Bunclody

Bunclody Bun Clóidí
—  Town  —
Market Square, Bunclody
Bunclody Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 52°39′18″N 6°39′04″W / 52.655°N 6.651°W / 52.655; -6.651Coordinates: 52°39′18″N 6°39′04″W / 52.655°N 6.651°W / 52.655; -6.651
Country	Ireland
Province	Leinster
County	County Wexford
Elevation	52 m (171 ft)
Population (2006)[1]
– Total	1,863
Irish Grid Reference	S909569

Historical populations
Year	Pop.	±%
1821	1,095	—
1831	1,430	+30.6%
1841	1,437	+0.5%
1851	1,307	−9.0%
1861	1,097	−16.1%
1871	1,014	−7.6%
1881	960	−5.3%
1891	909	−5.3%
1901	890	−2.1%
1911	884	−0.7%
1926	709	−19.8%
1936	684	−3.5%
1946	699	+2.2%
1951	805	+15.2%
1956	976	+21.2%
1961	891	−8.7%
1966	940	+5.5%
1971	929	−1.2%
1981	1,467	+57.9%
1986	1,423	−3.0%
1991	1,316	−7.5%
1996	1,241	−5.7%
2002	1,361	+9.7%
2006	1,863	+36.9%
[2]

Bunclody town centre.

Bunclody (Irish: Bun Clóidí, meaning "Bottom of the Clody") is a small town located on the River Slaney, on the border between counties Wexford and Carlow, Ireland. The R746 regional road intersects the N80 in the centre of the town. It is a picturesque town near the foot of Mount Leinster. Most of the town is situated in County Wexford. A small area at the north end of town is located in County Carlow.

The Irish artist of Italian extraction, Niccolo d'Ardia Caracciolo (1941–1989), is buried in Bunclody. The geneticist Cian Murphy, specializing in complex disease, resides in Bunclody.

The town is well known for the Eileen Aroon Festival during the months of July and August.^[3]

Etymology

The Irish for Bunclody is Bun Clóidí, which means the 'end of the Clody', as it is the location of the confluence of the Clody and the Slaney rivers.

History

Although a hamlet already existed here, Bunclody was raised to the status of a post town in 1577 by alderman James Barry, sheriff of Dublin^[4][5]. During the 17th century, the name of the town was changed from Bunclody to Newtownbarry, but was reverted to its original name in the 20th century, following Irish independence. The change was made official by a Statutory Instrument enacted in 1950.^[6]

The town was the scene of the Battle of Bunclody, a bloody repulse of Wexford rebels during the 1798 rebellion.

In the 19th century, a small canal was made, drawing water from the Clody river, to provide drinking water for the populace^[7]. The canal still flows along the centre of the town's main street.

In 1884 a metal bridge was erected across the River Slaney just upstream of where the existing bridge is today. It was constructed of iron from New Ross, and assembled in the bridge meadow beside where the bridge stood. This bridge was washed down in 1965 when a flood swept through the river. The remains of the bridge were visible from the bank of the river for many years, until it was removed in 2007, during the building of a golf course beside the river.

Among the amenities of the town there are number of GAA and soccer pitches, an outdoor swimming pool (open 2½ months of the year), a hotel, and primary and post-primary schools. Bunclody is among the country's most ethnically-mixed towns, with 10% of its population Polish,^[8] and 11% Irish Traveller community.^[9]

Bunclody-Carrickduff is a census town split between County Carlow and County Wexford. It comprises the town of Bunclody and the adjoining village of Carrigduff, and had a population of 1,863 at the 2006 census.^[10]

Transport

Bunclody is served by Bus Eireann with 2 departures daily (Mon-Sat) to Dublin and 2 departures daily (Mon-Sat) to Rosslare Europort. The town is approximately 25 minutes drive to the M9 motorway. Like many small rural towns Bunclody was never served by rail.

Golf Course

Bunclody Golf and Fishing Club was officially opened in early 2009. The course is on the Carlow side of the town, with its entrance situated on the county border. The 18 hole course is set on 300 acres (1.2 km²) beside the river Slaney, and is home to Ireland's first on-course elevator, which links the 17th green to the 18th tee.

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 2011-06-20.  Listed as Bunclody-Carrickduff
2. ^ www.cso.ie/census and www.histpop.org. Figures post 1951 are for Bunclody-Carrickduff, a conurbation that straddles the Wexford-Carlow border. For a discussion on the accuracy of pre-famine census returns see JJ Lee “On the accuracy of the pre-famine Irish censuses” in Irish Population, Economy and Society edited by JM Goldstrom and LA Clarkson (1981) p54, and also “New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700-1850” by Joel Mokyr and Cormac Ó Gráda in The Economic History Review, New Series, Vol. 37, No. 4 (November 1984), pp. 473-488.
3. ^ A History of Bunclody, Wexford, Ireland
4. ^ Hayward, Richard. Leinster and the City of Dublin, Barker, 1949, p.108
5. ^ Brewer, J. N., The Beauties of Ireland: Being Original Delineations, Topographical, Historical, and Biographical, of Each County, Sherwood, Jones, & Co., 1825, p.378
6. ^ S.I. No. 281/1950 — Local Government (Change of Name of Non-Municipal Town) Order, 1950.
7. ^ Bassett, George Henry, Wexford County Guide and Directory, Hibernian Imprints, 1991, ISBN 1-874238-00-6, p. 343-347 (original publication 1885)
8. ^ Theme 2 - 2 : Usually resident population by nationality, 2006 by Central Statistics Office, Dublin
9. ^ Theme 2 - 3 : Usually resident population by ethnic or cultural background, 2006 by Central Statistics Office, Dublin
10. ^ CSO Census 2006: Table 5, Population of Towns ordered by County and size, 2002 and 2006

External links

• Local website