Courtown
Baile na Cúirte
Village
Courtown centre
Courtown centre
Courtown is located in Ireland
Courtown
Courtown
Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 52°38′42″N 6°13′44″W / 52.645°N 6.229°W / 52.645; -6.229
CountryIreland
ProvinceLeinster
CountyCounty Wexford
Elevation
6 m (20 ft)
Population
 (2022)[1]
 • Total4,365
 (Urban area as defined by the 2022 census)
Irish Grid ReferenceT196562

Courtown (Irish: Baile na Cúirte, meaning 'homestead of the court') 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 lies on the R742 regional road, around 6 km south-east of Gorey. It is situated on the Irish Sea coast and with the recent development during the Celtic Tiger years, has merged into the adjoining village of Riverchapel.[2] As a result, population has trebled from 2006, reaching 4,365 in 2022.[1]

Development and amenities

Courtown Harbour

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 has taken place, especially in Riverchapel, just south of Courtown Harbour. Large housing estates are now home to commuters working in Dublin. 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,[3] and had grown to 4,365 by the time of the 2022 census.[1]

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, amusement rides, ten-pin bowling, a golf course, as well as a beach and forest park. Courtown is also home to a Class D RNLI inshore lifeboat.

Seal Rescue Ireland (SRI), a charity organisation that works to rescue, rehabilitate and release sick or injured seals, is based in Courtown.[4]

The main attraction during historical times was Courtown Harbour
Courtown Harbour
Pirates Cove in Courtown

Transport

There is a bus once a day (except on Sundays) to and from Gorey, departing in the morning and returning in the afternoon. On Mondays and Saturdays Bus Éireann route 379 operates and continues to Wexford via Curracloe.[5] Route 879 operates on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. On Wednesdays, the service is provided by the Rural Roadrunner bus operated by Wexford Local Development.[6]

The nearest station is Gorey railway station, 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,[12] 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 from Dublin reached nearby Gorey.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Census 2022 - F1015 Population". Central Statistics Office Census 2022 Reports. Central Statistics Office Ireland. August 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  2. ↑ "Gorey's population exceeds 10,000 for first time". independent. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  3. ↑ "Census 2006 – Volume 1 – Population Classified by Area" (PDF). Central Statistics Office Census 2006 Reports. Central Statistics Office Ireland. April 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
  4. ↑ "Seal Rescue Ireland - About Us". sealrescueireland.org.
  5. ↑ "Bus Éireann - Timetable - Route 379" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 April 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  6. ↑ "Journey planner".
  7. ↑ Census for post 1821 figures. Archived 20 September 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ "Histpop - The Online Historical Population Reports Website". www.histpop.org. Archived from the original on 7 May 2016.
  9. ↑ "Northern Ireland Census of Population". Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  10. ↑ Lee, JJ (1981). "On the accuracy of the Pre-famine Irish censuses". In Goldstrom, J. M.; Clarkson, L. A. (eds.). Irish Population, Economy, and Society: Essays in Honour of the Late K. H. Connell. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press.
  11. ↑ Mokyr, Joel; O Grada, Cormac (November 1984). "New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700-1850". The Economic History Review. Volume. 37 (4): 473–488. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0289.1984.tb00344.x. hdl:10197/1406. Archived from the original on 4 December 2012.
  12. ↑ "Courtown Harbour, Gorey, Co. Wexford - Courtown Harbour, Gorey, Co. Wexford".
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