Courtown Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Courtown Baile na Cúirte
Village
Courtown centre
Courtown Location in Ireland
Country	Ireland
Province	Leinster
County	County Wexford
Elevation	6 m (20 ft)
Population (2016)
• Total	3,591
	(For census purposes, Courtown is combined with neighbouring Riverchapel and Ardamine)
Irish Grid Reference	T196562

Courtown (Irish: Baile na Cúirte, meaning homestead of the court), is a village which developed after Lord Courtown ordered the construction of a harbour during the Famine years, 1839–1846. The economic boost of the new harbour led to a small village developing with fishing being the primary economy of the village. Courtown is situated on the Irish Sea coast and with the recent development during the Celtic Tiger years, has merged into the adjoining village of Riverchapel. It lies on the R742 regional road.

Transport
Tourism
History
Images for kids
See also

Transport

There is a bus once a day (except on Sundays) to and from Gorey, departing in the morning and returning in the afternoon. On Mondays and Saturdays Bus Éireann route 379 operates and continues to Wexford via Curracloe. Route 879 operates on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. On Wednesdays the service is provided by the Rural Roadrunner bus operated by Wexford Local Development.

The nearest station is Gorey railway station, around 7 kilometres away.

Tourism

As a harbour and seaside village, there is a high tourism rate during the months of the summer (May–August). There are a variety of accommodation types such as bed and breakfasts, guesthouses, and caravan and holiday parks.

History

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1841	248	—
1851	607	+144.8%
1861	480	−20.9%
1871	613	+27.7%
1881	512	−16.5%
1891	438	−14.5%
1901	462	+5.5%
1911	414	−10.4%
1926	344	−16.9%
1936	316	−8.1%
1946	294	−7.0%
1951	257	−12.6%
1956	411	+59.9%
1961	396	−3.6%
1966	421	+6.3%
1971	291	−30.9%
1981	337	+15.8%
1986	317	−5.9%
1991	343	+8.2%
1996	364	+6.1%
2002	502	+37.9%
2006	1,421	+183.1%

The name 'Courtown' dates back to 1278, but the harbour was not built until the mid 1800s as a response by Lord Courtown to the Great Famine, and cost £25,000 to complete. Courtown was by then already well known for its beaches, but the presence of the harbour made it popular as a fashionable destination, with people from Dublin and the midlands frequenting the village and beaches. Its popularity as a summer holiday resort for Dublin people increased after 1863, when the railway line from Dublin reached nearby Gorey.