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Knockbridge () is a village in
County Louth County Louth ( ; ) is a coastal Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of County Meath, Meath to the ...
,
Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
. 7 km south-west of
Dundalk Dundalk ( ; ) is the county town of County Louth, Ireland. The town is situated on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the north-east coast of Ireland, and is halfway between Dublin and Belfast, close to and south of the bor ...
, it is in the
townland A townland (; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a traditional small land division used in Ireland and in the Western Isles of Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of medieval Gaelic origin, predating the Norman invasion, and mo ...
of Ballinlough (''Baile an Locha'') in the historical barony of Dundalk Upper. As of the 2022 census, the village had a population of 759 people. Knockbridge won a "best kept village" award in the 2008 Tidy Towns competition.


Facilities

The village is centred on a crossroads, where there is a
pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...
and a shop. There are four
housing estate A housing estate (or sometimes housing complex, housing development, subdivision (land), subdivision or community) is a group of homes and other buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to count ...
s, a
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
church and a large
primary school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...
in the village. Stephenstown House, a large ruined Georgian house, once owned by a branch of the Fortescue family, stands beside the River Fane about a mile outside the village. Stephenstown Pond, about a hundred metres from the house, was redeveloped in the mid-1990s and is a public amenity. Stephenstown Pond has a conference centre and community enterprise space. Knockbridge Church (St Mary's) has a number of
Harry Clarke Henry Patrick Clarke (17 March 1889 – 6 January 1931) was an Irish stained-glass artist and book illustrator. Born in Dublin, he was a leading figure in the Irish Arts and Crafts Movement. His work was influenced by both the Art Nouveau ...
designed
stained-glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...
windows.


History

The village may take its name from "Cnoic Bhríde" - Bridget's Hill - reputed to be a site connected with local Saint Bridget. It may also take its name from "Droichead an Chnoic" - Bridge of the hill - after a bridge over the nearby River Fane. Clochafarmore, where the legendary hero
Cú Chulainn Cú Chulainn ( ), is an Irish warrior hero and demigod in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore. He is believed to be an incarnation of the Irish god Lugh, who is also his father. His mother is the ...
is reputed to have died, is also nearby.


Sport

The village's
Gaelic football Gaelic football (; short name '')'', commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA, or football, is an Irish team sport. A form of football, it is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score ...
team, St Bride's GFC, was founded by Séamus Quinn, the parish priest in 1927. The club plays in Páirc an Chuinnigh, which was bought as a memorial to Quinn who died in 1952. The grounds were opened on 1 May 1955. The club competes in the Louth Senior Division. The local
hurling Hurling (, ') is an outdoor Team sport, team game of ancient Gaelic culture, Gaelic Irish origin, played by men and women. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goa ...
club, Knockbridge GAA, has won the Louth Senior Hurling Championship twelve times.


Location and transport

The village is situated south-west of
Dundalk Dundalk ( ; ) is the county town of County Louth, Ireland. The town is situated on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the north-east coast of Ireland, and is halfway between Dublin and Belfast, close to and south of the bor ...
, the county town. The village is 75 km north of Dublin Airport.
Bus Éireann Bus Éireann (; "Irish Bus") is a state-owned bus and coach operator providing services throughout Republic of Ireland, Ireland, with the exception of Dublin, where bus services are provided by sister company Dublin Bus. It is a subsidiary of C ...
provides bus routes to and from Knockbridge.


See also

* List of towns and villages in Ireland


References


External links


Knockbridge National School, County Louth

Knockbridge Vintage Club

St. Brides GFC, Knockbridge
{{County Louth Towns and villages in County Louth