Dungarvan
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| Dungarvan Dún Garbháin |
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| Ni Maraide Go Stiurtoir Not a Mariner Till a Steersman |
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| Location | ||
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WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates:
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| Irish grid reference X259930 |
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| Statistics | ||
| Province: | Munster | |
| County: | Waterford | |
| Elevation: | 1m (3 ft) | |
| Population (2002) - Town: - Environs: |
7,220 232 |
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| Website: www.waterfordcoco.ie/council | ||
Dungarvan (Dún Garbháin in Irish) is a town and harbour on the south coast of Ireland in the province of Munster. Dungarvan is the administrative centre of County Waterford. 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 (European route E30), which connects Cork, Waterford and Rosslare Europort.
Dungarvan is situated 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 of England stands by the harbour. Of the walls John built at the same time to fortify the town, no trace remain.
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[edit] History
Dungarvan was incorporated in the 15th century, was represented by two members in the Irish parliament until the Act of Union in 1801, and returned a 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.
[edit] Transport
Until 1967 Dungarvan had a railway station on the Great Southern & Western Railway route from Mallow in County Cork to Waterford, which saw daily "Boat Express" trains between Cork and Rosslare Harbour. See history of rail transport in Ireland. Dungarvan railway station opened on 12 August 1878 and finally closed on 27 March 1967.[1]
The town is separated from the open ocean by a shallow, eastward-facing bay. At its mouth, the bay is about two miles wide, with Dungarvan lying about four miles from the mouth. A meandering navigation channel marked by red/green buoys leads into Dungarvan from the ocean. For most vessels (except small dingies) this channel is not navigable at low tide. Even at high tide, cruising yachts and larger vessels must be careful to remain in the buoyed channel. There is a well-maintained concrete slipway in Dungarvan town, suitable for launching vessels up to eight metres in length. However, larger vessels should only use it up to three hours either side of high tide. The mudbank that dominates the harbour is the result of heavy silting. Moorings are usually made available to visiting yachts by Dungarvan Harbour Sailing Club, often free of charge.
[edit] Twinning
In March 2007, the town became a sister city of Erie, Pennsylvania in the United States.
[edit] Literature
The British Poet Laureate, Sir John Betjeman (who lived in Ireland from 1941 to '43) mentions Dungarvan in his poem, "The Irish Unionist's Farewell to Greta Hellstrom". Each stanza closes with the line, "Dungarvan in the rain".
Poet Mai O'Higgins was born on St. Mary St. in the town centre.[2]
[edit] Féile na nDéise
This traditional Irish music and culture event is held every year in Dungarvan on the May Bank Holiday weekend. Since the foundation of the festival in 1995 performers and musical groups from all over Ireland and Europe have performed at Féile na nDéise.[3]
A number of events are held over the weekend, including dancing, street performances, music sessions, lectures and a bucket singing competition, wherein one must sing with a bucket on one's head.
[edit] Science
Physicist and Nobel Laureate Ernest Thomas Sinton Walton (October 6, 1903 – June 25, 1995) was born in Dungarvan, to a Methodist minister father, Rev. John Walton (1874-1936) and Anna Sinton (1874-1906).[4]
Walton was famous for his work with John Cockcroft on the splitting of the atom.
The "Walton Causeway Park" in Abbeyside was dedicated in his honour. Walton himself attended the ceremony in 1989.
After his death, a plaque was placed on the site of his birthplace in Abbeyside.
