Enniskerry
Encyclopedia
Enniskerry is a village in County Wicklow
, Ireland
. It had a population of 2,672 at the 2006 census.
The town is situated on the Glencullen River in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains
to the east of the island, just 5 minutes south of the Dublin border and some 24 km (15 mi) south of Dublin city centre. The R117 road
, colloquially known as "The Twenty-One Bends" connects the town to the main N11 road to Dublin. The 185 Dublin Bus
route connects the village hourly to Bray
, the nearest large town.
With Ireland's booming economy and with such advantages as mountainous scenery and the nearby Powerscourt Estate
, the village has extremely active tourist and property markets.
until 1859. Mervyn Wingfield
, 7th Viscount Powerscourt
built a new church, Saint Patrick's, in the village which was completed two years later in 1861. This coincided with an extensive renovation programme that also established the Italian gardens at Powerscourt. The Viscount Powerscourt claimed the old church following the passage of the Disestablishment of the Irish Church Act 1869. The consequences were that only those with a right to be buried next to the old church within the Demesne could claim these rights thereafter. The Viscount Powerscourt also closed a Catholic graveyard within the Demesne and provided 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) for a new graveyard at Curtlestown.
Powerscourt Estate
, comprising a large house and gardens today occupying 47 acres (190,202.4 m²), is located near the town and is a popular visitor attraction. The extensive formal gardens form the grounds of an 18th century Palladian house, designed by Richard Cassels
, which was destroyed by fire in 1974, and lay as a shell until extensive restorations were carried out in 1996.
Powerscourt Waterfall
in the grounds of the estate, at 121 metres, is the highest waterfall in Ireland.
Also stars a scene from Amy Adams new film 'Leap Year'.
, it played host to the television series Ballykissangel
. On March 16, 2009 Meredith Vieira
and Al Roker
broadcast live in Enniskerry for NBC's Today Show.
The Bray and Enniskerry Railway was proposed in the 19th century, to link the town to Bray. Some initial work was carried out, including building a bridge to carry the railway over Dublin Corporation
's Vartry
watermain. Wicklow County Council
recently removed much of the railway embankment in road widening, but left the bridge, which is directly opposite the ornate bridge carrying the watermain over the Cookstown River, a tributary of the River Dargle. The plan ran into financial difficulties, and the rails were lifted and sold off.
Two Dublin Bus
routes, the 44 and 185, pass through the village.
There is also a Gaelic football
club in the village, as well as a boxing club.
parish of St Patrick, Powerscourt, both in the village of Enniskerry, and St Brigid's Church of Ireland in nearby Kilbride.
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. It had a population of 2,672 at the 2006 census.
Location
Wicklow Mountains
The Wicklow Mountains form the largest continuous upland area in Ireland. They occupy the whole centre of County Wicklow and stretch outside its borders into Counties Carlow, Wexford and Dublin. Where the mountains extend into County Dublin, they are known locally as the Dublin Mountains...
to the east of the island, just 5 minutes south of the Dublin border and some 24 km (15 mi) south of Dublin city centre. The R117 road
R117 road
The R117 road is a regional road in Ireland. The route starts Harcourt Road at the end of the South Circular Road on the southside of Dublin city centre...
, colloquially known as "The Twenty-One Bends" connects the town to the main N11 road to Dublin. The 185 Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus is a public transport operator in Ireland. It operates an extensive bus network of 172 radial, cross-city and peripheral routes and 18 night routes in the city of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area. The company, established in 1987, is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann which is...
route connects the village hourly to Bray
Bray
Bray is a town in north County Wicklow, Ireland. It is a busy urban centre and seaside resort, with a population of 31,901 making it the fourth largest in Ireland as of the 2006 census...
, the nearest large town.
With Ireland's booming economy and with such advantages as mountainous scenery and the nearby Powerscourt Estate
Powerscourt Estate
Powerscourt Estate , located near Enniskerry, County Wicklow, Ireland, is a large country estate which is noted for its house and landscaped gardens, today occupying 19 hectares . The house, originally a 13th century castle, was extensively altered during the 18th century by German architect...
, the village has extremely active tourist and property markets.
