Dungarvan

Dungarvan Irish: Dún Garbháin
County Waterford
Location
Grid reference:	X259930
Location:	52°5’4"N, 7°38’23"W
Data
Population:	7,991  (2011)
Local Government
Website:	waterfordcoco.ie

Dungarvan is a seaside resort town and harbour on the south coast of Ireland, in County Waterford.

Dungarvan is at the mouth of the Colligan River, which divides the town into two parts connected by a causeway and bridge of a single arch. Both bridge and causeway were built by the Dukes of Devonshire. The neighbouring parish is called Abbeyside, where portions of an Augustinian friary founded by the McGraths family in the fourth century survive incorporated with a Roman Catholic church.

In Dungarvan proper, a castle built by King John stands by the harbour. Of the walls John built at the same time to fortify the town, no traces remain.

The town's Irish name means "Garbhan's fort", referring to Saint Garbhan who founded a church there in the seventh century. The town lies on the N25 road, which connects Cork, Waterford and Rosslare Europort.

History

Dungarvan was incorporated in the 15th century, was represented by two members in the Parliament of Ireland until the Act of Union in 1801, and returned one member to the Westminster Parliament until 1885. Unlike nearby Waterford and Duncannon, Dungarvan surrendered without a siege in the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland (1649–53).

The 1921 Burgery ambush, an incident in the Irish War of Independence, took place near the town.

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  Dungarvan Bay
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  The old cemetery in Dungarvan
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  The Bridge in Dungarvan (1816)
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  Dungarvan Port
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  Dungarvan Castle
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  Dungarvan Church
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  Dungarvan View
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  Dungarvan Bay
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  Dungarvan Lighthouse
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  Dungarvan Bay

Geography

Dungarvan is situated at the mouth of the Colligan River. Dungarvan Harbour as such is formed by The Quay (on the town side) and The Causeway. A single span bridge was built in the late 18th century by Lord Devonshire to link Dungarvan with Abbeyside and indeed Waterford via said causeway. Outside the harbour, a 3 km sandbar, "The Cunnigar" (Irish An Coinigéar) defines the western limit of the 4 km-wide Dungarvan Bay. The Cunnigar encloses the estuary of the River Brickey which flows out to sea at Abbeyside without actually joining the Colligan. The two estuaries are separated by "The Point".

Industry

One of the few major manufacturing facilities for GlaxoSmithKline consumer products is located in Dungarvan, employing more than 700 people. The town is also the home of Radley Engineering, the company responsible for manufacturing the Spire of Dublin. In days now gone Dungarvan had a thriving tannery, a distillery a gasworks, a fishing fleet and in the latter 20th century, a major source of trade and employment was Dungarvan Cooperative(Creamery) which firmly bonded the town of Dungarvan with its agricultural hinterland. No inference is to be read from the fact that during the 20th century Dungarvan had a spectacular number of licenced premises many of which have survived.

Literature

The Poet Laureate, Sir John Betjeman (who lived in Ireland from 1941 to 1943) mentions Dungarvan in his poem, "The Irish Unionist's Farewell to Greta Hellstrom". Each stanza closes with the line, "Dungarvan in the rain".

Also mentioned in the collection of short stories "Labyrinths" by Jorge Luis Borges: "He was Irish, from Dungarvan. Having said this, he stopped short, as if he had revealed a secret"

Poet Mai O'Higgins was born on St Mary St. in the town centre.

Dungarvan is also mentioned in the novel The Story of Lucy Gault.

Outside links

("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Dungarvan)

• Official Dungarvan Tourist Information
• Dungarvan Town Council
• Waterford County Museum Dungarvan
• Dungarvan Museum: WWI and Ireland
• Dungarvan Brass Band