Courtown Harbour - Wexford Guide and Directory, 1885
About “Wexford County Guide and Directory,” 1885
George Henry Bassett produced 7 Irish county directories in the 1880s: Antrim, Armagh, Down, Kilkenny, Louth, Tipperary and Wexford. Each provides useful history of the respective counties as well as lists of office holders, farmers, traders, and other residents of the individual cities, towns and villages.
The directories are naturally an invaluable resource for those tracing family history. However, there are a few points to bear in mind.
- This online version of Bassett’s Wexford County Guide and Directory is designed primarily as a genealogical research tool and therefore the numerous advertisements in the original book, many full page, and quite a few illustrated, have been excluded.
- The text has been proofed with due care, but with large bodies of text typographical errors are inevitably bound to occur.
- Be aware that there were often inconsistencies in spelling surnames in the 19th century and also that many forenames are abbreviated in Bassett’s directories.
With respect to the last point, surnames which today begin with the “Mc” prefix, for example, were often formerly spelt as “M‘,”. For a list of some of the more common forename abbreviations used in the directory, see Forename Abbreviations.
ONE of the most popular of the drives from Gorey is that which has its terminus at Courtown Harbour. The distance is three miles, and the direction to the south-east. On the way are passed Marlfield, the residence of Viscount Stopford; Mrs. Hamilton, The Cottage, and the Owen-a-varra, or Owenavorragh River. The bridge which carries the road over this affords a charming view of the valley, including in the distance a pretty cottage belonging to Captain Richards, of Ardamine. Taking the road by way of River Chapel, a village also by the sea, to the south of, and almost adjoining, Courtown, a mile or so of round is amply compensated for. First, there is seen to the left a row of neat workmen’s cottages belonging to Lord Courtown. Then, the new Catholic Church of River Chapel, in the Gothic style, and, at the opposite side of a steep hill, the Protestant Church of Ardamine (I.C.) The road which connects the two villages has, on both sides, several handsome villas. It leads to a public avenue, running from Courtown Harbour through Lord Courtown’s demesne. This skirts the sea, and winds frequently. At a point nearly fronting Courtown House there is a tennis court, sheltered on every side by sand hills. The Owenavorragh River, teeming with salmon and trout, flows beside the avenue. Courtown House is a substantial mansion, and, although within sight of the ocean, is surrounded with plantations, in which are some splendid forest trees. Courtown Harbour some years ago promised to become valuable as the seaport of Gorey, but its harbour, although built at a great expense, is little better than a sand-trap. Vessels with cargoes of even modest proportions are obliged to anchor outside and unload into lighters. Fishing-boats, of which there are many, frequently have to make off to more hospitable ports to escape wreck. As a bathing-place, Courtown has few superiors. There is an excellent strand, miles in length. The population of village and district, composed for the most part of fishermen, was 348 in 1881; that of River Chapel district, at the same time, was 264.
Rev. John Furlong, C.
Rev. T. W. Manning, Rector (I.C.), Ardamine
Rev. J. Smyth, Rector, Kiltennel
James Paskins, Postmaster
Rd. Garland, sergt., R.I.C.
Chief Officer Coast-guard Station, Wm. M‘Kegg
Rd. Hicks, Master, Nat. School
Mary Riley, Mistress, Nat. School
Ellen Weatherup, Mistress, Protestant School
Temperance Society—Pres.—Rev. T. W. Manning. Treas.—Rd. Paskins. Sec.—E. Weatherup
Coal—Mary Funge, J. Redmond, Rd. Spencer
Grocers who do not sell spirits—T. Frith, R. Paskins, M. Sheehan, Courtown, E. M‘Donald, Riverchapel
Grocers who sell spirits—M. Funge, J. Redmond, W. Swaine, Courtown; M. O’Connor, P. Kavanagh, T. O’Brien, Thos. Balfe, T. Kavanagh, Riverchapel
FARMERS, LANDOWNERS, &c.
Courtown, Earl of, C’rtown House
Davis, William, Middleton
Dunn, James, Ballydeane
Dunn, George, Ballinatray lower
Bakers—Rd. Paskins, Courtown, T. O’Brien, Riverchapel
Hanstock, John, Tomsilla lower
Fitzsimons, R., Askingarron upr
Hobbs, Alexander, Ballinacur
Hobbs, Charles, Glendoyne
Horan, Nicholas, Ballinacur
Keane, Daniel, Moore
Keane, Joseph, Moore
Keane, Peter, Ballynakill
Keane, John, Ballinageelogue
Keane, John, Askingarron upper
Keogh, Michael, Middleton
Keys, J., Ballynagronn
Leary, W., Askingarron lower
M‘Donald, John, Ballinatray upr
M‘Donald, John, Ballinagran lr
Masterson, W., Glen (Richards)
Maud, George, Doughal
Murphy, John, Bolaney
Murray, Patrick, Ballinagran lr
Murray, James, Ballinagran upper
Nowlan, Patrick, Ballinagran upr
Paskins, James, Ballinatray lower
Richards, A. W. M., Ardamine
Richards, Solomon, Glenrichards
Ruth, Thomas, Ballinagran lower
Stopford, Hon. G. F. W., C’rtown
Strahan, Nicholas, Seamount
Tapley, Henry, Ballinagran
Tomkin, Richard, Glendoyne
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