Courtown
| Courtown Irish: Baile na Cúirte | |
| County Wexford | |
|---|---|
 Courtown centre | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | T196562 |
| Location: | 52°38’42"N, 6°13’44"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 4,365 (2022) |
| Local Government | |
Courtown is a village in County Wexford. 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 stands on the R742 regional road, around four miles south-east of Gorey. It is on the Irish Sea coast and with the development during the 'Celtic Tiger' years, has merged into the adjoining village of Riverchapel.[1] As a result, population has trebled from 2006, reaching 4,365 in 2022.
Development and amenities
The name 'Courtown' dates to 1278,[2] and originally applied to a townland in North Wexford, two and a half miles 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 mid-1800s, Lord Coutown built a new harbour at the currewnt location of the village, as a response to the Great Famine. It 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 Irish 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.
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, and had grown to 4,365 by the time of the 2022 census.
Sport and leisure
The town has 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.[3]
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Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Courtown) |
References
- ↑ "Gorey's population exceeds 10,000 for first time" (in en). https://www.independent.ie/regionals/goreyguardian/news/goreys-population-exceeds-10000-for-first-time-34893736.html.
- ↑ "Courtown Harbour, Gorey, Co. Wexford - Courtown Harbour, Gorey, Co. Wexford". http://www.courtownharbour.com/.
- ↑ "Seal Rescue Ireland - About Us". https://www.sealrescueireland.org/about-us/.