Newcastle, County Wicklow
Encyclopedia
Newcastle is a village situated on the R761
that runs along the East Coast of County Wicklow
, Ireland
from Bray
to Wicklow
town. It is about 45 km (28 mi) south of Dublin and 2 km east of the N11. Newcastle had a population of 1,636 in the village
and hinterland
in the census of 2002.
and church where it was originally located. Newcastle takes its name from the castle, built by the Normans
on an earlier Irish fortification
in the territory of the O'Byrne's. Constructed
in the period between 1177
and 1184
by Hugh de Lacy
then governor of Ireland under Henry II
, the Castle called Newcastle Mackynegan, became a major stronghold in the outer fortifications of the Pale
. Even so it was attacked and occupied at intervals by the Wicklow Irish chieftains the O'Tooles and the O'Byrnes. The current ruin on the site is not that of the castle which was destroyed in the 16th century but of a building which was erected on the site. The Castle was the county seat
and administrative centre until the shiring
of Wicklow county in the 16th century when it moved to Wicklow Town
after the castle was again raided.
The church is located a few hundred feet from the castle and some parts of the building date from the 12th Century. This Church is named as a prebend as early as 1227
. In 1467 it was assigned by Archbishop Michael Tregury
to the Archdeacon
of Glendalough
. In 1872 the Archdeacon of Glendalough ceased to have a place in the Chapter
, as such, and the separate prebend of Newcastle was revived. The current Rector
is the Reverent William Bennett - The church which is owned by the Church of Ireland
(Anglicans) is also used as the local Catholic church
for services since 2000 when it was agreed to share it. The local primary school
St Francis's is located beside the church. There is a ruin of a Catholic church about 2 miles (3.2 km) from the village with a graveyard
.
Newcastle is in the Roman Catholic parish of Kilquade
and the parish church is located in Kilquade about 4 km (2.5 mi) north of the village. A new oratory
was built in the village in 2009 replacing an earlier temporary structure.
providing space for sporting and recreational activities. An Information Technology
Centre provides training for all ages. The young population is very socially and culturally active with many club and organisations like the local Gaelic Athletic Association
Club, indoor soccer
, Bowls
, Badminton
, Tennis
and croquet
. Newcastle is very close to the beach, which is used for swimming, walking
and shore angling
.
There is one pub, The Castle Inn (previously the Bridge Inn), which is currently undergoing refurbishment and a shop/garage. Close by is Blackditch Wood, an 89-hectare (220 acre) priority woodland
and wetland
site a restored Nature Reserve
project creating a large wetland complex, for the protection of Annex 1 birds threatened within the European Union
. The reserve will comprises a variety of diverse habitats, including pure birch forest, fen and willow scrub, natural grasslands, a conifer plantation, 8 km (5 mi) of drainage ditches and farmland for grazing and crop planting. The site includes a diverse but protected habitats, attracting a wildlife diversity, protecting threatened bird, flora and insect species.
R761 road
The R761 road is a regional road in County Wicklow in Ireland. From its junction with the M11 and R119 in Bray it takes a southerly route to its junction with the R750 in the village of Rathnew, on the outskirts of Wicklow, where it terminates.The road is long.En-route it passes through Bray,...
that runs along the East Coast of County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
from Bray
Bray
Bray is a town in north County Wicklow, Ireland. It is a busy urban centre and seaside resort, with a population of 31,901 making it the fourth largest in Ireland as of the 2006 census...
to Wicklow
Wicklow
Wicklow) is the county town of County Wicklow in Ireland. Located south of Dublin on the east coast of the island, it has a population of 10,070 according to the 2006 census. The town is situated to the east of the N11 route between Dublin and Wexford. Wicklow is also connected to the rail...
town. It is about 45 km (28 mi) south of Dublin and 2 km east of the N11. Newcastle had a population of 1,636 in the village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and hinterland
Hinterland
The hinterland is the land or district behind a coast or the shoreline of a river. Specifically, by the doctrine of the hinterland, the word is applied to the inland region lying behind a port, claimed by the state that owns the coast. The area from which products are delivered to a port for...
in the census of 2002.
History
The village is half a mile from the castleCastle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
and church where it was originally located. Newcastle takes its name from the castle, built by the Normans
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
on an earlier Irish fortification
Fortification
Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
in the territory of the O'Byrne's. Constructed
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
in the period between 1177
1177 in Ireland
-Events:*Conquest of Ulster by John de Courcy, who eventually seizes Downpatrick.*Council of Oxford: Prince John is made Lord of Ireland and speculative grants of the kingdoms of Cork and Limerick are made to Norman vassals....
and 1184
1184 in Ireland
-Events:*The castle which gave Newcastle, County Wicklow its name was completed. It was built on an earlier Irish fortification in the territory of the O'Byrne's by the Norman Hugh de Lacy, then governor of Ireland under Henry II ....
by Hugh de Lacy
De Lacy
de Lacy is the surname of an old Norman noble family originating from Lassy . The first records are about Hugh de Lacy . Descendent of Hugh de Lacy left Normandy and travelled to England along with William the Conqueror. Walter and Ilbert de Lacy fought in the battle of Hastings...
then governor of Ireland under Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
, the Castle called Newcastle Mackynegan, became a major stronghold in the outer fortifications of the Pale
The Pale
The Pale or the English Pale , was the part of Ireland that was directly under the control of the English government in the late Middle Ages. It had reduced by the late 15th century to an area along the east coast stretching from Dalkey, south of Dublin, to the garrison town of Dundalk...
