Wicklow Town Heritage Trail

Get up the yard…

he much-loved Wicklow Town Heritage Trail returns to Saturday mornings throughout the coming summer.

Throughout the glorious, sun-drenched, laughter-filled summer, that is.

This free weekly guided tour will explore the rich heritage of our fellow harbour town, from the landing of St Patrick in 432 to the end of the Civil War in 1923.

The walk covers 18 key sites of Historical interest and will enable participants to learn more about the significance of each location.

There are 7 story-boards (lecterns) with beautifully illustrated artwork showing the following:

⦿ The construction of St. Patrick’s church, which commenced in 1839.
⦿ The story of the Franciscan Abbey, which dates back to the 12th Century.
⦿ Robert Halpin’s achievement in laying the first Trans-Atlantic cable.
⦿ The story of Billy Byrne and the 1798 rising in Wicklow Town.
⦿ The history of the Black Castle.
⦿ The attempted landing by St. Patrick at Travelahawk Beach.
⦿ The history relating to the Barrow Green, including stories of the secret burials that took place there.

On each storyboard, there is a QR code which enables participants to watch a video on their phone, telling them the story of each key location.

The actors featured on the videos are members of the local dramatic society, but actually prove to be pretty good nonetheless.

Running from Easter Sunday until the end of September, the free guided walk commences from Fitzwilliam Square at 11am every Saturday, and take around 2 hours to complete.

For further information on the Wicklow Town Heritage Trail, click here. And for the Guide’s own crappy history, click here.