Knightstown, County Kerry

Knightstown (Irish: Baile an Ridire, meaning "Town of the Knight")[2] is the largest settlement on Valentia Island, County Kerry, in Ireland. It lies within the townland of Farranreagh, at the eastern tip of the island. As of the CSO census of 2016, Knightstown had a population of 243.[1]

Knightstown

Baile an Ridire
Village
Knightstown
Knightstown
Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 51°55′31″N 10°17′38″W
CountryIreland
ProvinceMunster
CountyCounty Kerry
Population
 (2016)[1]
243
Time zoneUTC+0 (WET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-1 (IST (WEST))
Irish Grid ReferenceV422773

History

In 1830 Maurice FitzGerald, the 18th Knight of Kerry, commissioned Scottish engineer Alexander Nimmo to draw up plans for a new village. During the 1840s, development began on what was initially known as the New Town of Valentia.[3]

Knightstown Catholic Church.

Locality

The local RNLI lifeboat station moved to Knightstown in 1869 from Reenard Point and has since been known as the Valentia Lifeboat Station.[4] There is a selection of local coffee shops and bars in the town, as well as Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland churches.

Knightstown, on Valentia Island, County Kerry, Ireland contains a number of shops, cafés and pubs.

Knightstown is also the location of the car ferry connection between Valentia Island and Reenard Point on the mainland.

The area served as a base of operations for the laying of the first successful Transatlantic telegraph cable to Heart's Content, completed in 1866. A cable station operated until it was closed in 1966. The history of the transatlantic cable and artifacts from it can be seen at the local history museum located in Knightstown.[5]

Knightstown participates in the annual "Tidy Towns" competition where it is regularly recognized for the quality and cleanliness of its environment.[6]

See also

References
  1. "Census 2016 - SAPMAP Area - Settlements - Knightstown". Census 2016. CSO. 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
  2. Placenames Database of Ireland
  3. "Knightstown" (PDF). West Iveragh Settlements Local Area Plan. Kerry County Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 November 2010. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
  4. RNLI Lifeboat Station History Archived 2010-06-04 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Valentia Heritage Centre
  6. Knightstown Tidy Towns Report 2018
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