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Blessington
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Blessington
Blessington, historically known as Ballycomeen (Irish: Baile Coimín, meaning 'town of Comyn', from the Irish surname Ó Coimín), is a town on the River Liffey in County Wicklow, Ireland, near the border with County Kildare. It is around 25 km south-west of Dublin, and is situated on the N81 road, which connects Dublin to Tullow. The town is in a townland and civil parish of the same name.
The current name 'Blessington' was first recorded in 1667. It may be based on a false etymology that confused the surname Coimín with the Irish word comaoin, which means blessing.
Evidence of Bronze Age activity in the area is demonstrated by the spectacular Blessington gold lunula, now in the British Museum. The nearby Rath Turtle Moat was occupied from the 12th century onward by Norse Gaels and Normans.
Blessington was previously called Munfine, and in the medieval period was part of the lordship of Threecastles; Threecastles Castle is a three-storey tower house situated 5 km from Blessington, which was most likely built by Gerald Fitzgerald, Lord Deputy of Ireland, or his son Sir James Fitzgerald.
The abandoned medieval village of Burgage More is just south of Blessington town. It was an ecclesiastical settlement and is the site of a ruined tower house and church. A granite high cross named St. Mark's Cross was erected there in the 12th century beside a holy well. The cross was moved from Burgage More to Burgage Cemetery in the 20th century due to the construction of the Poulaphouca Reservoir and rising water levels.
In 1667, Michael Boyle, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin and Lord Chancellor of Ireland, bought the lordship, previously the property of the Cheevers, for £1,000. Archbishop Boyle received a royal charter to establish the town of Blessington, in the townland of Munfine, as a borough.
Construction of Blessington House was begun in 1673 and afterwards St Mary's Church on Main Street, which was completed in 1683. On Archbishop Boyle's death in December 1702, his son, Murrough Boyle, 1st Viscount Blesington, inherited the Blessington estate. Lord Blessington's son, Charles, 2nd Viscount Blesington, died in June 1732 without an heir, and the estate was inherited by his sister Anne, then her son, William Stewart, 1st Earl of Blessington. The earl died in August 1769 without an heir and the estate passed to Charles Dunbar, a great-grandson of the 1st Viscount Blessington, who also died heirless in 1778, when the estate passed to Wills Hill, 1st Earl of Hillsborough, whose seat was Hillsborough Castle in Hillsborough, County Down, a great-great-grandson of Archbishop Boyle. Lord Hillsborough was created as the 1st Marquess of Downshire in August 1789. The Hills held the estate until 1908.
The main road of the town is an example of a planned improvement of towns and villages associated with estates in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Arthur Hill, the 3rd Marquess of Downshire commissioned a house to be built for his agent c. 1820. The building later operated as the Downshire Hotel, until its closure in 2005. The Marquess was also responsible for the construction of several prominent buildings in the town such as the Market House (c. 1820), Downshire Lodge (c. 1830), and the Parish schoolhouse (c. 1830).
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Blessington
Blessington, historically known as Ballycomeen (Irish: Baile Coimín, meaning 'town of Comyn', from the Irish surname Ó Coimín), is a town on the River Liffey in County Wicklow, Ireland, near the border with County Kildare. It is around 25 km south-west of Dublin, and is situated on the N81 road, which connects Dublin to Tullow. The town is in a townland and civil parish of the same name.
The current name 'Blessington' was first recorded in 1667. It may be based on a false etymology that confused the surname Coimín with the Irish word comaoin, which means blessing.
Evidence of Bronze Age activity in the area is demonstrated by the spectacular Blessington gold lunula, now in the British Museum. The nearby Rath Turtle Moat was occupied from the 12th century onward by Norse Gaels and Normans.
Blessington was previously called Munfine, and in the medieval period was part of the lordship of Threecastles; Threecastles Castle is a three-storey tower house situated 5 km from Blessington, which was most likely built by Gerald Fitzgerald, Lord Deputy of Ireland, or his son Sir James Fitzgerald.
The abandoned medieval village of Burgage More is just south of Blessington town. It was an ecclesiastical settlement and is the site of a ruined tower house and church. A granite high cross named St. Mark's Cross was erected there in the 12th century beside a holy well. The cross was moved from Burgage More to Burgage Cemetery in the 20th century due to the construction of the Poulaphouca Reservoir and rising water levels.
In 1667, Michael Boyle, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin and Lord Chancellor of Ireland, bought the lordship, previously the property of the Cheevers, for £1,000. Archbishop Boyle received a royal charter to establish the town of Blessington, in the townland of Munfine, as a borough.
Construction of Blessington House was begun in 1673 and afterwards St Mary's Church on Main Street, which was completed in 1683. On Archbishop Boyle's death in December 1702, his son, Murrough Boyle, 1st Viscount Blesington, inherited the Blessington estate. Lord Blessington's son, Charles, 2nd Viscount Blesington, died in June 1732 without an heir, and the estate was inherited by his sister Anne, then her son, William Stewart, 1st Earl of Blessington. The earl died in August 1769 without an heir and the estate passed to Charles Dunbar, a great-grandson of the 1st Viscount Blessington, who also died heirless in 1778, when the estate passed to Wills Hill, 1st Earl of Hillsborough, whose seat was Hillsborough Castle in Hillsborough, County Down, a great-great-grandson of Archbishop Boyle. Lord Hillsborough was created as the 1st Marquess of Downshire in August 1789. The Hills held the estate until 1908.
The main road of the town is an example of a planned improvement of towns and villages associated with estates in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Arthur Hill, the 3rd Marquess of Downshire commissioned a house to be built for his agent c. 1820. The building later operated as the Downshire Hotel, until its closure in 2005. The Marquess was also responsible for the construction of several prominent buildings in the town such as the Market House (c. 1820), Downshire Lodge (c. 1830), and the Parish schoolhouse (c. 1830).
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