Wicklow Cill Mhantáin
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Town | ||
Farmland and view of Wicklow Town
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Location in Ireland | ||
Coordinates: 52°58′40″N 6°01′59″W / 52.9779°N 6.033°WCoordinates: 52°58′40″N 6°01′59″W / 52.9779°N 6.033°W | ||
Country | Ireland | |
Province | Leinster | |
County | County Wicklow | |
Elevation | 69 m (226 ft) | |
Population (2011) | ||
• Urban | 6,761 | |
• Rural | 3,595 | |
Irish Grid Reference | T312940 | |
Website | www |
Wicklow (Irish: Cill Mhantáin, meaning "church of the toothless one") is the county town of County Wicklow and the capital of the Mid-East Region in Ireland. Located south of Dublin on the east coast of the island, it has a population of 10,356 according to the 2011 census. The town is to the east of the N11 route between Dublin and Wexford. Wicklow is also linked to the rail network, with Dublin commuter services now extending to the town. Additional services connect with Arklow, Wexford and Rosslare Europort, a main ferry port. There is also a commercial port, mainly importing timber and textiles. The River Vartry is the main river which flows through the town.
Wicklow town forms a rough semicircle around Wicklow harbour. To the immediate north lies 'The Murrough', a popular grassy walking area beside the sea, and the eastern coastal strip. The Murrough is a place of growing commercial use, so much so that a road by-passing the town directly to the commercial part of the area commenced construction in 2008 and was completed in summer of 2010. The eastern coastal strip includes Wicklow bay, a crescent shaped stone beach approximately 10 km in length.
Ballyguile Hill is to the southwest of the town. Much of the housing developments of the 1970s and 1980s occurred in this area, despite the considerable gradient from the town centre.
The land rises into rolling hills to the west, going on to meet the Wicklow Mountains in the centre of the county. The dominant feature to the south is the rocky headlands of Bride's Head and Wicklow Head, the easternmost mainland point of the Republic of Ireland. On a very clear day it is possible to see the Snowdonia mountain range in Wales.