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| WICKLOW TOWN, CO. WICKLOW. -It is quite probable that Wicklow town, sketched above, was first settled by the invading Norsemen, as it is called, in old writings, Wykinglo, Wygyngelo, and Wykinlo, all of which bear a strong resemblance to the Norse word Viking. The original Gaelic name of the place was Cill-Maaintain, or Killmantan, meaning St. Mantan's church, which obtained its title from the founder thereof -a holy man who had the misfortune to lose his front teeth by the blow of a stone, hurled at him by pagan natives when St. Patrick and his companions essayed to land in Wicklow. Mantan, in Irish, means "the toothless," and the nickname Mantach is applied in Irish-speaking districts at the present day to any person destitute of incisors. Remains of the original Franciscan Monastery are still shown in Wicklow, but it was not the sacred edifice constructed by St. Mantan, although it probably occupied its site. The Monastery, or Friary, was built by the pious chiefs of the O'Tuhills and O'Byrnes in the reign of the third Henry of England, and remained in Irish hands until the latter portion of the reign of Elizabeth. The town is handsomely built and stands on the side of a hill above the river Varry, near where it enters the bay. It is a great summer resort and possesses several good hotels. A sea-shore meadow, called the Murrough, is a favorite promenade. |
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