Goresbridge

Goresbridge

*An Droichead Nua*
Goresbridge An Droichead Nua
Town
	Goresbridge over the River Barrow
	Etymology: Named after Gores' Bridge
	Goresbridge Location in Ireland
	Coordinates: 52°37′47″N 6°59′39″W / 52.6297°N 6.9942°W
Country	Ireland
Province	Leinster
County	County Kilkenny
Barony	Gowran
Government
• Type	County Council
• Body	Kilkenny County Council
• Dáil constituency	Carlow–Kilkenny
• European Parliament	Ireland South
Population (2011)
• Total	361
Time zone	UTC±00:00 (GMT (WET))
• Summer (DST)	UTC+01:00 (IST (WEST))
Irish Grid Reference	S 69 54
Website	www.kilkennycoco.ie

Goresbridge (Irish: An Droichead Nua, meaning 'The New Bridge'^[3]^[4]) is a small village located in the east of County Kilkenny, in the province of Leinster, Ireland. Goresbridge is named after a 1756 bridge, built by Colonel Ralph Gore, which provides a crossing of the River Barrow between County Kilkenny and County Carlow in the South-East region.

Located 2.75 miles (4.43 km) from Gowran on the R702 (Kilkenny−Enniscorthy) regional road, and approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of Kilkenny.^[5]

Part of the civil parish is Grangesilvia^[6] which is in the barony of Gowran.^[4] Charles II granted Arthur Gore the townland of Barrowmount. The Battle of Goresbridge occurred there in June 1798.^[7]

The population according to the 2011 census was 361.^[2] The local authority is Kilkenny County Council. Goresbridge gives its name to an electoral division.^[8]

History

Goresbridge was located in historic Gaelic kingdom of Ossory (Osraige). Following the Williamite–Jacobite War, Charles II gave grants of land which had been forfeited by the Roman Catholic owners.^[5]^[9]^{[clarification needed]}

Arthur Gore obtained a grant of land, the townland of Barrowmount in parish of Grangesilvia, from Charles II,^[5]^[9] and by the end of the 17th century the Gore family were well established.^[9]

Goresbridge^[10] was named for the family and the New Bridge built in 1756 by Colonel Ralph Gore.^[5]^[9] On the 1846 OSI map of Ireland the village is referred to it as Newbridge.

Gore's Bridge

Gore's Bridge has nine-arch granite bridge crossing of the River Barrow between County Kilkenny and County Carlow. Built in 1756 by Colonel Ralph Gore the Earl of Ross.^[7]

This mid-eighteenth-century elegantly-composed landmark was built using unrefined Carlow granite.^[7] It represents an important element of civil engineering and transport heritage^[7] and formed a vital link between the two counties.^[5]

Battle of Goresbridge

The Battle of Goresbridge occurred during the Irish Rebellion on 23 June 1798 at Gore's Bridge.^[5]^[7] During the Wexford Rebellion, and just days Battle of Vinegar Hill, Wexford insurgents attempted to use the Gore's Bridge.

The locally stationed Wexford Militia^[5] were defeated, they lost their cavalry,^[5] twenty eight soldiers were captured, and the rest fled to Kilkenny.^[5] There is a carved granite memorial adjacent to the bridge.^[5]

Transport

Goresbridge railway station opened on 26 October 1870, closed for passenger traffic on 26 January 1931 and for goods traffic on 27 January 1947, finally closing altogether on 1 April 1963.^[11] Kilbride Coaches services Goresbridge from Graiguenamanagh or Kilkenny twice a day, except Sundays^[12]