"O Wicklow of Silver waters, Wicklow mountains tall, In all the world I have journeyed around There is nowhere like you at all," The gravitational pull of the moon is weakest at the equator and strongest for Wicklow men and woman, world wide round Glendalough, Avoca and Glen of the Downs. Baltinglass won the ALl-Ireland Club Champioship in 1990 Rathnew were Leinsters Champions in 2001 Ronnie Delaney from Hillview, Ferrybank Arklow won the Gold Medal 1500 metres in Melbourne in December 1956 De Valera spent his honeymoon in the Woodenbridge Hotel Mrs Byrne Mother of Billy weighed gold nuggets from the Goldmine valley in Callaghans Chemist Shop in the early thirties. Frank O'Connor the famous Cork short story writer, lived at Lynduff House Woodenbridge in the early fifties. The Avoca River wends along the boundaries of the Woodenbridge Golf Club and it is also bounded by the Ballyarthur woods. Billy Byrne resided in a house called Hazeldene Ferrybank it had been the former home of Captain Kearon ( Pintail Kearon) before his time, Captain Kearon having lost his life on the schooner Julia in February 1931. It is said his ghost is friendly and can still be heard walking across the gravel patch. Mellows Avenue Houses were built around 1933-34 and John Kenny from Ballyanttin, Bill Lee Parnell Terrace, Jim McDonald, and JAmes Russell Mellows Avenue worked on the building site. A garden party was held at Glenart in 1897 In 1989 a Pet Cemetery was opened at Glencree Rd Co Wicklow Powerscourt Garden also had a graveyard for their dogs and each had a plaque put upon them. Arklow was divided into two parts the Upper town and the Fishery. And some of the local superstion's were 1- Don't Put your bed under a window or facing a door 2- After Childbirth a woman was not supposed to put her hands in dough to make bread until she was Churched 3- On All Souls Night they swept the hearth, built up the fire and left a glass of water on the table, and no water was thrown out for return of the souls. Down at the fishery the houses had half doors to keep the children in and most of the houses you stepped down into them. There were no babies cots then, the child was kept in the heat of the mothers body in a short woolen shawl tied at the back for at least 6 months. Most of the women were called by their maiden name or a nick name. It is said the Doctor called and when he asked for the lady by her Mrs ?? name, the woman didnt know of her, and it came about she had resided beside her all her married life, but had only known her by her nick name. The girls and boys courting was done sitting in a window sill, under the watchfull eye of mother, then the boy went to see to get the price of her it is said, when he returned with enough money he paid for the wedding and they were wed, generally spending a day off at the Seven Churches, the groom eventually going off to sea and leaving the bride in her parents home until such times he could afford one their own. The big yard where the Pottery used to be ( gone now like a lot of other things in Arklow) was where they trained the Navy Reserves. There was a bachelor who lived at Tinahask down at the Fishery, walked one girl for 15 years untils she died, and another for 10 years and when the Priest asked him why he didnt marry, he said, "women were troublesome things to have on the floor". You could go to the Matinee at McGowans for a Penny every Saturday. Herrings were the life blood of the fishery, and they sold for 5s. a cran four baskets to a cran. Cheers Cara