Wicklow-A strange county??

road_high

I work in south west Wicklow close to the Carlow/Wexford border. I love co. Wicklow I have to say but just making a general observation (I don't live there, just work); the sense of "county" is far less than my home of Kilkenny, or for that matter Wexford. People in the are seem to gravitate towards Carlow or Enniscorthy for example. It's the same over in Baltinglas and Blessington areas; people tend to gravitate again towrds Carlow, Naas for shopping, socialising etc.
Maybe it's because GAA i not so strong as other counties. Also the fact that the mountains divide it so. I mean, it would be far easier to get from Baltinglass to kilkenny than say from there to Wicklow Town or Bray, the so-called "capitals" of co. Wicklow. Just an observation on my part

BeardyGit

You've way too much time on your hands if this is what you're pondering tonight.

Wicklow's a savage county, with incredible pride and a great social fabric, centered largely on looking after your neighbours (for the most part). I moved to Wicklow from Dublin, so I look at things here with an outsiders perspective, and can see so many great things about this county and how its inhabitants and locals treat each other. People buy locally, support locally etc., rather than just acting like a bunch of economic migrants, spending their money outside their home towns and county....

From Bray to Greystones through Kilcoole and on down through Arklow, back past rathdrum, through Avoca, and on out....the Glen of Imaal, Glenmalure, Roundwood....jeeebus, the list goes on. People look after their own communities, businesses and neighbours. Blessington and Baltinglass are ruined with Dubs who haven't twigged this yet and insist on doing their shopping in Naas on the way to the Outlet in Kildare or up the Sqwayore....

I don't know what you see as strange about that. Maybe unusual in this day and age, but in my books, that makes Wicklow and it's people truly great.

road_high

No, no I love Wicklow too, i was just raising the observation that different parts of the county tend to gravitate towrds neighbouring ones as I pointed out. No offence intended! There is hardly a nicer place in Ireland than Glendalough

SarahMc

I think you are absolutely right OP. I think there are a number of factors, the geographical divide (mountains), lack of public transport linking east and west, no great GAA history, history of commuting to work in neighbouring counties.

IME, Blessington looks towards Dublin, as does Bray, Baltinglass towards Naas, Shillelagh towards Carlow etc.

Judgement Day

Hello George is your surname Troll by any chance?