Valleymount ( or ''An Chrois'')
is a small village in western
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 ...
.
Location and transport
Vallymount is located approximately 32km from
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.
Valleymount is at an average elevation of 198m above sea level and is situated on the
R758 regional road. The village is on a
land spit created by the flooding of the
River Liffey
The River Liffey ( Irish: ''An Life'', historically ''An Ruirthe(a)ch'') is a river in eastern Ireland that ultimately flows through the centre of Dublin to its mouth within Dublin Bay. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the Riv ...
and its primary tributary the King's River in the late-1930s and early-1940s for the
Poulaphouca
Poulaphouca, officially Pollaphuca (), is the name of a waterfall and bridge on the River Liffey between County Wicklow and County Kildare. It is primarily known for its hydroelectric generating station and the associated artificial lake, k ...
Dam project. The Poulaphouca project now supplies water to the
Greater Dublin Area
The Greater Dublin Area (GDA; Irish: ''Mórcheantar Bhaile Átha Cliath''), or simply Greater Dublin, is an informal term that is taken to include the city of Dublin and its hinterland, with varying definitions as to its extent. As of 2022, its ...
, and electricity to the
ESB national grid.
It is serviced by the
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.
...
65 route which connects to
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 ...
twice daily (Mon - Fri).
The Valleymount Spur of St Kevin's Way, the pilgrim route to the ancient monastery site at
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 ...
runs through Valleymount village. Another spur runs from the nearby village of Hollywood to Glendalough.
Vallymount neighbours the villages of
Hollywood,
Ballymore Eustace,
Blessington
Blessington, historically known as Ballycomeen (, from the Irish surname ''Ó Coimín''), is a town on the River Liffey in County Wicklow, Ireland, near the border with County Kildare. It is around 25 km south-west of Dublin, and is sit ...
,
Ballyknockan and
Lacken.
Townlands
The
townland
A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic orig ...
s in the area of Valleymount include: Ballyknockan, (The) Togher, Monamuck, Valleymount (or Cross), Humphrystown, Lockstown Upper, Lockstown Lower, Baltyboys Upper, Baltyboys Lower, Rathballylong, Annacarney, Blackditches Upper, Blackditches Lower, Carrigacurra, Lugnagroagh, Tulfarris, Granabeg Upper, Granabeg Lower, Knocknadruce and Knocknadruce Upper. Nearby (to the NE) is the 'lost' townland of Ballinahown which was completely flooded by the Poulaphouca project in the late-1930s and early-1940s
Built heritage
St. Joseph's Church
St. Joseph's church
The most notable building is St. Joseph's Catholic Church. Built in 1803, to which a porch extension was added around 1835, the '
Mexican style' of the church is attributed to design ideas brought home by Irish emigrants returning from New Mexico, and adapting the style to the local area. The church features
stained glass windows by
Harry Clarke
Henry Patrick Clarke (17 March 1889 – 6 January 1931) was an Irish stained-glass artist and book illustrator. Born in Dublin, he was a leading figure in the Irish Arts and Crafts Movement.
His work was influenced by both the Art Nouveau an ...
, a leading figure in the Irish
Arts and Crafts Movement and art students from Dublin's Art colleges sometimes visit the church to see the windows.
Star Inn
The pub was established around 1836, and changed owners. The current proprietor took over the family business in 1985 and refurbished the premises in 1996. The Inn is apparently named after the
Morning Star that could be seen from the entrance.
Other notable buildings
Valleymount House is a stone building that was the village's one and only shop and post office until it closed in 2006.
The village also used to have its own
forge which was active until the 1980s.
There is a prehistoric
sweathouse in the townland of Annacarney near Valleymount.
Sports
Honours won by Valleymount
GAA club include the Intermediate Football Championship (1952,1964,1978,1989), Junior Football "A" Championship (1963,1998,2020), Minor Football Championship (1951), Junior Hurling Championship (1988), and Intermediate Hurling Championship (1989).
Rugby player
Brian Carney played
Gaelic football for Valleymount GAA and won a junior championship medal in 1998 with the club.
Cultural references
The following films were made in or near Valleymount:
* ''
The Outcasts'' (1982) includes a scene filmed by
Cyril Cusack
Cyril James Cusack (26 November 1910 – 7 October 1993) was an Irish stage and screen actor with a career that spanned more than 70 years. During his lifetime, he was considered one of Ireland’s finest thespians, and was renowned for his in ...
in the old forge in Valleymount (south of the Star Inn)
* ''
Widows' Peak
''Widows' Peak'' is a 1994 British-Irish mystery film directed by John Irvin and starring Mia Farrow, Joan Plowright, Natasha Richardson, Adrian Dunbar and Jim Broadbent. The film is based on an original screenplay by Hugh Leonard and Tim Hayes ...
'' (1994) was filmed in the area, particularly in Ballyknockan.
* ''
Braveheart'' (1995) was partially filmed near Valleymount, and a route around the lake is called "Braveheart Drive".
* ''
This Is My Father
''This Is My Father'' is a 1998 film directed by Paul Quinn.
Plot
The film portrays a tragic love story set in late 1930s Ireland, focusing on the relationship between Fiona Flynn ( Moya Farrelly), a beautiful, feisty seventeen-year-old from a m ...
'' (1998), featuring
Aidan Quinn
Aidan Quinn (born March 8, 1959) is an American actor who made his film debut in '' Reckless'' (1984). He has starred in over 80 feature films, including ''Desperately Seeking Susan'' (1985), '' The Mission'' (1986), ''Stakeout'' (1987), ''Aval ...
and
James Caan
James Edmund Caan ( ; March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in ''The Godfather'' (1972) – a performance which earned him Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Suppo ...
, was filmed around Valleymount, Hollywood and
Kilteel
Kilteel () is the name of a village, townland and civil parish located in the barony of South Salt, County Kildare, Ireland. The townland of Kilteel Upper contains the remains of a church with a decorated Romanesque chancel arch, the ruins ...
in County Kildare.
* ''
P.S. I Love You'' (2007), starring
Hilary Swank
Hilary Ann Swank (born July 30, 1974) is an American actress and film producer. She first became known in 1992 for her role on the television series '' Camp Wilder'' and made her film debut with a minor role in ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1992 ...
, saw some scenes filmed locally near Valleymount and in Ballyknockan.
People
*
Jack Reynor
Jack Reynor (born 23 January 1992) is an Irish-American actor. His notable roles include the films '' What Richard Did'', '' Transformers: Age of Extinction'', ''Glassland'', ''Macbeth'', '' Sing Street'', and ''Midsommar'', as well as the seri ...
(born 1992), Irish-American actor, grew up in Valleymount
[Tara Brady]
"Wandering Jack"
''The Irish Times'', 8 December 1012
See also
*
List of towns and villages in Ireland
References
{{County Wicklow
Towns and villages in County Wicklow