A WALK ALONG RAVENSWELL ROAD – THE RIVER DARGLE IN BRAY
In August 2019 an agreement was reached with all parties regarding the opening of the underpass between Ravenswell and Bray harbour. The cycle path through the Harbour and under the rail bridge was a condition of planning permission for the new schools and was funded by the NDFA under the schools building program.
As you can the path is a bit rough and ready and when I visited the harbour area I had difficulty locating the pathway.
The River Dargle is a river that rises in the Wicklow Mountains, Ireland on the southern slopes of Tonduff 642 metres (2,106 ft). It flows down the Glensoulan hanging valley, to fall over the 121 metres (397 ft) Powerscourt Waterfall. The Dargle then flows through the Glencree valley where it is fed by the River Glencree, before flowing east for a further 13 km (8.1 mi) where a small tributary the Swan River joins opposite the People’s Park, Little Bray. The final section 1 km (0.62 mi) section reaches the Irish Sea at Bray Harbour. The river’s name in Irish refers to the tint of red in the rocks at its source.
Sir Walter Scott visited the area in 1825 and mistakenly assumed that Dargle was the name for any glen, etc. He used the word in his novel Redgauntlet seven years later: Glen, nor dargle, nor mountain, nor cave, could hide the puir hill-folk.
In 1838 the eminent judge Philip Cecil Crampton, who lived at St. Valery House, by the Dargle, became a supporter of the temperance movement: to show his fidelity to the cause, he emptied the entire contents of his wine cellar into the river.
The folk song Waxies’ Dargle makes an indirect reference to the river. Non-religious holidays in Dublin – especially tradesmens’ days off – were traditionally referred to as a “Dargle Days” (from the habit of the Irish upper classes, of travelling off to the banks of the Dargle, to picnic and engage in field sports such as tennis, on such days). The “Waxie’s Dargle”, on the other hand, is a humorous reference to the annual outing of the Dublin shoe-makers and repairers (who were known as “Waxies”, from their habit of periodically running a ball of wax along the string as they stitched) to Irishtown on the River Dodder.
I had a business in Bray in the 1970s but in 1979 I got the opportunity to join Memorex in Santa Clara.
I really enjoyed my time in Bray and I try to visit a few times a year however I could be two years since I last visited.
The town is situated on the east coast to the south of County Dublin. Shankill, County Dublin lies to the north, and Greystones, County Wicklow to the south. The village of Enniskerry lies to the west of the town, at the foot of the Wicklow Mountains. People participate in such sports as sailing, rowing, and swimming. The beach and seafront promenade are used by residents and visitors. While Bray’s promenade and south beach is to a Blue Flag standard, the north beach has been impacted by erosion and leaching pollution since the closure and sale of a municipal landfill in the late 20th century.
The River Dargle which enters the sea at the north end of Bray rises from a source near Djouce, in the Wicklow Mountains. Bray Head is situated at the southern end of the Victorian Promenade with paths leading to the summit and along the sea cliffs. The rocks of Bray Head are a mixture of greywackes and quartzite. There is a large cross at the summit.
Earlier this year it was announced that the Bray Harbour area will be upgraded in the coming years as a sum of €7.14 million is allocated for its regeneration, via the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF).
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