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Blessington, historically known as Ballycomeen (, from the Irish surname ''Ó Coimín''), is a town on the
River Liffey The River Liffey (Irish language, Irish: ''An Life'', historically ''An Ruirthe(a)ch'') is a river in eastern Ireland that ultimately flows through the centre of Dublin to its mouth within Dublin Bay. Its major Tributary, tributaries include t ...
in
County Wicklow County Wicklow ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The last of the traditional 32 counties, having been formed as late as 1606 in Ireland, 1606, it is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the Provinces ...
,
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 ...
, near the border with
County Kildare County Kildare () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the Local gove ...
. It is around 25 km south-west of
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
, and is situated on the
N81 road N81 may refer to: * N81 (Long Island bus) * Hammonton Municipal Airport, in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States * N81 highway (Philippines) * N81 road (Ireland) * Nokia N81 The Nokia N81 is a Symbian OS mobile phone announced by Nokia ...
, which connects Dublin to
Tullow Tullow (; ), formerly Tullowphelim (), is a market town in County Carlow, Ireland. It is located on the River Slaney where the N81 road intersects with the R725. , the population was 5,138. Tullowphelim is the name of both a townland and civ ...
. The town is in a
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 ...
and
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
of the same name.


History


Etymology

The current name 'Blessington' was first recorded in 1667. It may be based on a false etymology that confused the surname with the Irish word , which means blessing.


Ancient and medieval history

Evidence of Bronze Age activity in the area is demonstrated by the spectacular Blessington
gold lunula A gold lunula ( pl. gold lunulae) was a distinctive type of late Neolithic, Chalcolithic, andmost oftenearly Bronze Age necklace, collar, or pectoral shaped like a crescent moon. Most are from Prehistoric Ireland. They are normally flat and t ...
, now in the
British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...
. The nearby Rath Turtle Moat was occupied from the 12th century onward by
Norse Gaels Norse is a demonym for Norsemen, a Medieval North Germanic ethnolinguistic group ancestral to modern Scandinavians, defined as speakers of Old Norse from about the 9th to the 13th centuries. Norse may also refer to: Culture and religion * Nor ...
and
Normans The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; ; ) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and locals of West Francia. The Norse settlements in West Franc ...
. Blessington was previously called ''Munfine'', and in the medieval period was part of the lordship of Threecastles; Threecastles Castle is a three-storey tower house situated 5 km from Blessington, which was most likely built by Gerald Fitzgerald,
Lord Deputy of Ireland The Lord Deputy was the representative of the monarch and head of the Irish executive (government), executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and then the Kingdom of Ireland. He deputised prior to 1523 for the Viceroy of Ireland ...
, or his son Sir James Fitzgerald. The abandoned medieval village of Burgage More is just south of Blessington town. It was an ecclesiastical settlement and is the site of a ruined tower house and church. A granite high cross named St. Mark's Cross was erected there in the 12th century beside a holy well. The cross was moved from Burgage More to Burgage Cemetery in the 20th century due to the construction of the
Poulaphouca Reservoir Poulaphouca Reservoir, officially Pollaphuca (), is an active reservoir (for both water supply and electricity generation) and area of wild bird conservation in west County Wicklow, Ireland named after the Poulaphouca waterfall on its south-wes ...
and rising water levels.


