Avoca, County Wicklow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Avoca
Abhóca
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Town
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Main Street
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 Avoca
Location in Ireland
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| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Leinster |
| County | County Wicklow |
| Elevation | 35 m (115 ft) |
| Population
(2016)
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771 |
| Irish Grid Reference | T201801 |
Avoca (called Abhóca in Irish) is a small town. It is located near Arklow in County Wicklow, Ireland. The town sits right on the River Avoca.
For many years, the Avoca area was known for its copper mines. The beautiful valley was even celebrated by Thomas Moore in his famous song, "The Meeting of the Waters." This song gets its name from where the Avonmore and Avonbeg rivers meet. This special spot is about 3 kilometres from Avoca village. People say the song was written under a tree there. The stump of this tree can still be seen today. Avoca is also famous for its handweaving. The well-known company, Avoca Handweavers, started here.
Avoca has been a popular place for filming movies and TV shows. The BBC series Ballykissangel was filmed here. In 1967, Avoca was used for scenes in the movie Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon. It was also the setting for the comedy film Zonad, released in Ireland in 2010.
You might even spot a red kite flying around Avoca. These birds were recently brought back to Ireland and are now commonly seen in the area.
Contents
What's in a Name? The History of Avoca
Avoca has had a few different names over time. It was once known as Newbridge. Later, it became Ovoca, and then during the Victorian era, it was called Avoca. An ancient map of Ireland by Ptolemy even mentions a river called Oboka. Today, the official name of the village is Avoca in English and Abhóca in Irish. The older names are no longer used.
Mining for Copper in Avoca
People started mining for copper in the Avoca River valley around 1720. This mining continued, with some breaks, until 1982. It's possible that mining happened even earlier, maybe as far back as the Bronze Age.
Today, the East Avoca mining area mostly has large piles of rock waste. There are also old quarries, which are big holes dug into the ground (like the Cronebane and East Avoca open pits). You can also see disused roads. The biggest pile of waste rock, called Mount Platt, was created from digging out the Cronebane open pit.
A special railway, called a mineral tramway, was built to carry minerals. It went from the West Avoca mines, through the village (on the other side of the river), and all the way to Arklow Harbour. Most of this old railway path is now part of the Dublin-Rosslare railway line. However, you can still see an arch and a tunnel under the road that goes from Rathdrum to Avoca.
Getting Around Avoca
Avoca is located on the R752 regional road. This road connects Rathnew with Woodenbridge.
The village has a Bus Éireann bus service, route 133. This bus travels from Dublin (about 66 km away) and Wicklow (about 21 km away) to Arklow (about 10 km away). On Mondays to Saturdays, there are two buses in each direction. On Sundays, there is one bus each way.
Some local politicians have been pushing to reopen Avoca railway station. Passenger trains stopped using this station on March 3, 1964. The station had been open for almost 101 years, starting on July 18, 1863. It is part of the Dublin-Rosslare railway line.
Avoca's International Friends
Avoca has a special partnership with Bromham, Wiltshire in England. This is called a town twinning agreement. It helps towns learn from each other and build friendships.
Famous People from Avoca
Many interesting people have connections to Avoca:
- Noel Andrews (1932–2011) was an Irish radio and TV commentator. He ran The Avoca Inn from 1970 to 1990.
- George Barret Sr. (c. 1730–1784) was an Irish landscape artist who painted scenes in Avoca.
- Oliver Byrne (1810–1880) was a civil engineer and writer of science books. He was born in the Vale of Avoca.
- Harry Harrison (1925–2012) was an American science fiction author. He lived in the Avoca area in the 1970s.
- Lawrence Kavenagh (c. 1810–1846) was an Irish-Australian convict and bushranger. He was born in either Newbridge (now Avoca) or nearby Rathdrum.
- Pauline Mellon is an Irish mathematician who was born in the town.
- Abraham Mills (c. 1750–1828) was an English mining manager and geologist. He spent time mining for copper in Avoca.
- Chris Pontius (born 1974) is an American stunt performer and cast member of the reality show Jackass. He lived in Avoca from 2004 to 2008.
- Donald Pratt (born 1935) is an Irish businessman and former cricketer. He bought Avoca Handweavers in 1974.
- Emily Wynne (1872–1958) was an Irish author and textile artist. She worked at Avoca Woollen Mills.
- Myles Kavanagh (1918-2009) was a local community member. He worked at the Avoca Mines for 38 years as a shift boss.
See also
In Spanish: Avoca para niños
