Local time Wednesday 3:57 AM | Province Leinster | |
Weather 10°C, Wind S at 13 km/h, 95% Humidity | ||
Stratford-on-Slaney (Irish: Áth na Sráide, meaning "Ford of the Street"), also known as Stratford or Stratford-upon-Slaney, is a small village on the River Slaney in west County Wicklow in Ireland.
Contents
Map of Stratford-on-Slaney, Co. Kildare, Ireland
History
Stratford was founded by the Irish Stratfords in 1775 (and specifically by Edward Stratford, 2nd Earl of Aldborough), as a model cotton producing town. As well as the cotton mill the town included a hospital, Catholic, Protestant and Presbyterian churches and 14 Taverns. Despite huge investment, the industrial venture failed and Stratford practically disappeared following the demise of the cotton industry. In 1837, before the Great Famine, the village had a population of 3,000
The population has remained constant at approximately 200 over the past number of decades. Its streets are wide in a cross shaped layout. The village has panoramic views of the Wicklow Mountains form its hillside elevation 600 ft above sea level. The village has been Wicklow’s most tidy village on numerous occasions over the years and represented Ireland in a European wide floral competition.
Samuel Lewis' description
According to Samuel Lewis' 1837 Topographical Directory of Ireland Stratford was