Castlecomer

Infobox Place Ireland
name = Castlecomer
gaeilge = Caisleán an Chomair
crest

motto =
map

pin coords = left: 51px; top: 26px
north coord = 52.806
west coord = 7.210
irish grid = S532731
area =
elevation =
province = Leinster
county = County Kilkenny
town pop = 1,531
rural pop =
census yr = 2006
web = www.castlecomer.ie

Castlecomer ( _ga. Caisleán an Chomair) is the main town in north County Kilkenny, Ireland. It is located in the province of Leinster at the meeting of N78 and R694 roads about km to mi | 16 | abbr=yes | precision=0 roads north of Kilkenny in the south-east of the island of Ireland. Castlecomer is a census town with a population of about 1531.

"Caisleán an Chumair" means "The castle at the confluence of the rivers" of which there are three, the Deen, the Brocagh, and the Clohogue. Castlecomer takes its name from the local castle which was built by the Normans in 1171 on the mound opposite the present gates to the Castlecomer Demesne.

Near Castlecomer along the N78 road at Ballyfoyle is the Dunmore Caves.

History

The original castle was built of wood and was replaced by a stone structure by Earl Marshall about the year 1200. When Sibella, the great-granddaughter of the Norman leader Strongbow, was granted the manor in 1219, the local Brennan chiefs retreated to the hills and lived an independent life until the plantation of Castlecomer by the Earl of Strafford.

In 1637 convert|120|km2|acre were granted to Christopher Wandesford by his cousin, the Earl of Strafford, the King's Deputy. Wandesforde laid out the town of Castlecomer, Ireland's first town in stone and mortar. The Wandesford family started a coal mine there.

Castlecomer is known for the Deerpark Mines, which produced large amount of anthracite coal until it was closed after 300 years in the late 1960's. The castlecomer was one of six coal-districts in Ireland, others were located Tipperary district, the Munster district, Lough Allen district and the Monaghan and Tyrone district. There was also some coal in Antrim. [Harvnb|Knight|1839|p=19]

Geography

It is located at the meeting of N78 and R694 roads about km to mi | 16 | abbr=yes | precision=0 north of Kilkenny where a humpback bridge crosses the river Dinan and the town contains a square with Georgian houses surrounded by Lime trees. Castlecomer had a lot of anthracite coal.

Castlecomer rural area has an area of 23,417 hectares.

Demographics

As of the 2006 census, by the Central Statistics Office, Castlecomer town's population, which includes Donaguile, was 1,531. This was a 3.3% change since 2002. [Harvnb|Census|2006 [http://www.cso.ie/census/documents/census2006_Table_7_and_12.pdf Table 12. Alphabetical list of Towns with their population, 2002 and 2006] ] The Castlecomer rural area of 23,417 hectares had a population of 8,280. [Harvnb|Census|2006 [http://www.cso.ie/census/documents/census2006_Volume%201%20-%20Table%206.pdf Table 6. Population and area of each Province, County, City, urban area, rural area and Electoral Division, 2002 and 2006] ]

Goverence

The local government is Kilkenny County Council. Castlecomer and its rural area forms a Electoral District which includes Attanagh, Ballyragget, Castlecomer, Clogh, Clogharinka, Moneenroe, Mothell and Muckalee.

Industry

Agriculture employes about 100 people. The Castlecomer district has 60 farms. These range between 10 and 100 hectares with a total of 2003 hectares being farmed. There are 4451 cattle and 768 sheep, and farming is done with grassland machines, tillage machines, tractors, winter feeding and milking equipments. Speicalist farms include beef production, dairy and mixed grazing linestock. [Harvnb|Agriculture|2002]

port

Erin's Own GAA is the local Gaelic Athletic Association club.

Deen Celtic A.F.C. is the local Soccer Club in Castlecomer.

Transport

Castlecomer lies at the N78 and R694 road junction about km to mi | 16 | abbr=yes | precision=0 north of Kilkenny. Castlecomer railway station opened on 21 February 1921 but was closed for passenger traffic on 26 January 1931 and finally closed altogether on 1 January 1963. [cite web | title=Castlecomer station | work=Railscot - Irish Railways | url=http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf | accessdate=2007-09-16]

ee also

* List of towns and villages in Ireland
*Market Houses in Ireland

References

Further reading

* cite book
last =Walpole
first = Horace
authorlink =
coauthors = Thomas Park
title = A Catalogue of the Royal and Noble Authors of England, Scotland, and Ireland: With Lists of Their Works
publisher = J. Scott
date =1806
location = Original from the New York Public Library
pages = 180
url = http://books.google.ie/books?id=KxcfAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA180&dq=Castlecomer
doi =
id =
isbn =
*Citation
last =Census
first =
author-link =
last2 =
first2 =
author2-link =
title = 2006 Census of Ireland
place =
publisher = Central Statistics Office (Ireland)
year = 2006
volume =
edition =
url = http://www.cso.ie/releasespublications/pr_pop.htm
doi =
id =
isbn =
*Citation
last =Agriculture
first =
author-link =
last2 =
first2 =
author2-link =
title = 2002 Agriculture Census - Kilkenny
place =
publisher = Central Statistics Office (Ireland)
year = 2002
volume =
edition =
url = http://www.cso.ie/px/pxcoa2000/Database/Census%20of%20Agriculture%202000/Kilkenny/Kilkenny.asp
doi =
id =
isbn =
*Citation
last=Knight
first=Charles
author-link=
chapter=
date=
year=1839
chapter-url =
editor-last=
editor-first=
title=The Penny Cyclopaedia of the Society for the Difussion of Useful Knowledge
place=Original from the Complutense University of Madrid
publisher=Society for the Difussion of Useful Knowledge
publication-year=
pages=
url= http://books.google.ie/books?id=g9cCMcvp8qsC
isbn =
* cite book
last = Lewis
first = Samuel
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = A Topgrahical Dictionary of Ireland
publisher = S. LEWIS & Co. 87, Aldergate Street.
date = 1837
location = London
pages =
url = http://www.libraryireland.com/topog/index.php
doi =
id =
isbn =

External links

* [http://www.castlecomer.ie Castlecomer Community Web Site]