Early modern history

In 1667, Michael Boyle,
Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland (, ; , ) is a Christian church in Ireland, and an autonomy, autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the Christianity in Ireland, second-largest Christian church on the ...
Archbishop of Dublin The Archbishop of Dublin () is an Episcopal polity, archiepiscopal title which takes its name from Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Since the Reformation in Ireland, Reformation, there have been parallel apostolic successions to the title: ...
and
Lord Chancellor of Ireland The Lord High Chancellor of Ireland, commonly known as the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, was the highest ranking judicial office in Ireland until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. From 1721 until the end of 1800, it was also the hi ...
, bought the lordship, previously the property of the Cheevers, for £1,000. Archbishop Boyle received a royal charter to establish the town of Blessington, in the townland of Munfine, as a
borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...
. Construction of
Blessington House Blessington House, Blessington Manor, the Manor House of Blessington, or Downshire House (post-1789) was a large estate house in Blessington, County Wicklow, Ireland built in 1673, and destroyed during the 1798 Rebellion. It was never rebuilt. ...
was begun in 1673 and afterwards St Mary's Church on Main Street, which was completed in 1683. On Archbishop Boyle's death in December 1702, his son, The 1st Viscount Blesington, inherited the Blessington Estate. Lord Blessington's son, Charles, 2nd Viscount Blesington, died in June 1732 without an heir, and the estate was inherited by his sister Anne, then her son, The 1st Earl of Blessington and Baron Stewart. The earl died in August 1769 without an heir and the estate passed to Charles Dunbar, a great-grandson of The 1st Viscount Blessington, who also died heirless in 1778, when the estate passed to The 1st Earl of Hillsborough, whose seat was
Hillsborough Castle Hillsborough Castle is an official British government, government residence in Northern Ireland. It is the official residence of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland,
in Hillsborough,
County Down County Down () is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of and has a population of 552,261. It borders County Antrim to the ...
, a great-great-grandson of Archbishop Boyle. Lord Hillsborough was created as the 1st
Marquess of Downshire Marquess of Downshire is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1789 for Wills Hill, 1st Earl of Hillsborough, a former Secretary of State. Hill had already been created Earl of Hillsborough and Viscount Kilwarlin of County Down ...
in August 1789. The Hills held the estate until 1908. The main road of the town is an example of a planned improvement of towns and villages associated with estates in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Arthur Hill, the 3rd Marquess of Downshire commissioned a house to be built for his agent . The building later operated as the Downshire Hotel, until its closure in 2005. The Marquess was also responsible for the construction of several prominent buildings in the town such as the Market House (), Downshire Lodge (), and the Parish schoolhouse ().
Russborough House Russborough House is a Georgian Palladian house between Blessington and Ballymore Eustace near the Blessington Lakes in County Wicklow, Ireland. The house was designed by Richard Castle for Joseph Leeson, 1st Earl of Milltown and built between ...
, situated 5  km south of Blessington, was built by the Leeson family,
Earls of Milltown Earl of Milltown, in the County of Dublin, was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created on 10 May 1763 for the Irish politician Joseph Leeson, 1st Viscount Russborough. He had already been created Baron Russborough, of Russborough in th ...
, and became the home of philanthropist Sir Alfred Beit (1903–1994), before becoming a museum.


20th-century history

During the
Irish Civil War The Irish Civil War (; 28 June 1922 – 24 May 1923) was a conflict that followed the Irish War of Independence and accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State, an entity independent from the United Kingdom but within the British Emp ...
, Blessington became a place of strategic importance for the Anti-Treaty forces who regrouped in the town after defeat in Dublin. It was envisioned that they could use the town as a base from which to link up with other Anti-Treaty fighters to launch a new attack on Dublin in July 1922. However, the plan was hampered by lack of coordination and provisions. The Anti-Treaty forces were quickly dispersed following a skirmish with Free State troops. Above the nearby village of Lacken in the early hours of 18 April 1941, an RAF
Handley Page Hampden The Handley Page HP.52 Hampden is a British twin-engine medium bomber that was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was part of the trio of large twin-engine bombers procured for the RAF, joining the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley and Vickers ...
aircraft (Registration AD730) got lost in bad weather and crashed on Black Hill (Kilbeg) killing its entire crew of four. The airmen were brought to Blessington and buried with full military funerals on 22 April 1941 at St. Mary's Church by order of the Irish Government.
The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It was launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is Ireland's leading n ...
the day after reported that “During the funeral all shops in Blessington were closed and blinds drawn on windows.” A memorial stone was unveiled at the crash site on 18 April 1991.


