WICKLOW, a county of Ireland in the province of Leinster, bounded east by St. George's Channel, north by the county of Dublin, south by Wexford and west by Carlow and Kildare. The area is 500,216 ac. or about 782 sq. miles. Pop. (1926) 57,583. The coast is very dangerous of approach owing to sandbanks. The harbour at Wicklow has a considerable trade; but that of Arklow is suitable only for small vessels. The central portion of the county is occupied by a granitic mountain range, running from north-east to south-west, the highest summits being Kippure (2,473 ft.), Duff Hill (2,364), Table Mountain (2,416) and Lug naquilla (3,039). The range rises from the north by a succession of ridges intersected by deep glens, and subsides towards the borders of Wexford and Carlow. To the north its foothills enter co. Dublin, and add attraction to the southern residential outskirts of the capital. The water-supply of Dublin is obtained from an artificial lake on the first plateau of the foothills at Roundwood.
In the valleys there are many instances of old river terraces, especially at the lower end of Glenmalure and the lower end of Glendalough.. Among the more famous of the glens are Glen dalough, Dargle, Glencree, Glen of the Downs, Devil's Glen, Glen malure and the beautiful vale of Avoca or Ovoca. The principal rivers are the Liffey, on the north-western border; the Vartry, which passes through Devil's Glen to the sea north of Wicklow Head ; the Avoninore and the Avonbeg, which unite at the "meet ing of the waters" to form the Avoca, which is afterwards joined by the Aughrim and falls into the sea at Arklow; and the Slaney, in the west of the county, passing southwards into Carlow. The principal lakes are Loughs Dan, Bray and Tay or Luggelaw, and the loughs of Glendalough. The trout-fishing is generally fair.
Wicklow was not made a county until 1606. It was the last Irish ground shired, for in this mountainous district the Irish were long able to preserve independence. Wicklow sided with the royal cause during the Cromwellian wars, but on Cromwell's advance submitted to him without striking a blow. During the rebellion of 1798 there were skirmishes at Aughrim and at Arklow.
Of the ancient cromlechs there are three of some interest, one near Enniskerry, another on the summit of Lugnaquilla and a third at Donaghmore. The ruins in the vale of Glendalough, known as the "seven churches," including a round tower, owe their origin to St. Kevin, who lived in the vale as a hermit, and is reputed to have died in 618. Of the old fortalices or strongholds those of
special interest are Black Castle, near Wicklow, originally founded by the Norman invaders, but taken by the Irish in 1301, and afterwards rebuilt by William Fitzwilliam ; the scattered remains of Castle Kevin, the stronghold of the O'Tooles, by whom it was probably originally built in the 12th century; and the ruins of the castle of the Ormondes at Arklow, founded by Theobald Fitz Walter (d. 1285), and demolished by Cromwell in 1649, and now containing within the interior of its ruined walls a constabulary barrack. The mansion of Powers-court occupies the site of an old fortalice founded by De la Poer, one of the knights who landed with Strongbow ; in the reign of Henry VIII. it was taken by the O'Tooles and O'Brynes.
The lower land is fertile; and the higher districts, covered with heath and turf, afford good pasturage for sheep. There is a con siderable extent of natural timber as well as artificial plantations. The principal crops of oats and potatoes decrease considerably, but the numbers of sheep, cattle, pigs and poultry are well main tained.
A considerable amount of gold has been extracted from the valley-gravels north of Croghan Kinshela on the Wexford border.
Tinstone has also been found in small quantities. Lead-ore is raised west of Laragh, and the mines in the Avoca valley have been worked for copper, lead and sulphur, the last-named being obtained from pyrite. Paving-setts are made from the diorite at Arklow, and granite is extensively quarried at Ballyknockan on the west side of the mountain-chain.
Owing to its proximity to Dublin and its accessibility from England, the portions of the county possessing scenic interest have been opened up to great advantage. Bray in the north is a seaside resort. Inland tourist centres are Enniskerry, west of Bray, and near the pass of the Scalp; Laragh, near Glendalough, from which a military road runs south-west across the hills below Lugnaquilla; and, on the railway south of Wicklow, Rathdrum, Woodenbridge in the Vale of Avoca and Aughrim.
The Great Southern railway skirts the coast by way of Bray and the town of Wicklow, touching it again at Arklow, with a branch line from Woodenbridge junction to Shillelagh. Another branch from Sallins (Co. Kildare) skirts the west of the county by Baltinglass.
The administrative county of Wicklow returns three members to Dail Eireann.