Chapeltown () is a village on

Valentia Island Valentia Island () is one of Republic of Ireland, Ireland's most westerly points. It lies in Dingle Bay off the Iveragh Peninsula in the southwest of County Kerry. It is linked to the mainland by the Maurice O'Neill Memorial Bridge at Portmagee ...

in the south-west of

County Kerry County Kerry () is a Counties of Ireland, county on the southwest coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is bordered by two other countie ...

. It is the second major settlement on the Island, the other being Knightstown 4 kilometers away. Chapeltown is located in the centre of the Island, approximately 3 kilometers from the bridge which links the island to the mainland at Portmagee. Chapeltown is a relatively small village with a basic range of services and is the first settlement reached when travelling to Valentia over the bridge from Portmagee. The island primary school (Scoil Naisiúnta Dar Earca), a community center and GAA grounds serve the entire island. In this sense Chapeltown acts as the social centre for Valentia island as a whole.

Environment

Chapeltown is located on relatively flat land, less than a kilometre from Portmagee channel on the southern shoreline of Valentia Island. To the north of the village, Geokaun mountain dominates the northern skyline. A small river flows through the village traversed by a bridge with a couple of large garden areas with mature trees and these give the village a rural aspect. The village participates annually in the "Tidy Towns" competition.

History

This was one of many villages developed around newly constructed churches following Catholic Emancipation in the 1830s, in this instance the church of St. Dorarca and St. Teresa. At one time the village had a range of small businesses serving the surrounding community, including a post office, shops and public houses. Today, the village primarily serves as the communal hub for the island with the local church, school and community centre contained within its environs.

Places of interest

Located in the village are a Catholic church and the local GAA park where played such footballing legends as

Mick O'Connell Michael O'Connell (born 4 January 1937) is an Irish former Gaelic footballer. Throughout his 25-year club career, he played for Young Islanders, winning seven South Kerry Championship titles during a golden age for the club; he also played fo ...

. The Ring-Lyne hotel adjacent to the bridge was named for 2 local men who participated in Ireland's fight for independence in the early decades of the 20th century.

Sport

Valentia Young Islanders GAA is the local

Gaelic Athletic Association The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sports, amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional Irish sports o ...

club and is located in O'Conner park in Chapeltown. Valentia Young Islanders history
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Notable people

Gaelic footballer and winner of three senior All-Ireland winner's medals Ger Lynch lives near Chapeltown.

References

External links

Valentia Island Portal
{{County Kerry Towns and villages in County Kerry