Tara Hill

Thanks to www.NorthWexford.com for the article.

Tara Hill boasts the most fantastic views - the whole coast beyond Courtown can be seen from here. Saint Kevin's is the small and lovely church in the village, popular for weddings as it has a charm all of its own.Tara Hill is a dominant feature of the district.    

The views which are obtained on the way to the summit marked by a cairn- is unsurpassed, affording as it does an exquisite panorama of sea and land.

Saint Caemhan or Kevin or Cavan, as the name is variously spelt is the Patron Saint of Tara Hill. His commemoration day is 12th June. The site of the old church which was founded by him may be seen at Kilcavan, beside the Public Road, at the north side of the hill under a cliff.

Tara Hill (833 feet) is over 400 million years old and was formed from molten rock. It is a blue/grey colour and is very hard. During the Ice Age the hill was buried under a huge sheet of ice. This gave it its rounded appearance. The soil on the upper parts is shallow and acidic.

Heather and furze are the natural vegetation. Furze was invaluable to the hill dwellers in times past as they relied on it for fuel. It was also used in small bundles to form a foundation for the thatch. The Irish name for Tara Hill was Torchill. Perhaps wild boars roamed about in oak forests in the distant past.

Today much of the hill is planted with conifers. From the top you can see Gorey and there are excellent views of the coast. There are pleasant walks among the trees and if you are lucky you might see a squirrel or even an owl.

The Harbour

Courtown Harbour was completely undeveloped until the Courtown family built the harbour back in the early 1800’s. The present pier of the harbour was built by the Courtown family as part of famine relief work in 1847. Following its completion, it soon became a thriving fishing village, and with the advent of the Dublin railway line, tourists began to arrive from 1863 onwards to visit the beaches. It was the harbour however that really put Courtown on the map.

Today The Harbour is one of Courtown’s finest features. With fishing and sailing boats anchored in the harbour, it makes for a really lovely sight. Sitting by the harbour and soaking in the holiday atmosphere that surrounds Courtown is a must. Stroll down towards the Pier Head and enjoy the breathtaking views of the sea and country side and you will even see the site of the newly erected wind mills just off the coast of Arklow.

The Ounavarra River

The Ounavarra is the river which flows into the harbour. This little river flows through Killena, Ballycanew and flows into Courtown Harbour. On a trip up the river at the Courtown end, the visitor passes through the wooded Courtown Estate with its unsurpassed variety of scenery, past the site of where Courtown House (the seat of the Courtown Family) once stood, and on to Ballinatray Bridge. The bridge which carries the main Gorey to Courtown road, spans a deep gorge, and is reputed to be one of the highest old stone-work bridges in the country. Much of this river from Ashton Bridge (1 mile downstream of Ballycanew) is controlled and managed by the Ounavarra Angler's Association. This portion of the river has been stocked with 16oz brown trout, had weirs erected etc. Day and week permits are available. There is a bag limit of three brown trout per day. The rest of the river can be fished free. There is a good run of sea trout from June to September and a few salmon, July to September. Best fishing is on associated waters close to Courtown. Day tickets required and are normally sold at Whitmore's Jewellers,

Main Street, Gorey, (053 94) 21351.

Forest Walks

There ae a number of walks in the Courtown area, including Courtown Woods and several others listed below.

Lady Charlotte's Well

Map of Lady Charlotte's Walk