Modern development

Since the turn of the 21st century, Blessington's population has increased substantially, more than doubling from 2,509 at the 2002 census, to 5,010 by the time of the 2011 census. Population reached 5,611 in 2022. The majority of housing estates were constructed on the western side of the town, off the R410, which is the road to
Naas Naas ( ; or ) is the county town of County Kildare in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In 2022, it had a population of 26,180, making it the largest town in County Kildare (ahead of Newbridge, County Kildare, Newbridge) and the List of urban ar ...
. A new inner bypass has also been opened that alleviates traffic on Main Street to some degree. Infrastructure improvements since 2005 include a playground, fire station, a central retail development, including a
Dunnes Stores Dunnes Stores is an Irish multinational retail chain that primarily sells food, clothes and household wares. It was founded by Ben Dunne (businessman, born 1908), Ben Dunne in 1944. In addition to its main customer base in Ireland, the chain al ...
outlet and a public library (opened in 2006) above it, expansion of a SuperValu supermarket, and addition of an
ALDI Aldi (German pronunciation: ), stylised as ALDI, is the common company brand name of two German multinational family-owned discount supermarket chains operating over 12,000 stores in 18 countries. The chain was founded by brothers Karl and ...
supermarket.


Amenities


Pubs

The town has a number of pubs, namely Hennessy's, Miley's, Murphy's, the West Wicklow House and the Rambler's Rest.


St Mary's Church

St Mary's Church is situated in Market Square, in the middle of the town. It was built around 1683, having been financed by Archbishop Boyle. While most of the church was rebuilt in the 19th century, the tower of this old church remains at the west end. The church is well known in the bell-ringing community for housing the oldest complete set of bells in Ireland. The six bells date to 1682 and were cast by James Bartlet, who was the master founder of
Whitechapel Whitechapel () is an area in London, England, and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in east London and part of the East End of London, East End. It is the location of Tower Hamlets Town Hall and therefore the borough tow ...
at that time. The money for these was also given by Archbishop Boyle. They are still rung twice a week, for Sunday morning service and on Saturday nights, for ringing practice. While it holds the oldest ''peal'' of change-ringing bells in Ireland, the oldest ''bells'' hung for change-ringing in Ireland are found in St Audoen's Church in Dublin city centre. Three of the bells (the 3, 4, and 5 of the 6 bell-peal) date to 1453, and were cast in York.


Poulaphouca Reservoir

Also known locally as the
Blessington Lakes Poulaphouca Reservoir, officially Pollaphuca (), is an active reservoir (for both water supply and electricity generation) and area of wild bird conservation in west County Wicklow, Republic of Ireland, Ireland named after the Poulaphouca waterf ...
, the reservoir was created when the waterfall at
Poulaphouca Poulaphouca, officially Pollaphuca (), is the name of a waterfall and bridge on the River Liffey between County Wicklow and County Kildare. It is primarily known for its hydroelectric generating station and the associated artificial lake, know ...
on the
River Liffey The River Liffey (Irish language, Irish: ''An Life'', historically ''An Ruirthe(a)ch'') is a river in eastern Ireland that ultimately flows through the centre of Dublin to its mouth within Dublin Bay. Its major Tributary, tributaries include t ...
(which flows from the
Wicklow Mountains The Wicklow Mountains (, archaic: '' Cualu'') form the largest continuous upland area in Ireland. They occupy the whole centre of County Wicklow and stretch outside its borders into the counties of Dublin, Wexford and Carlow. Where the mountai ...
to
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
) was dammed by the ESB for a hydroelectric plant which is still in use today. The valley was flooded and the resulting lakes extend over approximately . A small village called Ballinahown was submerged by the damming of the waterfall, and the remains of roads can still be seen leading down into the lake. In addition to electricity, the lakes also provide water for the locality and the Dublin region as well as provide a leisure resource. There is now a lakeside luxury hotel complex in the Blessington area, with its own helipad, and lakeside facilities which have helped to develop tourism in the area. The lake is also extensively used by boatmen and fishermen, and is a training location for the
Irish Air Corps The Air Corps () is the air force of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Organisationally a military branch of the Defence Forces (Ireland), Defence Forces of Ireland, the Air Corps utilises a fleet of fixed-wing aircraft and rotorcraft to carry out ...
HQ divisions from Baldonnel, 15  km north of Blessington, and also Local Civil Defence Water rescue teams.


