Increasing interest in the Wicklow Town Heritage Trail

The weekly guided walk of the new Wicklow Town Heritage Trail, which takes place every Saturday morning at 11am, commencing from outside the Failte Ireland Office, continues to attract a significant number of visitors each week. The guided trails continue each Saturday until the 27th September.

The weekly volunteer guides have noted that there is an increased interest among the long-established local population. Many of the local population who have taken part were unaware of the depth and details of the local history and heritage of Wicklow Town.

There has also been a significant uptake in interest from newcomers to the area who have been fascinated by the history and heritage of their new local town with each week attracting an increased number of overseas Tourists.

The complete tour covers:

· The story of local man Robert Halpin who laid the first Trans-Atlantic cable.

· The history of the Abbey Grounds and the Franciscan Abbey.

· The story of Billy Byrne and the 1798 rising in Wicklow Town

· The massacre of over 300 mainly women and children in Melancholy Lane by Sir Charles Coote in 1641.

· The story of the Black Castle including details of some of the battles that took place over 6 centuries.

· The attempted landing by St. Patrick at Travilahawk Beach.

· The history relating to the Barrow Green, including stories of the secret burials that took place there.

During each week, the volunteer guides have noted the number of visitors reading the 8 storyboards telling some of the history of the town. The Wicklow Town Heritage Trail can also be self-guided and you can download the brochure for the trail by visiting www.wicklowtown.ie, where you can also view videos with various local actors telling the story of each key location. The actors featured on the videos are members of the local dramatic society.

For further information on the Wicklow Town Heritage Trail, visit www.wicklowtown.ie