Editing County Wicklow (section)

==History==
=== Missions and monasteries ===
[[File:Glendalough, Co. Wicklow - 2022.jpg|thumb|left|[[Kevin of Glendalough|Saint Kevin's]] monastery at [[Glendalough]].]]
During the 5th century Saint Palladius, a bishop from Britain or Gaul was sent to 'the Irish believing in Christ.' He and his companions landed at Wicklow harbour in the year 431 AD.<ref name="heritage.wicklowheritage.org">{{Cite web |date=2020-06-12 |title=2. Saint Palladius and the Dunlavin area |url=https://heritage.wicklowheritage.org/new-contributions/saint-palladius-and-the-dunlavin-area |access-date=2024-01-29 |website=County Wicklow Heritage |language=en}}</ref> Palladius founded three ancient churches at Donard, Tigroney and Colbinstown.<ref name="heritage.wicklowheritage.org"/> Along with him came two clerics named St. Sylvester and Solonius who died and were buried at Donard. The local tribe in the area were called Cualann and their chief, a man named Naithi was opposed to these Christian missionaries.<ref name="heritage.wicklowheritage.org"/> Despite this hostility however Palladius seems to have gained support elsewhere as he was able to erect those three churches in the Wicklow area. After a rather unsuccessful stay in the county St. Palladius departed Ireland and journeyed to Scotland.<ref name="heritage.wicklowheritage.org"/>

A large number of early Irish saints male and female founded churches, monasteries and convents in Wicklow. Among them were St. [[Kevin of Glendalough|Kevin]], St. [[Dagán|Dagan]], St. [[Ernan]], St. [[Credan]], St. Baotan and the holy women [[Cainnear (name)|St. Cainnear]], St. Ceoltigherna, St. Fledh, St. Tartinna, St. Coine and St. Croine.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-06-20 |title=Wicklow's Past: Fame and Rivalry of Wicklow's Saints – WicklowNews |url=https://wicklownews.net/2018/06/wicklows-past-fame-and-rivalry-of-wicklows-saints/ |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=wicklownews.net |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Marcella |title=Saint Cróine, January 27 |url=http://www.omniumsanctorumhiberniae.com/2015/01/saint-croine-january-27.html |access-date=2023-03-22 |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Saint Fledh of Ireland - 12 September |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VkwGhOFVYU |access-date=2024-01-29 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Cell Aird {{!}} Monastic Matrix |url=https://arts.st-andrews.ac.uk/monasticmatrix/monasticon/cell-aird |access-date=2024-01-29 |website=arts.st-andrews.ac.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Marcella |title=Saint Coine of Kilkine, April 4 |url=http://www.omniumsanctorumhiberniae.com/2013/04/saint-coine-of-kilkine-april-4.html |access-date=2024-01-29 |language=en-GB}}</ref> The ancient [[monastery]] of [[Glendalough]] is located in the county.

=== 17th century onwards ===
County Wicklow was the last of the traditional counties of Ireland to be shired in [[1606 in Ireland|1606]] from land previously part of counties [[County Dublin|Dublin]] and [[County Carlow|Carlow]]. Established as a distinct county, it was aimed at controlling local groups such as the [[Fiach McHugh O'Byrne|O'Byrnes]]. The ''[[R115 road (Ireland)|Military Road]]'', stretching from [[Rathfarnham]] to [[Aghavannagh]] crosses the mountains, north to south, and was built by government forces to assist them in defeating the rebels still active in the [[Wicklow Mountains]] following the failed [[Irish Rebellion of 1798]].<ref name="niahwicklow">''See'' Philip Smith (writer), ''An Introduction to the Architectural Heritage of County Wicklow.'' Dublin: [[Wordwell Press]] / [[Government of Ireland]], Department of the Environment, Heritage, and Local Government, National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, 2004.</ref> It provided them with access to an area that had been a hotbed of Irish rebellion for centuries. Several barracks to house the soldiers were built along the route; in 1974 the [[Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation]] was opened alongside the remains of Glencree barracks. Battalions of the [[Irish Army]] use firing ranges in County Wicklow for tactical exercises, especially the largest one in the [[Glen of Imaal]] which was previously used by the [[British Army]] prior to independence.<ref>{{cite web |title=Glen of Imaal – Walking Route Closures |publisher=[[Irish Defence Forces]] |date=2022 |url=https://www.military.ie/en/public-information/glen-of-imaal-walking-route-closures/ |access-date=25 September 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Bourke |first=Wesley |title=On the History Trail in the Glen of Imaal |publisher=Irelandsmilitarystory.ie |date=20 June 2020 |url=https://irelandsmilitarystory.ie/category/glen-of-imaal/ |access-date=25 September 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Glen of Imaal |publisher=[[Irish Defence Forces]] |date=2022 |url=https://www.military.ie/ga/faisneis-phoibli/glen-of-imaal/ |access-date=25 September 2022 }}</ref>

There was a brief [[Wicklow gold rush]] in the year 1795 near the village of [[Woodenbridge]] that lasted for a month, during which as many as 80 kilograms of gold was recovered by unlicensed prospectors before the government took over.{{sfn|McArdle|2011|page=22}}

During the [[Cromwellian conquest of Ireland]], local authorities immediately surrendered without a fight. During the Irish Rebellion of 1798, some of the [[Society of United Irishmen|United Irishmen]] insurgents took refuge in the Wicklow Mountains,<ref>{{cite web |last=Godden |first=John |title=The Military Road |publisher=www.glendalough.connect.ie |year=1999 |url=http://www.glendalough.connect.ie/pages/articles/militaryroad/militaryroad.html |access-date=23 March 2023}}</ref> resulting in clashes between British forces and rebels commanded by [[Joseph Holt (rebel)|Joseph Holt]] near Aughrim and later at Arklow.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The ruthless Michael Dwyer |url=https://www.independent.ie/regionals/braypeople/localnotes/the-ruthless-michael-dwyer-27641730.html |date=16 March 2011 |access-date=23 March 2023|publisher=[[Bray People]] |archive-date=23 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211023100844/https://www.independent.ie/regionals/braypeople/localnotes/the-ruthless-michael-dwyer-27641730.html}}</ref>

The boundaries of the county were extended in 1957 by the Local Government Act<ref>{{cite Irish legislation|year=1957|type=prv|number=1|name=Local Government Provisional Order Confirmation Act 1957|access-date=8 February 2022|date=1 July 1957|archive-date=2 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202230824/http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1957/en/act/prv/0001/print.html}}</ref> which "detached lands from the [[County Dublin|County of Dublin]] and from the jurisdiction and powers of the Council of the County of Dublin" near Bray and added them to the County of Wicklow.

=== Irish language ===
Wicklow was the first county in Ireland to lose the [[Irish language]], with only around 2% of people speaking it in the 1770s. It was spoken on the Western slopes of the [[Wicklow Mountains]] in the 1790s. Andrew and Hannah Byrne of [[Glenealy, County Wicklow|Glenealy]], who both died in 1830, were among the last native speakers in the county.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-06-27 |title=The Irish Language in Co. Wicklow |url=https://heritage.wicklowheritage.org/places/county_wicklow_historical_societies/wicklow_historical_society/wicklow_historical_society-2/the_irish_language_in_co_wicklow#:~:text=Andrew%20and%20Hannah%20Byrne%20of,the%20Wicklow%20Mountains%20(13). |access-date=2024-08-30 |website=County Wicklow Heritage |language=en}}</ref>