Laragh, County Wicklow Explained

Laragh
Native Name Lang:ga
Settlement Type:Village
Pushpin Map:Ireland
Pushpin Label Position:right
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Ireland
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Ireland
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Name1:Leinster
Subdivision Type3:County
Subdivision Name3:County Wicklow
Unit Pref:Metric
Population As Of:2016
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Urban:342
Population Density Km2:auto
Utc Offset1:+0
Timezone1 Dst:IST (WEST)
Utc Offset1 Dst:-1
Coordinates:53.0092°N -6.2956°W
Elevation M:140
Blank Name:Irish Grid Reference

Laragh (– meaning "the site, or ruins, of a building") is a small village in County Wicklow, Ireland. It lies at the junction of three roads (the R115, R755, and R756) through the Wicklow Mountains and is primarily known for its proximity to the monastic settlement of Glendalough. Sally Gap and the Glenmacnass Waterfall are to the north, to the west is Glendalough and the Wicklow Gap, and to the south is the Glenmalure Valley.

The area is wooded, with the hills and mountains rising directly from the valley, and hill walkers, hikers, and other tourists sometimes use the village – given its closeness to Dublin – as their centre for recreational activities in the mountains. About 5 km from the village, on the Rathdrum road, the Clara Lara FunPark covers an area of some 40 ha. Birdwatchers come here to look for the great spotted woodpecker, Ireland's newest species, which breeds in the area.

Laragh is also sometimes (including on Sunday mornings and lunchtime) used as a meeting and stop-off point for motorcyclists and cyclists following a run over "The Gap" (the R756) before they head on to Rathdrum.

"Laragh" is the name of a fictional sheep station in Western Australia run by the Regan family in Nevil Shute's novel Beyond the Black Stump.

See also

References

  1. Web site: Census 2016 Sapmap Area: Settlements Laragh. Central Statistics Office. 2018-03-29.

External links