Blessington Greenway

The Blessington Greenway is a 6.5  km walking trail that links Blessington with Russborough House. The trail starts in Blessington and leads south to The Avon activity centre at the southern edge of the town where it then follows along the lake shore, crossing a medieval ringfort, and uses the footpath along part of the N81 road before turning back into the forest at Burgage Moyle lane. It then crosses the Valleymount Road ( R758) and makes its way to Russellstown Bay adjacent to Russborough House. A second phase for the greenway, laid out in a planning submission by Wicklow County Council in early 2022, is proposed to expand the trail to include a 33  km loop surrounding the lake, taking in the villages of Lacken,
Valleymount Valleymount ( or ''An Chrois'') is a small village in western County Wicklow, Ireland. The name 'Valleymount' does not appear before 1839. Previously, the village was known as 'the Cross of Ballymore' or simply 'the Cross', with 'cross' referrin ...
and Ballyknockan.


Transport

In 1888, the
Dublin and Blessington Steam Tramway The Dublin and Blessington Steam Tramway (DBST), later the Blessington and Poulaphouca Steam Tramway, operated steam-powered trams between Terenure in Dublin and Blessington in Co. Wicklow from 1888 until 1932. History On Wednesday, August 1, 18 ...
service commenced from
Terenure Terenure (), originally called ''Roundtown'', is a middle class suburb of Dublin in Ireland. It is located in the city's D6 and D6W postal districts. The population of all electoral divisions labelled as Terenure was 17,972 as of the 2022 ce ...
to Blessington via
Tallaght Tallaght ( ; , ) is a southwestern outer suburb of Dublin, Ireland. The central village area was the site of a monastic settlement from at least the 8th century, which became one of medieval Ireland's more important monastic centres. Up to th ...
, linking with the horse trams from the city. This service ended at the end of December 1932 and was replaced with a conventional bus service,
Dublin Bus Dublin Bus () is an Irish State-owned enterprise, state-owned bus operator providing services in Dublin. By far the largest bus operator in the city, it carried 145 million passengers in 2023. It is a subsidiary of CIÉ, Córas Iompair Éireann ...
route 65. Lacking a train station in the town, this service continues to operate as the main public transport connection between Blessington and Dublin city. Blessington is on the N81 national secondary road, and is connected via the R410 regional road with
Naas Naas ( ; or ) is the county town of County Kildare in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In 2022, it had a population of 26,180, making it the largest town in County Kildare (ahead of Newbridge, County Kildare, Newbridge) and the List of urban ar ...
. The latter starts in the south end of the town heading west and proceeds through a natural gap in the hills of Glending Forest and
Eadestown Eadestown (, ; ) is a townland and parish in County Kildare, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is situated on the R410 road (Ireland), R410 Regional road (Ireland), Regional Road south of Naas, between Naas and Blessington, County Wicklow. Eade ...
. The route is treacherous during heavy winter snowfalls, and is sometimes closed in severe conditions. Since August 2021, Blessington has been served by route 884, a Mon-Fri public bus service operated by
TFI Local Link TFI Local Link, or simply Local Link, is a set of local bus services in Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided ...
Kildare South Dublin, which connects the town with Naas and Sallins railway station. The arrivals at the railway station are scheduled to link in with departures to, and arrivals from,
Heuston railway station Heuston Station, ( ; ; formerly Kingsbridge Station) also known as Dublin Heuston, is one of Dublin's largest railway stations and links the capital with the south, southwest and west of Ireland. It is operated by Iarnród Éireann (IÉ), ...
in Dublin.
Dublin Bus Dublin Bus () is an Irish State-owned enterprise, state-owned bus operator providing services in Dublin. By far the largest bus operator in the city, it carried 145 million passengers in 2023. It is a subsidiary of CIÉ, Córas Iompair Éireann ...
route 65, starting at Poolbeg Street in
Dublin City Centre Dublin is the capital and largest city of Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, part of the Wicklow Mountains range. Dublin i ...
, takes approximately 1 hour 15 minutes and passes through
Rathmines Rathmines (; ) is an inner suburb on the Southside (Dublin), Southside of Dublin in Ireland. It begins at the southern side of the Grand Canal of Ireland, Grand Canal and stretches along the Rathmines Road as far as Rathgar to the south, Ranela ...
,
Terenure Terenure (), originally called ''Roundtown'', is a middle class suburb of Dublin in Ireland. It is located in the city's D6 and D6W postal districts. The population of all electoral divisions labelled as Terenure was 17,972 as of the 2022 ce ...
,
Templeogue Templeogue is a southwestern suburb of Dublin in Ireland. It lies between the River Poddle and River Dodder, and is about halfway from Dublin's centre to the mountains to the south. Geography Location Templeogue is from Dublin city centre t ...
,
Tallaght Tallaght ( ; , ) is a southwestern outer suburb of Dublin, Ireland. The central village area was the site of a monastic settlement from at least the 8th century, which became one of medieval Ireland's more important monastic centres. Up to th ...
, and Brittas on its way to Blessington. A limited number of daily services on route 65 are also extended to Ballyknockan and
Ballymore Eustace Ballymore Eustace () is a small town situated in County Kildare in Republic of Ireland, Ireland, although until 1836 it lay within an exclave of County Dublin. It lies close to the border with County Wicklow. The town is in a Civil parishes in I ...
. The Ballymore service routes via the N81, as does the Ballyknockan service. Bus Éireann route 132 (Dublin-
Bunclody Bunclody (), formerly Newtownbarry (until 1950), is a small town on the River Slaney in Wexford, Ireland. It is located near the foot of Mount Leinster. Most of the town is in County Wexford; a small area at the north end of town is in Count ...
) routes via
Tallaght Hospital The Tallaght University Hospital () is a teaching hospital in County Dublin, Ireland. Its academic partner is the Trinity College Dublin. It is managed by Dublin Midlands Hospital Group. History The hospital, which was designed by Robinson Kee ...
, Blessington,
Baltinglass Baltinglass, historically known as Baltinglas (), is a town in south-west County Wicklow, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located on the River Slaney near the border with County Carlow and County Kildare, on the N81 road (Ireland), N81 road ...
and
Rathvilly Rathvilly () is a village, civil parish and townland in County Carlow, Ireland. The village is on the River Slaney, near the border with County Wicklow and County Kildare, from Tullow and from Baltinglass. It is also on the N81 national sec ...
en route to Bunclody. One journey is extended weekly to
Wexford Wexford ( ; archaic Yola dialect, Yola: ''Weiseforthe'') is the county town of County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the ...
and
Rosslare Europort Rosslare Europort () is a modern seaport located at Rosslare Harbour in County Wexford, Ireland, near the southeasternmost point of the island of Ireland. The port is the primary Irish port serving the European Continent with 36 direct servi ...
.


