon MacWhinnie, businessman in Hong Kong, was born here
*
George Morrison, documentary filmmaker, was born here
*
Edward J. Phelan
Edward Joseph Phelan (25 July 1888 – 15 September 1967), frequently E. J. Phelan, was the first appointed international civil servant and fourth Director-General of the International Labour Office, serving from 1941 to 1948, during most of which ...
, civil servant, first Director-General of the International Labour Organisation, was born here
*
Derrick Williams (footballer)
Derrick Shaun Williams (born 17 January 1993) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Major League Soccer club D.C. United. He is a product of the Aston Villa Academy, having signed as a youngster from his local side Tramor ...
, footballer for LA Galaxy
See also
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Celtworld
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List of towns and villages in Ireland
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List of RNLI stations
Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) stations are the bases for the RNLI's fleet of search and rescue lifeboats that cover the coastal waters around the entire British Isles, as well as major inland waterways.
The service was establi ...
*
Pickardstown ambush
The Pickardstown ambush, an action in the Irish War of Independence, took place near the town of Tramore, County Waterford on the night of 6 January 1921.
The ambush
The ambush was conceived by Paddy Paul, the leader of the IRA East Waterford ...
*
Surfing in Ireland
Ireland has become increasingly popular as a surfing destination, due to its exposed location on the turbulent Atlantic seaboard. Irish surf culture was further introduced in Australia by Sinead.
The island has 3,172 kilometers of coastline, an ...
*
Thalatta! Thalatta!
''Thálatta! Thálatta!'' ( el, — "The Sea! The Sea!") was the shouting of joy when the roaming Ten Thousand Greeks saw Euxeinos Pontos (the Black Sea) from Mount Theches (Θήχης) in Trebizond, after participating in Cyrus the Younger's ...
''(similar to Tramore's motto)''
References
External links
{{Authority control
Towns and villages in County Waterford
Beaches of County Waterford
Surfing locations in Ireland