Parish of
Ashford & Glenealy
Local Places of Interest
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Living and Spreading Jesus' Message Through all Generations
This section of our web site is included
for viewers seeking tourist type information about the Ashford locality
and County Wicklow. The information contained in this page has been
extracted from a range of Wicklow related web sites. Links to these sites
will be found throughout this page. County
Wicklow, known as The Garden of Ireland, boasts an outstanding landscape
comprising contrasting mountains, valleys, lakes and coastline. The alpine
landscape is bordered by golden sandy beaches in the east and Blessington
Lakes in the west. The Wicklow Mountains are home to several major sights
such as the monastic complex of Glendalough and the magnificent gardens of
Powerscourt Demesne at Enniskerry and not forgetting the spectacular Mount
Usher Gardens here in Ashford.
Wicklow town, capital of the county, stands on the lower slopes of
Ballyguile Hill, overlooking a wide bay fringed by a crescent curve of
coast. Wicklow
was named after the church belonging to St Manton, a peer of St Patrick.
Some 500 years after St. Patrick and St. Manton, the town was occupied by
the Danes and renamed Wykinglo.
Click on a picture to open the
related Link
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Glendalough
"the
glen of the two lakes", is a truly spellbinding place - an ancient
monastic settlement and two clear water lakes beneath the sheer
cliffs of a deep valley which was carved out by glaciers during the
Ice Age. The monastic settlement has been a centre for
pilgrims and visitors since its foundation by St. Kevin in the 6th
century. The settlement
expanded and flourished for many years before being finally
destroyed in the 16th century. The present remains, some of the most
important of their kind in Ireland, tell only a small part of
the monastic story. The buildings which survive - round tower,
cathedral, stone churches and decorated crosses - probably date from
between the 8th and 12th centuries. The famous Round Tower, about 34m high
and 16m in circumference at the base, is still in near perfect
condition even though it is almost 1,000 years old. |
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Mount Usher Gardens Laid out along the banks of the Vartry river, the gardens are executed in what is called the Robinsonian* style. Trees and shrubs have been introduced from all parts of the globe and are planted in harmony with woodland and shade-loving plants. Like all the great gardens of Ireland, Mount Usher offers varying pleasures at different seasons of the year. Rhododendrons in Spring, a blaze of Summer colour and the wistful tints of Autumn, all elegantly set off by the crystal waters of the river. |
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Wicklow Gaol: Wicklow's Historic Gaol is a major new visitor attraction now open in Wicklow Town. A £2 million restoration and interpretive plan has been carried out by Wicklow County Council to develop the old county Gaol which is situated at the southern end of Wicklow Town, beside the Courthouse, where many of the inmates were tried and sentenced. There has been a gaol on this site since 1702 and it remained active until 1924. During this time thousands of prisoners, young and old, men, women and children, guilty and innocent passed through its doors. The story of Wicklow's Historic Gaol is their story. The interpretative design related to the history of the Gaol through the eyes of its inmates. Key periods covered are the 1798 Rebellion, the Famine, Life in Gaol during the 18th and 19th Centuries and Transportation to the Penal Colonies of Australia. |
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Powerscourt
Demesne, Enniskerry, is
one of the most beautiful estates in Ireland. Situated in the
mountains of Wicklow, it was originally an important strategic site
for the Anglo-Normans who came to Ireland in the late 12th century.
By the year 1300 a castle had been built here and was in the
possession of the le Poer (Power) family from which it takes its
name. The succeeding centuries saw the castle held for different
periods by powerful families such as the O'Tooles and the
FitzGeralds, Earls of Kildare.
In 1603 Powerscourt Castle and
lands were granted to a new English arrival in the area: Richard
Wingfield. Following a successful military career in Ireland,
Flanders, France and Portugal, Wingfield was knighted and in 1600
was appointed as Marshall of Ireland. His descendants were to remain
at Powerscourt for over 350 years. Powerscourt
was much altered in the 18th century when the famous German-born
architect, Richard Castle, remodelled the castle and grounds. The
work was commissioned by Richard Wingfield (1697-1751) and involved
the creation of a magnificent mansion around the shell of the
earlier castle. The surrounding grounds were laid out in a series of
formal rides and parkland to the north, with carefully planned
gardens and terraces to the south. Further alterations in the next
century resulted in the stunning garden and landscape design seen at
Powerscourt today. |
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Avondale
House and Forest Park, Rathdrum,
the
home of Charles Stewart Parnell, is situated in Avondale Forest
Park, Rathdrum, The House is now a museum to the memory of Parnell,
one of the greatest political leaders of modern Irish history
(1846-1891). The forest estate at Avondale comprises over 200
hectares (500 acres). In
its miles of roads and woodland paths it offers endless variety to
the walker. Its scenic variety ranges from the magnificent
openness of the Great Ride to the towering impressiveness of the
massed conifers on the banks of the Avonmore. All the oldest trees
still surviving on the estate were planted by Samuel Hayes who built
Avondale house in 1779. |
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Hunters
Hotel Newrath Bridge,
Rathnew, Co. Wicklow. IRELAND. The Gelletlie Family: Tel: +353 (0)404 40106: Fax: +353 (0)404 40338 Email: reception@hunters.ie Hunter's Hotel is one of the oldest coaching inns in Ireland, dating from c.1700, and is located 45 minutes by car from Dublin city and 30 minutes from the ferry at Dun Laoghaire. The hotel has been operated by the same family since 1840. The Hotel's web site www.hunters.ie contains links to many more attractions nearby and in other parts of County Wicklow. Click on the photograph to open the site. |