Education

The town and its hinterlands are served by several primary schools and one secondary school. The local primary schools include St Mary's National School, 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 ...
national school, which comprises St Mary's Junior National School (infants to 2nd class) and St Mary's Senior National School (3rd to 6th class). As of 2019, the combined coeducational school(s) had over 600 pupils enrolled. The local
Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland (, ; , ) is a Christian church in Ireland, and an autonomy, autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the Christianity in Ireland, second-largest Christian church on the ...
national school is known as Blessington Number 1 National School, and had approximately 200 pupils enrolled in 2018. (School of the Lakes) is a
gaelscoil A Gaelscoil (; plural: ''Gaelscoileanna'') is an Irish language- medium school in Ireland: the term refers especially to Irish-medium schools outside the Irish-speaking regions or Gaeltacht. Over 50,000 students attend Gaelscoileanna at primary a ...
which was founded in 2006 to cater for those in the area who wished to educate their children primarily through the
Irish language Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous ...
. As of 2022, it had 169 pupils enrolled. A nearby
Educate Together Educate Together () is an educational charity in Republic of Ireland, Ireland which is the patron body to "equality-based, co-educational, child centred, and democratically run" schools. It was founded in 1984 to act as the patron body for the ...
national school was founded in 2006 on the site of a long-standing school and has a large sports field. The only secondary school in Blessington, Blessington Community College, is on the Naas Road and had an enrolment (in 2022) of 584.


