Newcastle
Welcome to Newcastle (Caisleán Nua MacFionnegan). The village takes its name from the old Royal Castle. A Bronze Age burial site, a horizontal water mill from c.744 and the finding of a 9th century brooch provide evidence of habitation here over the centuries. Situated on fertile land between the Wicklow Mountains and the Irish Sea, Newcastle continues to thrive and we hope you will enjoy your visit.
Points of Interest in Newcastle
The first church was built on this site in 1189. It was destroyed in the 1641 rebellion but reconstructed in the early 18th century.
This ancient bridge is part of the original main road to Wicklow, the Via Regia. King James II is reputed to have suffered a nose-bleed here on his retreat from the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.
The original castle was built in 1184. It was the centre of administration for Co. Wicklow. The existing Elizabethan fortified manor was built in the second half of the 16th century.
The East Coast Nature Reserve is run by Birdwatch Ireland. As well as being an oasis for birdlife, it has important fen habitats, wet grasslands and birch woodland which are part of the larger Murrough Wetlands.
The railway came to Newcastle in 1855. Near the station is the ruin of the Winding House from where the first underwater telegraph cable from Ireland to Wales was laid in 1886. A stone to commemorate the laying of these cables was installed in 2003.
The Wentworth-Fitzwilliam estate, which is based in Shillelagh, owned Newcastle and the surrounding lands from the mid-17th century. It was responsible for building the cottages, Rockingham and some of the larger houses in the area.
East Coast Nature Reserve has numerous sign-posted walks.
Leabeg Lane and Church Lane provide great views to the sea and quiet walks.
The beach, just one mile down Sea Road, provides excellent walks both northwards towards The Breaches and southwards towards Five Mile Point from where one can return (with caution) to the village by road. The road walk is not advisable for children.