Blessington
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| Blessington Baile Coimín |
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WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates:
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| Irish grid reference N976142 |
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| Statistics | ||
| Province: | Leinster | |
| County: | County Wicklow | |
| Elevation: | 223 m | |
| Population (2006) | 4,018 | |
Blessington (Irish: Baile Coimín, meaning Town of Coimín) is a town in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is located on the N81 road, which connects Dublin to Tullow.
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[edit] History
Blessington was originally called Munfine, and in the Medieval period was part of the lordship of Threecastles. In 1667, the Archbishop of Dublin and Lord Chancellor of Ireland, Michael Boyle, bought the lordship of Threecastles, previously the property of the Cheevers for £1,000. Boyle received a Royal Charter to establish the town of Blessington, in the townland of Munfine, as a borough. Construction of Blessington House was begun in 1673 and afterwards St. Mary’s Church in Blessington, which was completed in 1683. On Boyle's death in 1702 his son Morough, Baron Boyle and Viscount Blessington, inherited the Blessington estate. Morough’s son, Charles, died in 1732 without an heir and the estate was inherited by his sister Anne, then her son William Stewart, Viscount Mountjoy and Baron Stewart. Stewart died in 1769 without an heir and the estate passed to Charles Dunbar, a great grandson of Morough Boyle, who also died heirless in 1778, when the estate passed to Wills Hill of Hillsborough, County Down, a great great grandson of Michael Boyle and the first Marquess of Downshire. The Hills held the estate until 1908.
Russborough House is situated 5 km south of Blessington.
[edit] Development
Since 2000, Blessington's population has increased substantially, at 4,018 at the 2006 census, up from 2,509 in 2000. Housing estates are being constructed on the western side of the town, off the R410, which is the road to Naas.
A new inner bypass has also been opened that alleviates traffic on the Main Street to some degree. Due to the expanding pressures of Dublin, house prices in Blessington have soared in recent years, and it is now one of the most expensive outer suburban commuting areas in which to live in the Leinster region.[citation needed] It is estimated that the population will at least double between 2006 and 2012.[citation needed]
Significant infrastructure improvements since 2005 include:
- A new public playground.
- A new fire station.
- A new library.
- A new town centre retail development, including a new Dunnes Stores.
- New inner bypass road.
- Expansion in size and addition of large car park to SuperValu supermarket.
[edit] Education
In 2006, Educate Together established a new national school in the town, founded on the site of a long standing school and benefitting from a large sports field. This new school supplements the other existing primary schools in the town, Saint Mary's, a Gaelscoil, and the Number One school. A new building has been built across the road from the original Saint Mary's school, in order to alleviate overcrowding.
A new library has also been opened at the end of 2006 on the first floor of the new town centre building, above the anchor tenant, Dunnes Stores.
[edit] Transport
In 1888, the Dublin and Blessington Steam Tramway service commenced from Terenure to Blessington via Tallaght, linking with the horse trams from the city. This service ended at the end of December 1932 and was replaced with a conventional bus service, the 65, which still acts as the only public transport in the area to the city centre. Bus Éireann, the national bus company, also provides a minor service, because Blessington is upon the N81.
[edit] Pollaphuca Reservoir
Also known locally as the Blessington Lake, the reservoir was created when the waterfall at Poulaphouca on the River Liffey (which flows from the Wicklow Mountains to Dublin) was dammed by the ESB for a hydroelectric plant which is still in use today. The valley was flooded and the resulting lakes extend over approximately 5,000 acres (20 km²). A small village was submerged by the damming of the waterfall, and the remains of roads can still be seen leading down into the lake.
In addition to electricity, the lakes also provide water for the locality and the Dublin region as well as provide a leisure resource. There is now a lakeside luxury hotel complex in the Blessington area, with its own helipad, and lakeside facilities which has helped to develop tourism in the area. The lake is also extensively used by boatmen and fishermen, and is a training location for the Irish Air Corps HQ divisions from Baldonnel, 15 km north of Blessington, and also Local Civil Defence Water rescue teams.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Blessington Educate Together National School
- Blessington Parish Website
- Blessington Sailing Club
- Dublin and Blessington Steam Tramway
- Blessington Vintage Car and Motorcycle Club Website
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