History
The Protestant population of the village attended church in the grounds of the Powerscourt DemesnePowerscourt Estate
Powerscourt Estate , located near Enniskerry, County Wicklow, Ireland, is a large country estate which is noted for its house and landscaped gardens, today occupying 19 hectares . The house, originally a 13th century castle, was extensively altered during the 18th century by German architect...
until 1859. Mervyn Wingfield
Mervyn Wingfield, 7th Viscount Powerscourt
Mervyn Wingfield, 7th Viscount Powerscourt KP PC was an Irish peer. He became Viscount Powerscourt in 1844 on the death of his father Richard Wingfield, 6th Viscount Powerscourt....
, 7th Viscount Powerscourt
Viscount Powerscourt
Viscount Powerscourt is a title that has been created three times in the Peerage of Ireland, each time for members of the Wingfield family. It was created first in 1618 for the Chief Governor of Ireland, Richard Wingfield. However, this creation became extinct on his death in 1634. It was created a...
built a new church, Saint Patrick's, in the village which was completed two years later in 1861. This coincided with an extensive renovation programme that also established the Italian gardens at Powerscourt. The Viscount Powerscourt claimed the old church following the passage of the Disestablishment of the Irish Church Act 1869. The consequences were that only those with a right to be buried next to the old church within the Demesne could claim these rights thereafter. The Viscount Powerscourt also closed a Catholic graveyard within the Demesne and provided 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) for a new graveyard at Curtlestown.
Powerscourt Estate
Powerscourt Estate
Powerscourt Estate , located near Enniskerry, County Wicklow, Ireland, is a large country estate which is noted for its house and landscaped gardens, today occupying 19 hectares . The house, originally a 13th century castle, was extensively altered during the 18th century by German architect...
, comprising a large house and gardens today occupying 47 acres (190,202.4 m²), is located near the town and is a popular visitor attraction. The extensive formal gardens form the grounds of an 18th century Palladian house, designed by Richard Cassels
Richard Cassels
Richard Cassels , who anglicised his name to Richard Castle, ranks with Edward Lovett Pearce as one of the greatest architects working in Ireland in the 18th century. Cassels was born in 1690 in Kassel, Germany. Although German, his family were of French origin, descended from the...
, which was destroyed by fire in 1974, and lay as a shell until extensive restorations were carried out in 1996.
Powerscourt Waterfall
Powerscourt Waterfall
Powerscourt Waterfall is a waterfall near Enniskerry, County Wicklow, in Ireland, located in a valley surrounded by Djouce Mountain and the Great Sugar Loaf...
in the grounds of the estate, at 121 metres, is the highest waterfall in Ireland.
Culture
Film
- The Powerscourt Estate was used for a location in the movie The Count of Monte CristoThe Count of Monte Cristo (2002 film)The Count of Monte Cristo is a 2002 adventure film directed by Kevin Reynolds. The film is the tenth adaptation of the book of the same name by Alexandre Dumas, père and stars Richard Harris, James Caviezel, Dagmara Dominczyk, Guy Pearce, and Luis Guzman...
. - Enniskerry was also the setting for some of the scenes of Laurence OlivierLaurence OlivierLaurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
's film of Henry VHenry V (1944 film)Henry V is a 1944 film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play of the same name. The on-screen title is The Cronicle History of King Henry the Fift with His Battell Fought at Agincourt in France . It stars Laurence Olivier, who also directed. The play was adapted for the screen by Olivier, Dallas...
by William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
in 1944, and provided many of the extras in the film - Scenes of Into the WestInto the West (film)Into the West is a 1992 Irish fantasy film about Irish Travellers, directed by Mike Newell and written by Jim Sheridan.The film has received several awards for Best Film, Best European Film, and Outstanding Family Foreign Film.-Synopsis:...
, a 1992 film starring Gabriel ByrneGabriel ByrneGabriel James Byrne is an Irish actor, film director, film producer, writer, cultural ambassador and audiobook narrator. His acting career began in the Focus Theatre before he joined Londo's Royal Court Theatre in 1979. Byrne's screen debut came in the Irish soap opera The Riordans and the...
and Ellen BarkinEllen BarkinEllen Barkin is an American film, television and theatre actress.-Early life:She was born Ellen Rona Barkin in Bronx, a borough of New York City, New York, the daughter of Evelyn , a hospital administrator who worked at Jamaica Hospital, and Sol Barkin, a chemical salesman...
