Knockbridge
Encyclopedia
Knockbridge is a small village within the townland
of Ballinlough (Baile an Locha) in County Louth
, Ireland
.
s, a Roman Catholic church and a large primary school in the village.
Stephenstown House, a large ruined Victorian 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. Knockbridge Church (St Mary's) has a number of Harry Clarke
designed stained-glass
windows. Since 2000 its parish priest has been Fr. Gerard McGinnity
.
Stephenstown Pond has a conference centre and an 80000 sq ft (7,432.2 m²) community enterprise space. It is a habitat for a large number of animals such as foxes, frogs, hedgehogs, stoats, mice, grey squirrels, long eared bats, house sparrows, hooded crows, swallows, barn owls and sparrowhawks. Fishing permits for the lake can be obtained in the village from McNamee's Pub or Brodigan's Shop.
's Stone, which still stands, and where the legendary hero is reputed to have died. Knockbridge Church, in its present form was built in 1814 on the site of a mass house which was in use from 1692.
team (St. Brides GFC) was founded by Seamus Quinn, the parish priest in 1927. The club plays in "Pairc an Chuinnigh", which was bought as a memorial to Quinn who died in 1952. The grounds were opened on 1 May 1955. The club currently competes in the Louth Intermediate Division
.
, the county town. The village is 75 km north of Dublin Airport
. Bus Éireann
provides bus routes to and from Knockbridge.
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
of Ballinlough (Baile an Locha) in County Louth
County Louth
County Louth is a county of Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Louth. Louth County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
.
Facilities
The village is centred on a crossroads, where there is a pub and a shop. There are three housing estateHousing estate
A housing estate is a group of buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Accordingly, a housing estate is usually built by a single contractor, with only a few styles of house or building design, so they tend to be uniform in appearance...
s, a Roman Catholic church and a large primary school in the village.
Stephenstown House, a large ruined Victorian house, once owned by a branch of the Fortescue
Fortescue
-People:* Adrian Fortescue, 16th century English nobleman beatified by Roman Catholic Church* Adrian Fortescue, 19th-20th century Roman Catholic liturgist and Byzantine scholar* Charles Legeyt Fortescue, Canadian-born electrical engineer...
family, stands beside the River Fane
River Fane
The River Fane is a river originating in Lough Ross on the border of County Monaghan and County Armagh. It then flows east towards Dundalk Bay, straddling the border between Counties Monaghan, Louth and Armagh flowing through Inniskeen, Knockbridge, Tallanstown before meeting Dundalk Bay near...
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. Knockbridge Church (St Mary's) has a number of Harry Clarke
Harry Clarke
Harry Clarke was an Irish stained glass artist and book illustrator. Born in Dublin, he was a leading figure in the Irish Arts and Crafts Movement.- History :...
designed stained-glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows. Since 2000 its parish priest has been Fr. Gerard McGinnity
Gerard McGinnity
Gerard McGinnity is an author and Parish Priest of Knockbridge, County Louth, Ireland, a parish of the Archdiocese of Armagh.- In Maynooth College :...
.
Stephenstown Pond has a conference centre and an 80000 sq ft (7,432.2 m²) community enterprise space. It is a habitat for a large number of animals such as foxes, frogs, hedgehogs, stoats, mice, grey squirrels, long eared bats, house sparrows, hooded crows, swallows, barn owls and sparrowhawks. Fishing permits for the lake can be obtained in the village from McNamee's Pub or Brodigan's Shop.
History
The village takes its name from "Cnoic Bhríde" - Bridget's Hill - reputed to be a site connected with local saint Bridget. Nearby is CuchulainnCúchulainn
Cú Chulainn or Cúchulainn , and sometimes known in English as Cuhullin , is an Irish mythological hero who appears in the stories of the Ulster Cycle, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore...
's Stone, which still stands, and where the legendary hero is reputed to have died. Knockbridge Church, in its present form was built in 1814 on the site of a mass house which was in use from 1692.
Sport
The village's Gaelic footballGaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
team (St. Brides GFC) was founded by Seamus Quinn, the parish priest in 1927. The club plays in "Pairc an Chuinnigh", which was bought as a memorial to Quinn who died in 1952. The grounds were opened on 1 May 1955. The club currently competes in the Louth Intermediate Division
Louth GAA
The Louth County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Louth GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Louth. The county board is also responsible for the Louth inter-county teams....
.
Location and transport
The village is situated 6.5 km (4 mi) south-west of DundalkDundalk
Dundalk is the county town of County Louth in Ireland. It is situated where the Castletown River flows into Dundalk Bay. The town is close to the border with Northern Ireland and equi-distant from Dublin and Belfast. The town's name, which was historically written as Dundalgan, has associations...
, the county town. The village is 75 km north of Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon...
. Bus Éireann
Bus Éireann
Bus Éireann provides bus services in Ireland with the exception of those operated entirely within the Dublin Region, which are provided by Dublin Bus. Bus Éireann, established as a separate company in 1987, is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann. The logo of Bus Éireann incorporates a red Irish...
provides bus routes to and from Knockbridge.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland