Enniskerry

Enniskerry (Irish: Áth na Sceire, meaning "Rugged Ford") is a village located in County Wicklow, Ireland, with a population of 2,672 according to the 2006 census. The town is situated on the Glencullen River in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains to the east of the island, some 24 km (15 mi) south of Dublin. The R117 road, colloquially known as "The Twenty-One Bends" connects the town to the main N11 road to Dublin. The 185 Dublin Bus route connects the village hourly to Bray, the nearest large town. With Ireland's booming economy and with such advantages as mountainous scenery and the nearby Powerscourt Estate, the village has extremely active tourist and property markets. This success has not been without its downsides; the boom in the property markets has led to pressure on Enniskerry's local environment, ecology, heritage and infrastructure. The Protestant population of the village attended church in the grounds of the Powerscourt Demesne until 1859. Mervyn Wingfield, 7th Viscount Powerscourt built a new church, Saint Patrick's, in the village which was completed two years later in 1861. This coincided with an extensive renovation programme that also established the Italian gardens at Powerscourt. The Viscount Powerscourt claimed the old church following the passage of the Disestablishment of the Irish Church Act 1869. The consequences were that only those with a right to be buried next to the old church within the Demesne could claim these rights thereafter.^[1] The Viscount Powerscourt also closed a Catholic graveyard within the Demesne and provided 2 acres (8,100 m²) for a new graveyard at Curtlestown. Powerscourt Estate, comprising a large house and gardens today occupying 47 acres (190,000 m²), is located near the town and is a popular visitor attraction. The extensive formal gardens form the grounds of an 18th century Palladian house, designed by Richard Cassels, which was destroyed by fire in 1974, and lay as a shell until extensive restorations were carried out in 1996. Powerscourt Waterfall in the grounds of the estate, at 121 metres, is the highest waterfall in Ireland. Source: Wikipedia