, were shot in the village. - In the 2007 film P.S. I Love YouP.S. I Love You (film)P.S. I Love You is a 2007 American drama film directed by Richard LaGravenese. The screenplay by LaGravenese and Steven Rogers is based on the 2004 novel of the same name by Cecelia Ahern. The film is dedicated to the memory of producer Molly Smith's sister Windland Smith Rice.-Plot:Holly and Gerry...
, Enniskerry is the home place of Gerry Kennedy (Gerard ButlerGerard ButlerGerard James Butler is a Scottish actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television. A trained lawyer, Butler turned to acting in the mid-1990s with small roles in productions such as the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies , which he followed with steady work on television, most notably in...
).
Also stars a scene from Amy Adams new film 'Leap Year'.
Television
The village has been the set for numerous television advertisements. From 1996 to 2001, along with AvocaAvoca, County Wicklow
Avoca is a small town near Arklow, in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is situated on the River Avoca.The Avoca area has been associated with its famous copper mines for many years and the valley has been immortalised by Thomas Moore in the famous song The Meeting of the Waters...
, it played host to the television series Ballykissangel
Ballykissangel
Ballykissangel is a BBC television drama set in Ireland, produced in-house by BBC Northern Ireland. The original story revolved around a young English Roman Catholic priest as he became part of a rural community. It ran for six series, which were first broadcast on BBC One in the UK from 1996 to 2001...
. On March 16, 2009 Meredith Vieira
Meredith Vieira
Meredith Louise Vieira is an American journalist, television personality, and game show host. She is best known for her roles as the original moderator of the ABC talk program The View and co-host of the long-running NBC News morning news program, Today...
and Al Roker
Al Roker
Albert Lincoln "Al" Roker, Jr. is an American television meteorologist as well as an actor and book author. He is best known as being the weather anchor on NBC's Today. On Monday, July 20, 2009, he began co-hosting his new morning show, Wake Up with Al, on The Weather Channel, which airs weekdays...
broadcast live in Enniskerry for NBC's Today Show.
Transport
Dublin Corporation
Dublin Corporation , known by generations of Dubliners simply as The Corpo, is the former name given to the city government and its administrative organisation in Dublin between 1661 and 1 January 2002...
's Vartry
Vartry Reservoir
Vartry Reservoir is a reservoir at Roundwood in County Wicklow, Ireland. The water is piped from Vartry to a large open service reservoir in Stillorgan in the southern suburbs of Dublin. The reservoir is operated by Dublin City Council....
watermain. Wicklow County Council
Wicklow County Council
Wicklow County Council is the local authority which is responsible for County Wicklow in Ireland. The Council is responsible for Housing and Community, Roads and Transportation, Urban planning and Development, Amenity and Culture, and Environment. The head of the council has the title of...
recently removed much of the railway embankment in road widening, but left the bridge, which is directly opposite the ornate bridge carrying the watermain over the Cookstown River, a tributary of the River Dargle. The plan ran into financial difficulties, and the rails were lifted and sold off.
Two Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus
Dublin Bus is a public transport operator in Ireland. It operates an extensive bus network of 172 radial, cross-city and peripheral routes and 18 night routes in the city of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area. The company, established in 1987, is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann which is...
routes, the 44 and 185, pass through the village.
Sports
There are two soccer clubs located in the village; Enniskerry Schoolboys/girls Football Club have twenty teams playing at underage levels, while Enniskerry Youth Club have several teams playing at adult and youth level.There is also a Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
club in the village, as well as a boxing club.
Religion
Strong ecumenical links have been forged over the years between the Roman Catholic parish of St Mary and the Church of IrelandChurch of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
parish of St Patrick, Powerscourt, both in the village of Enniskerry, and St Brigid's Church of Ireland in nearby Kilbride.
See also
- Powerscourt EstatePowerscourt EstatePowerscourt Estate , located near Enniskerry, County Wicklow, Ireland, is a large country estate which is noted for its house and landscaped gardens, today occupying 19 hectares . The house, originally a 13th century castle, was extensively altered during the 18th century by German architect...
- Powerscourt WaterfallPowerscourt WaterfallPowerscourt Waterfall is a waterfall near Enniskerry, County Wicklow, in Ireland, located in a valley surrounded by Djouce Mountain and the Great Sugar Loaf...
- List of towns and villages in Ireland