Bray, County Wicklow
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Bray Bré
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The town as seen from Bray Head
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| Motto: Féile agus Fáilte (Irish) "Hospitality and Welcome" |
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 Bray
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| Coordinates: 53°12′04″N 6°06′41″W / 53.20102°N 6.11136°WCoordinates: 53°12′04″N 6°06′41″W / 53.20102°N 6.11136°W | ||
| Country | Ireland | |
| Province | Leinster | |
| County | County Wicklow | |
| Dáil Éireann | Wicklow | |
| EU Parliament | South | |
| Elevation | 18 m (59 ft) | |
| Population (2011) | ||
| • Rank | 9th | |
| • Urban | 26,852 | |
| • Rural | 5,020 | |
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) | |
| • Summer (DST) | IST (WEST) (UTC-1) | |
| Irish Grid Reference | O264185 | |
| Website | www |
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Bray (Irish: Bré, meaning "hill", formerly Brí Chualann) is a coastal town in north County Wicklow, Ireland. The town straddles the Co. Wicklow-Co. Dublin border, with a portion of the northern suburbs situated in County Dublin. It is situated about 20 km (12 mi) south of Dublin city centre on the east coast. It is a busy urban centre and seaside resort, with a population of 31,872 making it the fourteenth largest urban area in all of Ireland and the ninth largest urban area within the Republic of Ireland (at the 2011 census).
Bray's scenic location and proximity to Dublin make it a popular destination for tourists and day-trippers from the capital. Bray is home to Ardmore Studios, hosting Irish and international productions for film, television and advertising. Some light industry is located in the town, with business and retail parks concentrated largely on its southern periphery. Bray town centre has a range of shops serving the consumer needs of the surrounding area. Commuter links between Bray and Dublin are provided by rail, Dublin Bus and the M11 and M50 motorways.
The name of the town "Bray" or "Bré" means hill or rising ground, possibly referring to the gradual incline of the town from the Dargle Bridge to Vevay Hill and or Bray Head.
In medieval times, Bray was on the southern border of the Pale, the coastal district governed directly by the English crown from Dublin Castle. Inland, the countryside was under the control of Gaelic Chieftains, such as the O'Toole and O'Byrne clans. Bray features on the 1598 map "A Modern Depiction of Ireland, One of the British Isles" by Abraham Ortelius as "Brey". (It is worth noting the "O Byrne" name appearing prominently on the map.) The Earl of Meath purchased the Kilruddery estate in Bray in 1627 with the establishment of the Earl title, the heir apparent is the present holder's only son, Anthony Jacques Brabazon, Lord Ardee (born 1977). In August or September 1649 Oliver Cromwell is believed to have stayed in Bray on his way to Wexford from Dublin. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Bray remained a typical small manorial village, but during the latter part of the 18th century, the Dublin middle classes began to move to Bray which, while still being relatively close to the city, offered splendid mountain scenery and sea bathing in its immediate vicinity.
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