Welcome to Newtownmountkennedy at the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains on the main route from Dublin to Wexford. The town has the longest place name in Ireland. The Gaelic name ‘Baile an Chinnédigh means ‘Town of the Kennedys’.
[Online Text Updated Feb 2021 –
The town, known as Newtown well before the Kennedys came along, was a small settlement, on what is now known as the Altidore river. It was one of many ‘newtown’s all over Ireland. The first example of the name Newtownmountkennedy is in the early 1670s. The last male Kennedy owner of Mount Kennedy died in 1710.
Robert Kennedy was created a baronet in 1665, and his land made the manor of Mount Kennedy. His son, Richard, was the second baronet, and he was indeed the Second Baron of the Exchequer, which means he was the junior judge of that court. (There were 5 judges on that bench.)
Lord Rossmore, aka Gen. Robert Cunningham, was the later owner of Mount Kennedy, from 1769 until his death in 1801].
The town has grown rapidly in recent years with new housing, two hotels, several golf courses and a business park being developed. Today Newtownmountkennedy is a hub for recreational activities. The river walk, adjacent woodland and the nearby East Coast Nature Reserve attract many visitors. The town is a gateway to Wicklow Mountains National Park and the Monastic City of Glendalough with many spectacular drives and walks.