Notable people

Former or current residents of the town have included: *
Bobbi Arlo Jennifer O'Brien (born 1997/1998), known professionally as Bobbi Arlo, is an Irish singer-songwriter. Early life Born in the Coombe Hospital, Arlo is originally from Blessington in County Wicklow and studied at Blessington Community Colleg ...
, singer * Sir Alfred Lane Beit (1903–1994), British Conservative Party
politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...
, art collector,
philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...
, honorary Irish citizen, and owner of
Russborough House Russborough House is a Georgian Palladian house between Blessington and Ballymore Eustace near the Blessington Lakes in County Wicklow, Ireland. The house was designed by Richard Castle for Joseph Leeson, 1st Earl of Milltown and built between ...
.Diaries will stay secret 'to protect the Queen'
— ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'', 11 September 2006
National Gallery of Ireland
National Gallery of Ireland The National Gallery of Ireland () houses the national collection of Irish and European art. It is located in the centre of Dublin with one entrance on Merrion Square, beside Leinster House, and another on Clare Street, Dublin, Clare Street. It ...
website, Retrieved 26 November 2006.
*
Gerald Boland Gerald Boland (25 May 1885 – 5 January 1973) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as Minister for Justice (Ireland), Minister for Justice from 1939 to 1948 and 1951 to 1954, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, ...
(1885–1973), Irish
Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil ( ; ; meaning "Soldiers of Destiny" or "Warriors of Fál"), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party (), is a centre to centre-right political party in Ireland. Founded as a republican party in 1926 by Éamon de ...
politician who briefly commanded the 3rd South Dublin Brigade in Blessington. *
Jack Boothman John Henry "Jack" Boothman (12 October 1935 – 10 May 2016) was the 31st president of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) between 1994 and 1997. He was an active member of his local Blessington GAA club in County Wicklow. He was chairman of ...
(1935–2016), 31st
president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
of the
Gaelic Athletic Association The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sports, amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional Irish sports o ...
(GAA) between 1994 and 1997. * Elizabeth Grant (1797–1885), Scottish
diarist A diary is a writing, written or audiovisual Memorabilia, memorable record, with discrete entries arranged by Calendar date, date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. Diaries have traditionally been handwriti ...
and
lady of the manor Lord of the manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England and Norman England, referred to the landholder of a historical rural estate. The titles date to the English Feudalism, feudal (specifically English feudal barony, baronial) system. The ...
of
Baltyboys House Baltyboys House, also known as Boystown House, is an 18th-century Georgian architecture, Georgian country house close to Blessington, County Wicklow, Ireland. Baltyboys House is a mansion built in the Georgian architecture, Georgian style. The ...
.Christine Lodge, ‘Smith , Elizabeth (1797–1885)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 200
accessed 24 November 2017
/ref> * Josh Gray (born 1997), former member of disbanded six-piece Irish
boy band A boy band is a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their Teenage, teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation. Generally, boy bands perform love songs marketed towards girls and young women. Many boy bands ...
HomeTown (2014–2016) managed by
Louis Walsh Michael Louis Vincent Walsh (born 5 August 1952) is an Irish music manager and television personality. He has managed Johnny Logan (singer), Johnny Logan, Boyzone, Jedward and Westlife, four of Ireland's most successful pop acts in the 1990s an ...
. *
John Lackey John Derran Lackey (born October 23, 1978) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 2002 through 2017 for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and Ch ...
, Irish
road racing cyclist Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most comm ...
, cycle sport administrator and
Tour of Ireland The Tour of Ireland ( Irish: Turas na hÉireann, known from 1985 to 1992 as the Nissan Classic) was a bicycle stage race held in August, which ran for 35 editions over a 56-year period. Irish rider Seán Kelly recorded the most wins, four. T ...
