Coolgreany.
Coolgreany,
Cul Greine - the sunny corner, nestles in the shadow of Croghan
Mountain, overlooking Tara Hill in the extreme north of County
Wexford. Coolgreany has a very wide main street with pretty little
houses on each side, and is a rare example of a village with no
church of either denomination in it. Back in 1569, in the earliest
reference to the area where the village now stands, it was called
Cowlensmottane, Cuil na Smutam - corner of the tree stumps.
The plantations of North Wexford began in 1610 and the village
of Coolgreany was planned and built to serve the new settlers.
In 1659, there were nine inhabitants, all English, by 1850 the
population was overwhelmingly Irish. The original settlement consisted
of houses on one side of the street only, facing east. Cromwell
passed through Coolgreany on September 29th, 1649 while en route
to Wexford. The area had an Augustinian Friary which had 'Abbey
Lands' in Coolgreany, and several chalybeate springs. The village
became internationally known as a result of the evictions of 1887.
Today,
Coolgreany is best known for its success in handball, which has
been played in the village for over a hundred years. The current
handball alley is being modernised and the village is well worth
a visit.
