Take me to the river…
e reckon it would be fair to say that, on the right day, in the right light, 
Wicklow town might actually be prettier than Greystones.
e reckon it would be fair to say that, on the right day, in the right light, 
Wicklow town might actually be prettier than Greystones.We blame the river. And the way the main street snakes all over the feckin’ place.
The Bone Shaker 2000
Yep, our sexy neighbour is one hell of a town. And, until our lazy local councillors get around to building a river through Greystones, Wicklow may even be the jewel in our sparkling county crown. The flash feck.
Mind you, the population is just over 11,000, and we’re currently cruising past 18,000 – so, you know, if Wicklow town starts behaving like the jewel in our sparkling county crown, we have plenty of hands here to slap a little sense back into the place.
Wicklow circa 1910
With GG having already established archives on Killincarrig, Delgany, Kilcoole, Kilmacanogue and Bray, it’s only fair that our eponymous county neighbour should get a page all on its ownsome. 
Somewhere to pull together all the groovy archive pics – the bulk from the National Gallery of Ireland [cheers!] – that we’ve been storing over the last few years.
Somewhere to pull together all the groovy archive pics – the bulk from the National Gallery of Ireland [cheers!] – that we’ve been storing over the last few years.First though, a little history…
The earliest recorded mention of our county’s capital came in 130 AD, with Greek cartographer Ptolemy referring to the town 
as Manapia.
as Manapia.Given a certain TV series currently being shot in the area, it’s fitting that the name Wicklow came from the old Viking word ‘Vykyngelo’ – which means, Meadow of the Vikings.
Even better is the story behind the town’s Irish name, Cill Mhantáin. Apparently, poor old St Patrick found he and his pals 
were far from welcome when they docked in Wicklow, the ensuing fight resulting in one of Paddy’s buddies getting a tooth knocked out. When he later returned to set up a church in the town, he was given the name Manntach (Toothless One). As for Cill Mhantáin, that’s translates as Church Of The Toothless One.
were far from welcome when they docked in Wicklow, the ensuing fight resulting in one of Paddy’s buddies getting a tooth knocked out. When he later returned to set up a church in the town, he was given the name Manntach (Toothless One). As for Cill Mhantáin, that’s translates as Church Of The Toothless One.
Pic: Glaucia Bernardo
Rockin’ name, but, 600 years later, when the Normans were doing all the raping and pillaging, they preferred the Wicklow name. And so, it stuck.
Once the Norman invasion kicked in, Wicklow was handed to Maurice FitzGerald, Lord of Lanstephan, who then set about building Black Castle [pictured Nov 2017 by Claucia Bernardo] in his honour. Over the years, this fortification would be held by the O’Byrne, the O’Toole and the Kavanagh clans before being abandoned when those English swines came to town. Led by certifiable cnut Sir Charles Coote, in revenge for the uprising of 1641, his troops engaged in what was then recorded as a ‘savage and indiscriminate’ slaughter of the townspeople. 
It was even said that a number of people were deliberately burnt to death in a building on what became known locally as Melancholy Lane.
It was even said that a number of people were deliberately burnt to death in a building on what became known locally as Melancholy Lane.When it comes to Wicklow’s historic buildings, the oldest surviving settlement in the town is the Franciscan Abbey, whilst the Town Hall has had to take a back seat to the Gaol, built in 1702, and now a major tourist attraction and heritage centre. The fact that it was a place of execution up to the close of the 19th century is one of its strongest selling points, with Billy Byrne, a leader of the 1798 rebellion, meeting his end there in 1799.
Abbey ruins
In Fitzwilliam Square, an obelisk marks the career of Captain Robert Halpin, commander of the telegraph cable Ship Great Eastern, who was born in Wicklow in 1836.
You can find a deeper, less crappy history of Wicklow town on the Our Heritage site here, and take their Heritage Trail here. Shout-out too, to the Facebook group, Wicklow Past, for some of the wonderful colour shots here.
If you have any images or history you’d like to add to this archive, just email [email protected]…
Black Castle 1830 by Robert Newenham
Fitzwilliam Square, way back when…
Wicklow Town’s oul’ triangle
Halpin Memorial & Main Street, Wicklow postcard
Fitzwilliam Square. Last Tuesday.
And with a little added colour in its cheeks
View over Fitzwilliam Square
Fitzwilliam Square, from another angle. And time.
Fitzwilliam Square 1950s. Source Fearghus Omaitiu
Wicklow Town Square
Wicklow Town Square Colourised by GG
Market Square. Colourised by GG
Billy Byrne Monument, featuring a 1798 pike man on top
Wicklow’s rather impressive convent
Wicklow’s Easy Riders Wicklow Town
Wicklow Town Harbour
Wicklow Town’s ship comes in…
Wicklow Quay Bridge 1910
Wicklow Town’s Great Fire October 1990
Wicklow Town’s Abbey Street
Wicklow Town Railway Station 1800s
Wicklow Town Main Street
Wicklow Town Main Street: The Sepia Years
Wicklow Town from another angle
The River Vartry. Or is it the River Leitrim…?
Gone fishin’ early 1900s
Wicklow Tower
Wicklow Gaol 1953
Toytown 1953 Wicklow Town
Rush hour on Wicklow’s main street
Messing about in boats
The Murrough. Pic: Robert French
Low tide at Bachelor’s Walk 1930s
Chilling down at the harbour…
The Quay, Wicklow 1908 Postcard
Grand Hotel circa 1865-1914
Big ship, little town…
Always be ready…
Aerial view of Church Hill 1953
Wicklow Town 1720
Wicklow harbour SEPT22 by Sharon Foran
1 comment
The fire was 1990, i think, when diesel from an oil tanks at the rear of O’Connors pub leaked onto the street setting several cars alight.. The river is the Vartry river which runs through Leitrim Place.