race director. * Frank McCann, Blessington publican convicted of the murder of his wife Esther and eighteen-month-old foster-daughter Jessica in September 1992. *
Kevin McClory Kevin O'Donovan McClory (8 June 1924 – 20 November 2006) was an Irish screenwriter, film producer, and film director. McClory was best known for producing the James Bond film '' Thunderball'' and for his legal battles with the character's cre ...
(1924–2006), Irish screenwriter, film producer, and film director who produced the
James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...
film '' Thunderball''. * Lorenzo Moore (1808–1894), noted
Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
clergyman in
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
, who was born in Blessington. * Dr. Patrick Purcell, owner of the car which was linked to the killing of Lizzie O'Neill in June 1925. *
Louise Quinn Louise Catherine Quinn (born 17 June 1990) is an Irish former professional footballer who played as a centre back. At club level Quinn began her senior career with Peamount United, captaining the club to the inaugural 2011–12 Women's Natio ...
(born 1990),
Republic of Ireland national football team The Republic of Ireland Men's national football team () represents the Republic of Ireland in men's international Association football, football. It is governed by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI). The team made their debut at the Ir ...
player. *
Isaac Sharp Isaac Sharp (1681–1735) was an early New Jersey settler, politician, judge and Colonel of the militia. Early life and family Born January 13, 1681, in Dublin, Ireland, Isaac Sharp was the eldest surviving son of Anthony Sharp, a Dublin merchant ...
(1681–1735), early
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
settler, politician and judge who settled in
Salem County, New Jersey Salem County is the westernmost county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its western boundary is formed by the Delaware River, and it has the eastern terminus of the Delaware Memorial Bridge, which connects the county with New Castle, Delaw ...
and originally named the area Blessingtown after his home town. *
Dame Ninette de Valois Dame Ninette de Valois (born Edris Stannus; 6 June 1898 – 8 March 2001) was an Irish-born British dancer, teacher, choreographer, and director of classical ballet. Most notably, she danced professionally with Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, ...
(née Edris Stannus) (1898–2001), Irish-born British
dancer Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
,
choreographer Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which Motion (physics), motion or Visual appearance, form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A chor ...
, and director of
classical ballet Classical ballet is any of the traditional, formal styles of ballet that exclusively employ classical ballet technique. It is known for its aesthetics and rigorous technique (such as en pointe, pointe work, turnout (ballet), turnout of the legs, ...
who spent her childhood at Baltiboys near Blessington. *
Brian Warfield Patrick Brian Warfield (born 2 April 1946, Holles Street, Dublin) is the vocalist, banjo, harp and bodhrán player and lead songwriter with long-standing Irish band The Wolfe Tones. Brian introduces many of the songs at the Wolfe Tones live con ...
(born 1946), vocalist,
banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and in modern forms is usually made of plastic, where early membranes were made of animal skin. ...
,
harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...
, and
bodhrán The bodhrán (, ; plural ''bodhráin'') is a frame drum used in Irish music ranging from in diameter, with most drums measuring . The sides of the drum are deep. A Goatskin (material), goatskin head is tacked to one side (synthetic heads or ot ...
player and lead songwriter with Irish band
The Wolfe Tones The Wolfe Tones are an Irish rebel music band that incorporate Irish traditional music in their songs. Formed in 1963, they take their name from Theobald Wolfe Tone, one of the leaders of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, with the double meaning ...
.


See also

* KnockanStockan * List of towns and villages in Ireland * Market Houses in Ireland * Seefin Passage Tomb * Threecastles Castle


References


Further reading

* ''The Four Stone Tree: a history of Blessington'' by Vincent Byrne (self-published, 2003) * ''The Blessington Estate 1667-1908'' by Kathy Trant (Anvil Books, 2004)


External links


Blessington & District Forum WebsiteBlessington Parish Website
{{Authority control Towns and villages in County Wicklow Townlands of County Wicklow Civil parishes of County Wicklow Planned communities in the Republic of Ireland Former boroughs in the Republic of Ireland