Kingscourt

Kingscourt, historically known as Dunaree (Irish: Dún an Rí, meaning "fort of the king"),[2] is a town in County Cavan, Ireland. It is located near the Cavan–Meath border. The town was founded near the site of the old village of Cabra, by Mervyn Pratt, towards the end of the 18th century, and was completed by his brother, The Rev. Joseph Pratt.[3]

Kingscourt

Dún an Rí
Town
Church of the Immaculate Conception
Kingscourt
Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 53°54′17″N 6°48′18″W
CountryIreland
ProvinceUlster
CountyCounty Cavan
Population
 (2016)[1]
2,499
 settlement boundaries changed from 2011 to 2016 census
Irish Grid ReferenceN787958

History

Cabra Castle, an early 19th-century 'Gothick-style' castle, is located very near the town, being on the R179 (known locally as the Carrickmacross Road). The castle was originally called Cormey Castle and was built on the site of an earlier Cormey Castle which had been destroyed during the Cromwellian War.[6] The castle has, in recent years, been restored and expanded and is now a four-star hotel which is popular for weddings.

Architecture

The local Catholic church, which is perched high above the town, contains stained glass windows by the renowned Irish artist Evie Hone, who also provided designs for Eton College Chapel.

Economy

Building supplies company Kingspan is headquartered in the town. The company was founded in 1965 and initially known as Kingscourt Construction Group.[7] Kingspan is now a constituent company on the Dublin stock market's ISEQ 20 index.

Environment
Dún na Rí Forest Park

Dún na Rí Forest Park is located a couple of kilometers from Kingscourt. Situated in a valley, and formerly part of the Pratt family's Cabra Estate (which was centered on nearby Cabra Castle), Dún na Rí is home to stoat, hare, mink, rabbit and otter, as well as red and grey squirrel along the banks of the River Cabra. The park itself borders the Shercock and Carrickmacross roads. The original Cabra House (also sometimes known as Cabra Castle) was located within the modern forest park. The Pratt dynasty moved into the current Cabra Castle (which is just across the Carrickmacross Road from the forest park's main entrance) in 1813.

Transport

Railway

Kingscourt has a railway line which has been disused following strike action by Iarnród Éireann train drivers in 2001. The line ceased to have passenger services in 1947, and was then a freight-only service. The line, which runs from Kingscourt to Navan and then on to Drogheda, was used to carry gypsum ore daily from Gypsum Industries, but the company withdrew this service when Iarnród Éireann could not guarantee deliveries of Gypsum ore, and was consequently transferred to road transport in 2001.

Road

Kingscourt is situated on the R162 regional road where it connects with the R164, R165 and R179. The town is approximately 30 minutes drive from the M1 motorway, via Ardee, County Louth, providing easy access to Dublin Airport (95 km), Dublin city and its environs (90 km), Drogheda (50 km), Dundalk (35 km) and Belfast (130 km).

Bus

There are daily bus connections to Nobber, Navan and Dublin with both Sillan Tours Limited and Bus Éireann. On Tuesdays and Thursdays Bus Éireann route 166 provides a link to Cavan via Bailieborough and Stradone, County Cavan. Royal Breffni Tours operate a twice-daily service from Kingscourt to Dundalk IT.

Sport

The Racquetball Association of Ireland is based in Kingscourt and the 14th IRF Racquetball World Championships took place in the town in 2008. Held every two years, previous championships were held in the Dominican Republic (2006), South Korea (2004) and Puerto Rico (2002).[8] The Kingscourt Handball and Racquetball court complex is the largest in Ireland with three 40x20s and one 60x30 court.[9] Kingscourt Handball Club is home to a number of All-Ireland champions, and the club have won the Senior All-Ireland Club title twice; once in 2001 and again in 2003.[10]

In Gaelic football, the Kingscourt Stars are the fourth most successful club in the county having won the Cavan Senior Football Championship eleven times, most recently in 2015.

Education

Schools include Coláiste Dún an Rí, a co-educational secondary school opened in August 2016.[11]

Notable people

See also

References
  1. "Census 2016 Sapmap Area: Settlements Kingscourt". Central Statistics Office (Ireland). Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  2. "Dún an Rí/Kingscourt". Placenames Database of Ireland. Government of Ireland - Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and Dublin City University. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  3. Lewis - Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837
  4. "Settlement Kingscourt". Central Statistics Office (Ireland). Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  5. http://www.cso.ie/default.htm
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 3 February 2007. Retrieved 17 January 2007.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Cabra Castle Hotel - Hotel History
  7. "History Highlights". Kingspan Group. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  8. "Kingscourt on IRF website". Archived from the original on 10 July 2009.
  9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 28 April 2016. Retrieved 15 June 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. http://www.hoganstand.com/Cavan/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=164397
  11. "Coláiste Dún an Rí". Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  12. "Woman behind Kingspan who loved arts and nature". Irish Times. 22 March 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2019.
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