Courtown

Courtown Baile na Cúirte
—  Village  —
Courtown centre
Courtown Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 52°38′42″N 6°13′44″W / 52.645°N 6.229°W / 52.645; -6.229Coordinates: 52°38′42″N 6°13′44″W / 52.645°N 6.229°W / 52.645; -6.229
Country	Ireland
Province	Leinster
County	County Wexford
Elevation	6 m (20 ft)
Population (2006)[1]
- Total	1,421
Irish Grid Reference	T196562

Courtown Harbour

Historical populations
Year	Pop.	±%
1841	248	—
1851	607	+144.8%
1861	480	−20.9%
1871	613	+27.7%
1881	512	−16.5%
1891	438	−14.5%
1901	462	+5.5%
1911	414	−10.4%
1926	344	−16.9%
1936	316	−8.1%
1946	294	−7.0%
1951	257	−12.6%
1956	411	+59.9%
1961	396	−3.6%
1966	421	+6.3%
1971	291	−30.9%
1981	337	+15.8%
1986	317	−5.9%
1991	343	+8.2%
1996	364	+6.1%
2002	502	+37.9%
2006	1,421	+183.1%
[2][3][4][5][6]

Courtown (Irish: Baile na Cúirte, meaning "homestead of the court"), formerly Ballinatray (Irish: Baile na Trá, meaning "homestead of the strand"), is a village and Seaside resort in northeast County Wexford, Ireland. Courtown is situated on the Irish Sea coast. It is also referred to as Courtown Harbour and has merged into the adjoining village of Riverchapel. It lies on the R742 regional road.

Both villages have many caravan parks and holiday homes. In recent years significant urbanisation has taken place, especially in the Riverchapel area, just south of Courtown. Large housing estates are now home to commuters working in Dublin.

Courtown is home to 'The Dinky Take-Away', serving the "best chips in Ireland", as voted on Marty Whelan's morning show on the 2FM radio station.

The town features crazy golf, amusement rides, ten-pin bowling, a golf course, as well as a beach and forest park. Courtown Harbour is also home to a Class D RNLI inshore lifeboat.

History

The name 'Courtown' dates back to 1278 ^[7]but the harbour was not built until the early 1800s and cost £25,000 to complete. Courtown was by then already well known for its beaches, but the presence of the harbour made it popular as a fashionable destination, with people from Dublin and the midlands frequenting the village and beaches. It's popularity as a summer holiday resort for Dublin people increased after 1863, when the railway line from Dublin reached nearby Gorey.

See also

• List of towns and villages in Ireland
• List of RNLI stations

References

1. ^ "Census 2006 – Volume 1 – Population Classified by Area" (PDF). Central Statistics Office Census 2006 Reports. Central Statistics Office Ireland. April 2007. http://www.cso.ie/census/documents/census2006_volume_1_pop_classified_by_area.pdf. Retrieved 2011-06-19. 
2. ^ Census for post 1821 figures.
3. ^ http://www.histpop.org
4. ^ http://www.nisranew.nisra.gov.uk/census
5. ^ Lee, JJ (1981). "On the accuracy of the Pre-famine Irish censuses". In Goldstrom, J. M.; Clarkson, L. A.. Irish Population, Economy, and Society: Essays in Honour of the Late K. H. Connell. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press. 
6. ^ Mokyr, Joel; O Grada, Cormac (November). "New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700-1850". The Economic History Review. Volume 37 (Issue 4): 473–488. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0289.1984.tb00344.x. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/120035880/abstract. 
7. ^ http://www.courtownharbour.com/

External links

• www.courtownharbour.com The official website for Courtown Harbour.
• www.rnli.ie RNLI Lifeboat Website