Knockbridge
Knockbridge
Irish: Droichead an Chnoic | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Knockbridge crossroads | |
  Knockbridge Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates: 53°58′N 6°29′W / 53.97°N 6.49°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Leinster |
| County | Louth |
| Elevation | 42 m (138 ft) |
| Population | 759 |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-1 (IST (WEST)) |
| Irish Grid Reference | H994037 |
Knockbridge (Irish: Droichead an Chnoic)[2] is a village in County Louth, Ireland. 7 km south-west of Dundalk, it is in the townland of Ballinlough (Baile an Locha) in the historical barony of Dundalk Upper.[2] As of the 2022 census, the village had a population of 759 people.[3] Knockbridge won a "best kept village" award in the 2008 Tidy Towns competition.[4]
Facilities
[edit]The village is centred on a crossroads, where there is a pub and a shop. There are four housing estates, a Roman Catholic church and a large primary school in the village.
Stephenstown House, a large ruined Georgian house, once owned by a branch of the Fortescue family, stands beside the River Fane about a mile outside the village. Stephenstown Pond, about a hundred metres from the house, was redeveloped in the mid-1990s and is a public amenity. Stephenstown Pond has a conference centre and community enterprise space.[5]
Knockbridge Church (St Mary's) has a number of Harry Clarke designed stained-glass windows.
History
[edit]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 309 | — |
| 1991 | 292 | −5.5% |
| 1996 | 274 | −6.2% |
| 2002 | 335 | +22.3% |
| 2006 | 427 | +27.5% |
| 2011 | 583 | +36.5% |
| 2016 | 667 | +14.4% |
| 2022 | 759 | +13.8% |
| [1] | ||
The village may take its name from "Cnoic Bhríde" - Bridget's Hill - reputed to be a site connected with local Saint Bridget. It may also take its name from "Droichead an Chnoic" - Bridge of the hill - after a bridge over the nearby River Fane.[6]
Clochafarmore, where the legendary hero Cú Chulainn is reputed to have died, is also nearby.
Sport
[edit]The village's Gaelic football team, St Bride's GFC, was founded by Séamus Quinn, the parish priest in 1927. The club plays in Páirc an Chuinnigh, which was bought as a memorial to Quinn who died in 1952. The grounds were opened on 1 May 1955. The club competes in the Louth Senior Division.
The local hurling club, Knockbridge GAA, has won the Louth Senior Hurling Championship twelve times.[7]
Location and transport
[edit]The village is situated 6.5 km (4.0 mi) south-west of Dundalk, the county town. The village is 75 km north of Dublin Airport. Bus Éireann provides bus routes to and from Knockbridge.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "SAPMAP Area - Settlement - Knockbridge". Census 2022. Central Statistics Office. April 2022. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
- ^ a b "Droichead an Chnoic / Knockbridge". logainm.ie. Irish Placenames Commission. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- ^ "Knockbridge (Ireland) Census Town". CSO Census Mapping. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
- ^ "Knockbridge Tidy Towns - Best Kept Village Award 2008". knockbridgetidytown.com. Archived from the original on 9 October 2013.
- ^ "Stephenstown Pond website". stephenstownpond.com.
- ^ Knockbridge entry on Logainm. "Logainm site". Logainm (DCU). DCU. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ "Louth SHC: Title number 12 for impressive Knockbridge". Irish Examiner. 3 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
External links
[edit]Places in County Louth | ||
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| Towns |  | |
| Villages and Townlands | ||