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County Wicklow (/ˈwɪkloʊ/ WIK-loh; Irish: Contae Chill Mhantáin [ˈkɔn̪ˠt̪ˠeː ˌçiːl̠ʲ ˈwan̪ˠt̪ˠaːnʲ]) is a county on the east coast of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is bordered by Wexford to the south, Kildare and Carlow to the west, Dublin to the north and the Irish sea to the east. Wicklow is the 17th largest of Ireland's 32 counties by area, and the 16th most populous, with just over 140,000 residents. The town of Wicklow is the county's administrative capital, while Bray is its largest settlement. The county is governed by Wicklow County Council.
County Wicklow
Contae Chill Mhantáin | |
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Nickname: The Garden of Ireland | |
Motto(s): | |
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Country | Ireland |
Province | Leinster |
Dáil Éireann | Wicklow |
EU Parliament | South |
Established | 1606[1] |
County town Largest town | Wicklow Bray |
Government | |
• Type | County Council |
Area | |
• Total | 2,027 km2 (783 sq mi) |
• Rank | 17th |
Highest elevation | 925 m (3,035 ft) |
Population (2016)[2] | |
• Total | 142,425 |
• Rank | 16th |
• Density | 70/km2 (180/sq mi) |
Demonym | Wicklovian[3] |
Time zone | UTC±0 (WET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (IST) |
Eircode routing keys | A63, A67, A98 (primarily) |
Telephone area codes | 01, 0402, 0404 (primarily) |
Vehicle index mark code | WW |
Website | www |
Wicklow's motto, "Free Spirits", is drawn from a line in an ancient Irish poem associated with the area, which reads "Meanma Saor as réim gach achrann". This loosely translates as "The spirit still free through all conflict". The county has long been referred to as "The Garden of Ireland", which is a reference to both its rugged natural scenery and the manicured gardens of its grand estates, such as Powerscourt. The Scenery and Antiquities of Ireland, published in 1841, claimed of Wicklow that "nowhere else is to be found assembled such a variety of natural beauties, heightened and improved by the hand of art".
The earliest mention of the region was by the Greek cartographer and historian Ptolemy in 130 AD. According to Ptolemy's map, the area was inhabited by a Celtic tribe called the Cauci/Canci, and the settlement of Manapia is thought to be the site of Wicklow town.[4] The area was controlled for many centuries by the O'Byrnes in the north and the O'Tooles in the south. Despite successive waves of invasion by Viking, Norman and English conquerors, the mountainous interior of the county remained under the control of Gaelic clans until the 17th century. The area was finally shired in 1606, becoming the last of the traditional 32 counties to be established. The recently captured Gaelic territories were too sparsely populated to sustain a shire, so the new county incorporated large tracts of southern Dublin and eastern Carlow to include coastal settlements such as Bray and Arklow.
The shire was named after the town of Wicklow, located in the middle of the county's east coast. The name is an anglicisation of the Old Norse Víkingaló, which means "Vikings' Meadow". The origin of the county's Irish name Cill Mhantáin bears no relation to the name Wicklow. It refers to the "Church of Manntach". Manntach, meaning "toothless one", was an early follower of Saint Patrick.
The county is best known for its mountainous landscape and the monastic site at Glendalough. The Wicklow Mountains are Ireland's most expansive continuous upland area and occupy the whole centre of the county. The Wicklow Mountains National Park, located in the middle of the range, extends to over 220 square kilometres (54,363 acres), making it the largest national park in Ireland. Rising to 925 metres (3,035 ft), Lugnaquilla is the county's highest peak, and is also the highest mountain in Ireland outside of County Kerry. The remote glacial valley of Glendalough is home to a sixth century monastic settlement founded by Saint Kevin which is today Wicklow's most popular tourist attraction.