Cappoquin

Cappoquin
Ceapach Choinn
Town

Main Street Cappoquin
Cappoquin

Location in Ireland

Coordinates: 52°09′N 7°51′W / 52.150°N 7.850°W / 52.150; -7.850Coordinates: 52°09′N 7°51′W / 52.150°N 7.850°W / 52.150; -7.850
Country Ireland
Province Munster
County Waterford
Time zone WET (UTC+0)
  Summer (DST) IST (WEST) (UTC-1)

Cappoquin, also spelt Cappaquin or Capaquin (Irish: Ceapach Choinn, meaning "Choinn's tillage plot"), is a town in west County Waterford, Ireland. It is on the Blackwater river at the junction of the N72 national secondary road and the R669 regional road. It is positioned on a sharp 90-degree bend in the river and nestles at the foot of the Knockmealdown Mountains. It is the birthplace of the poet Thomas McCarthy. Cappoquin is also the birthplace of Michael Cavanagh, a prominent poet, writer, historian and Fenian who was involved in the attack on the constabulary barracks in Cappoquin, soon after which he went to America with fellow rebels, where he often and fondly wrote and spoke of Cappoquin and its inhabitants. Popular local pursuits include Gaelic games, rowing, and fishing.

History

Historical population
YearPop.±%
18211,826    
18312,289+25.4%
18412,341+2.3%
18512,144−8.4%
18611,774−17.3%
18711,526−14.0%
18811,555+1.9%
18911,366−12.2%
19011,214−11.1%
19111,069−11.9%
19261,012−5.3%
19361,038+2.6%
1946912−12.1%
1951826−9.4%
1956758−8.2%
1961806+6.3%
1966785−2.6%
1971872+11.1%
1981950+8.9%
1986920−3.2%
1991829−9.9%
1996780−5.9%
2002756−3.1%
2006740−2.1%
2011759+2.6%
<[1][2][3][4][5]

In the 1980s at Lefanta, just south of the town, 7,000-year-old artifacts were discovered, which evidence some of Ireland's earliest inhabitants. Today the town features include unique scenery, coarse angling and the Glenshelane woodland walk . Rowing is a popular sport on the river. The town is also only a few miles from Mount Melleray and Lismore, County Waterford.

Commerce

Within the towns centre, employment is provided by a variety of shops and businesses typical of a rural Irish town, with businesses like Kelleher's supervalue, Feerick's pharmacy, the post office and Cappoquin credit union. Some of the largest individual local employers are located on the Cappoquin industrial estate, located a half mile into adjoining Le Fanta. Businesses located here include Pat Denn feeds, Calmark Ireland, FBA laboratories Ltd, Glenside woodside design and Paul Flynn hardware, among others. Being surrounded by fertile fields on all sides, farming and agriculture plays an important role in the town, providing employment on farms and orchards scattered around the area. Near Cappoquin is West Waterford Vineyards, an Irish wine producer.

The Local economy has suffered over the years with lack of investment and a brain drain. Cappoquin has lost both local banks as well as local small shops, local pub and local secondary school. As a result a number of buildings within the town have become dilapidated.

Sporting activities

Affane Cappoquin GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Cappoquin, County Waterford, Ireland.[1] The club was formed in 1969 [2] with the merging of Affane GAA and Cappoquin GAA. At present, the team is called Cappoquin when playing hurling and Affane when playing gaelic football. Its finest hour in football came in 1974 when, having beaten Stradbally in the quarter-final and The Nire in the semi-final, Affane defeated Dunhill by 1-8 to 0-6 to win its only Waterford Senior Football Championship title. Affane went on to represent Waterford in the Munster Senior Club Football Championship, losing to Austin Stacks of Kerry. As Cappoquin, the club has reached one Waterford Senior Hurling Championship final, losing to Mount Sion in 1956.[6]

Cappoquin rowing Club is the town's oldest sporting and social organisation, a club with an illustrious history and proud tradition, was founded in 1862 by James M. Moore and John Stanley, assisted by Sir John H. Keane who became the first president of the rowing club. His presidency was invested with significant rowing pedigree as he had captained the Trinity Boat at Cambridge three decades previously and rowed for Cambridge in 1936 when they defeated Oxford.[7] In the 1880s Cappoquin joined with other rowing clubs nationwide to establish the Irish Amateur Rowing Association. This early attempt at forming a national association was to prove merely provisional however, and in 1899 the Irish Amateur Rowing Union was founded. The club continues and found much success nationally and internationally through with the success of both Milo and Patrick Murray during the 1990s and 2000s period. The club continues to nurture new talent.

Railway Athletic FC was founded in 1980 and is situated at Danes Field, Cappoquin.

Buildings of note

Transport

Bus services

Since December 2015 significant improvements to the frequency of the Local Link (formerly known as Déise Link) bus service are in effect. There are now four services a day each way Mondays to Saturdays inclusive to Dungarvan including a commuter service. Connections to Waterford and Rosslare Europort can be made at Dungarvan. In the other direction there are four services to and from Tallow via Lismore. Connections for Fermoy can be made at Tallow.[8] On Saturdays a local bus company operate a service to Cork. On Sundays Bus Éireann route 366 provides one service to Dungarvan and Waterford. This route only operates on Sundays and comprises a single journey in one direction (no return service on any day of the week).[9]

Rail

Cappoquin railway station opened on 12 August 1878, but closed on 27 March 1967.[10] It was located on the now dismantled Waterford to Mallow line and served by the Cork to Rosslare boat train.

The construction of the railway bridge below the river bend was to result in tall-masted schooners being no longer able to pass under what was now known as the 'red bridge'. As compensation for this, a new 'steamers' quay' was constructed just down river.

The station is still extant.[11]

Twinning

Cappoquin is twinned with the town of Chanat-la-Mouteyre in France.

Fairy Ring

Locals believe that a Fairy Ring or Faery Ring is situated by the Ringfort in the woods of Fadduaga (near Cappoquin).

See also

References

  1. Census for post 1821 figures.
  2. http://www.histpop.org
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-02-17. Retrieved 2014-02-09.
  4. Lee, JJ (1981). "On the accuracy of the Pre-famine Irish censuses". In Goldstrom, J. M.; Clarkson, L. A. Irish Population, Economy, and Society: Essays in Honour of the Late K. H. Connell. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press.
  5. Mokyr, Joel; O Grada, Cormac (November 1984). "New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700-1850". The Economic History Review. 37 (4): 473–488. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0289.1984.tb00344.x.
  6. Affane Cappoquin GAA
  7. http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/sports-recreation/sport/cappoquin-rowing-club/
  8. http://www.locallinkwaterford.ie/pdfs/tallowdungarvanfermoymonsat.pdf
  9. http://www.buseireann.ie
  10. "Cappoquin station" (PDF). Railscot - Irish Railways. Retrieved 2007-09-14.
  11. http://eiretrains.com/Photo_Gallery/Railway%20Stations%20C/Cappoquin/IrishRailwayStations.html

Cappoquin 'a window on the past' published by Cappoquin Heritage Group in 2007, printed by Modern Printers, Kilkenny 056-7721739

External links

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