Castlebridge
| Castlebridge Irish: Droichead an Chaisleáin | |
| County Wexford | |
|---|---|
 Ardcolm Church of Ireland church in Castlebridge | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | T054269 |
| Location: | 52°22’60"N, 6°27’0"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 1,840 (2016) |
| Local Government | |
Castlebridge is a small town on the R741 regional road in County Wexford, around three miles north of Wexford Town, close by the River Slaney and just north of Wexford Harbour. Castlebridge is today a rapidly expanding suburb of Wexford Town; its population almost tripled in 20 years, increasing from 783 in 1996 to a population of 1,840 in 2016.[1]
History
The namesake castle, that originally stood in the town, was dismantled to build buildings such as the Church of Ireland church, which is one of the oldest buildings in Castlebridge. The river that flows through Castlebridge is, contrary to popular belief, actually a canal that replaced the original river. It was dug out by hand to allow sailing cots that loaded up in the various docks of Castlebridge to get to Wexford Town more quickly.
James Dixon, the first Roman Catholic priest permitted to minister in Australia, was born in Castlebridge in 1758.[2]
Guinness Book of Records
Castlebridge is the founding place of the Guinness Book of World Records.[3] On 10 November 1951, Sir Hugh Beaver, then the managing director of the Guinness Breweries, went on a shooting party in the North Slob, by the River Slaney in County Wexford. He became involved in an argument over which was the fastest game bird in Europe, the golden plover or the red grouse (the former being correct).[4] That evening at Castlebridge House, he realised that it was impossible to confirm in reference books whether or not the golden plover was Europe's fastest game bird.[5][6] Beaver knew that there must be numerous other questions debated nightly in pubs throughout Ireland, but there was no book in the world with which to settle arguments about records. He realised then that a book supplying the answers to this sort of question might prove popular.[7]
In 2019, Diageo and the Pattison Group, who own the rights to the Guinness Book of Records, were described as being "really taken" with Castlebridge House, which has been left derelict, with feasibility studies now in operation by Wexford County Council amid interest by Diageo and the Pattison Group to assess the damage and plan for its eventual restoration, which, in collaboration with Diageo and the Pattison Group, is hoped to become a tourist attraction for the home of the Guinness Book of Records.[8] This was further emphasised by the commencement of the first annual Castlebridge Record Makers Family Fun Festival in 2019, with exhibits on the history of the book and its importance to Castlebridge.[9]
Sport
- Football: Bridge Rovers FC
- Handball: the village has a 60x30 foot handball alley
Society
- Castlebridge Gospel Choir, founded in 2003
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Castlebridge) |
References
- ↑ "Castlebridge-Blackwater (Ireland) Census Town". https://www.citypopulation.de/en/ireland/towns/wexford/0239__castlebridge_blackwater/.
- ↑ Parsons, Vivienne (1966). "Dixon, James (1758–1840)". https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/dixon-james-1980.
- ↑ "The History of the Book". Guinness Record Book Collecting. http://guinness.book-of-records.info/history.html.
- ↑ Fionn Davenport (2010). Ireland. Lonely Planet. p. 193. ISBN 9781742203508. https://books.google.com/books?id=RfL3QnPMi9oC&pg=PA193. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
- ↑ "Early history of Guinness World Records". 2005. p. 2. http://freespace.virgin.net/james.robertson/history2.htm.
- ↑ Cavendish, Richard (August 2005). "Publication of the Guinness Book of Records: 27 August 1955". History Today 55.
- ↑ Guinness World Records 2005. Guinness; 50th Anniversary edition. 2004. p. 6. ISBN 1892051222.
- ↑ "Record Book makers interested in Castlebridge House". 2019. https://www.independent.ie/regionals/wexfordpeople/record-book-makers-interested-in-castlebridge-house-38335560.html.
- ↑ "Festival for the record books". 2019. https://www.independent.ie/regionals/wexfordpeople/news/festival-for-the-record-books-38397872.html.