. Even so it was attacked and occupied at intervals by the Wicklow Irish chieftains the O'Tooles and the O'Byrnes. The current ruin on the site is not that of the castle which was destroyed in the 16th century but of a building which was erected on the site. The Castle was the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
and administrative centre until the shiring
Shire
A shire is a traditional term for a division of land, found in the United Kingdom and in Australia. In parts of Australia, a shire is an administrative unit, but it is not synonymous with "county" there, which is a land registration unit. Individually, or as a suffix in Scotland and in the far...
of Wicklow county in the 16th century when it moved to Wicklow Town
Wicklow
Wicklow) is the county town of County Wicklow in Ireland. Located south of Dublin on the east coast of the island, it has a population of 10,070 according to the 2006 census. The town is situated to the east of the N11 route between Dublin and Wexford. Wicklow is also connected to the rail...
after the castle was again raided.
The church is located a few hundred feet from the castle and some parts of the building date from the 12th Century. This Church is named as a prebend as early as 1227
1227 in Ireland
-Events:The port of New Ross granted trading concessions from the English King John....
. In 1467 it was assigned by Archbishop Michael Tregury
Michael Tregury
Michael Tregury was born in the parish of St Wenn in Cornwall. He was educated at the University of Oxford, and was at some time Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford. He was Archdeacon of Barnstaple from 1445 to 1449. He was consecrated in St. Patrick's church and was Archbishop of Dublin from 1450 to...
to the Archdeacon
Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
of Glendalough
Glendalough
Glendalough or Glendaloch is a glacial valley in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is renowned for its Early Medieval monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by St Kevin, a hermit priest, and partly destroyed in 1398 by English troops....
. In 1872 the Archdeacon of Glendalough ceased to have a place in the Chapter
Chapter (religion)
Chapter designates certain corporate ecclesiastical bodies in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Nordic Lutheran churches....
, as such, and the separate prebend of Newcastle was revived. The current Rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
is the Reverent William Bennett - The church which is owned by the Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
(Anglicans) is also used as the local Catholic church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
for services since 2000 when it was agreed to share it. The local primary school
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
St Francis's is located beside the church. There is a ruin of a Catholic church about 2 miles (3.2 km) from the village with a graveyard
Graveyard
A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead, with or without monuments such as headstones...
.
Newcastle is in the Roman Catholic parish of Kilquade
Kilquade
Kilquade, historically Killcowade , is a village and a Catholic parish in North County Wicklow, Ireland. The village lies between Kilpedder and Kilcoole, about one kilometer east of Junction 12 of the N11 national primary route....
and the parish church is located in Kilquade about 4 km (2.5 mi) north of the village. A new oratory
Oratory (worship)
An oratory is a Christian room for prayer, from the Latin orare, to pray.-Catholic church:In the Roman Catholic Church, an oratory is a structure other than a parish church, set aside by ecclesiastical authority for prayer and the celebration of Mass...
was built in the village in 2009 replacing an earlier temporary structure.
Local recreation
In more recent times, Newcastle has seen the building of a community centreCommunity centre
Community centres or community centers or jumping recreation centers are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole community or for a specialised group within...
providing space for sporting and recreational activities. An Information Technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
Centre provides training for all ages. The young population is very socially and culturally active with many club and organisations like the local Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
Club, indoor soccer
Indoor soccer
Indoor soccer or arena soccer, or six-a-side football in the United Kingdom, is a game derived from association football adapted for play in an indoor arena such as a turf-covered hockey arena or skating rink. The most important difference in play is that the indoor field is surrounded by a wall...
, Bowls
Bowls
Bowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
, Badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
, Tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
and croquet
Croquet
Croquet is a lawn game, played both as a recreational pastime and as a competitive sport. It involves hitting plastic or wooden balls with a mallet through hoops embedded into the grass playing court.-History:...
. Newcastle is very close to the beach, which is used for swimming, walking
Walking
Walking is one of the main gaits of locomotion among legged animals, and is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults over the stiff limb or limbs with each step...
and shore angling
Angling
Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...
.
There is one pub, The Castle Inn (previously the Bridge Inn), which is currently undergoing refurbishment and a shop/garage. Close by is Blackditch Wood, an 89-hectare (220 acre) priority woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
and wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
site a restored Nature Reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
project creating a large wetland complex, for the protection of Annex 1 birds threatened within the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. The reserve will comprises a variety of diverse habitats, including pure birch forest, fen and willow scrub, natural grasslands, a conifer plantation, 8 km (5 mi) of drainage ditches and farmland for grazing and crop planting. The site includes a diverse but protected habitats, attracting a wildlife diversity, protecting threatened bird, flora and insect species.
Transport
- Dublin BusDublin BusDublin Bus is a public transport operator in Ireland. It operates an extensive bus network of 172 radial, cross-city and peripheral routes and 18 night routes in the city of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area. The company, established in 1987, is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann which is...
provides services between Newcastle and Dublin on their 84 bus with a journey time of about 90 minutes. - A railway station opened in Newcastle on 1 August 1856 and finally closed on 30 March 1964.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland