Ballinaclash

Ballinaclash (Irish: An Chlais, meaning "townland of the ravine"[2]) is a village in east County Wicklow centred on a bridge that carries the R753 regional road across the River Avonbeg.

Ballinaclash An Chlais
Village
Ballinaclash Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 52°54′00″N 6°16′00″W
Country	Ireland
Province	Leinster
County	County Wicklow
Elevation	60 m (200 ft)
Population  (2016)[1]
• Total	311
Time zone	UTC+0 (WET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-1 (IST (WEST))
Irish Grid Reference	T167854

The village is mentioned in J.M. Synge's play 'The Tinker's Wedding': "And a big fool I was too, maybe; but we'll be seeing Jaunting Jim to-morrow in Ballinaclash, and he after getting a great price for his white foal in the horse-fair of Wicklow"

In 1837, the village had a population of 3855 according to Samuel Lewis' 'A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland'. This population was much reduced by the famine and subsequent emigration and today is only a fraction of that number. The village was originally the site of an ancient monastery founded by the brother of St. Kevin, according to Mervyn Archdall. The site is now occupied by Whaley Abbey; the home of the notorious Buck Whaley.

See also

• List of towns and villages in Ireland

References

1. "Census 2016 Sapmap Area: Settlements Ballinaclash". Central Statistics Office. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
2. A. D. Mills, 2003, A Dictionary of British Place-Names, Oxford University Press