Dunmore East
Template:Short description Template:Use Irish English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox settlement
Dunmore East (Template:Irish place name)<ref name=logainm>Template:Cite web</ref> is a tourist and fishing town in County Waterford, Ireland. Situated on the west side of Waterford Harbour on Ireland's southeastern coast, it lies within the barony of Gaultier (Template:Lang – "land of the foreigner" in Irish);<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> a reference to the influx of Viking and Norman settlers in the area.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
History
Iron Age people established a promontory fort overlooking the sea at Shanoon (referred to in 1832 as meaning the 'Old Camp' but more likely Canon Power's Template:Lang, "Old Cave")<ref name="auto">Template:Citation</ref> at a point known for centuries as Black Nobb, where the old pilot station now stands, and underneath which a cave runs. Henceforth the place was referred to as Template:Lang, meaning the "Great Fort".<ref name="auto"/>
King Henry II granted the knight Heverbricht permission to build a manor at Dunmore East between 1171 and 1189, this was confirmed by King John in 1203. By the early 14th century, much of the manor was owned by the de Boitler and Le Flemming families, the latter becoming embroiled with Robert de Stapleton, the sheriff of Waterford, over possession.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> It is described as the property of Lord Power of Curraghmore.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Template:Circa, Lord Power of Curraghmore, who owned a large amount of property in the area, built a castle on the cliff overlooking the strand about two hundred metres from St. Andrew's Church. The castle was falling into ruin by the 1750s and now just one tower remains.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Better source needed</ref>
The old church of Killea (Template:Lang meaning "Aodh's church")<ref name="auto"/> stands at the top of Killea Hill. This dates from 1203 when the church of St Eoth was granted to Herverbrict of Dunmore<ref>Fewer 1996, 162 Template:Nonspecific</ref> and one wall still stands. It is situated opposite the Roman Catholic church of the Holy Cross.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Better source needed</ref>
In Smith's history of Waterford, the village was mentioned as being a fishing port about the year 1745.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> The fishermen's homes were situated in the Lower Village near the Strand Inn and boats were launched from the slip at Lawlor's Beach before the harbour was built. There is mention of a fleet of fifty fishing boats working from Dunmore East in 1776.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>
In 1812, a decision was made at Westminster to create an entirely new landing point for passengers and the Royal Mail coming to Ireland from London and southern England. The location selected for the erection of a pier was Dunmore East.<ref>Template:Cite journalTemplate:Better source needed</ref> In 1818, significant changes took place when Alexander Nimmo, the Scottish engineer (builder of Limerick's Sarsfield Bridge), commenced work on the new harbour at Dunmore. The work consisted mainly of a large pier or quay with a lighthouse at the end. While Nimmo's original estimate had been £20,000, at the time of his death in 1832 about £93,000 had been spent and the final cost was £108,000.<ref name="living">Template:Cite book</ref> By then (1837), the harbour had started to silt up, and the arrival of steam meant that the winding river could be negotiated easily, so the packet station was transferred to Waterford.<ref>Template:Citation</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The sheltered harbour then constructed meant that Dunmore East was to gradually become an important fishing port.<ref>Template:Cite web W.M. Nixon, Afloat. Retrieved 2 April 2016.</ref> It also then developed into a popular tourist resort and it is now a port of call for large cruise liners visiting the south-east of Ireland. The Haven Hotel, formerly the Villa Marina, was a home built by David Malcomson of the Malcomson family of Portlaw. David Malcomson married Nanette King of Waterford and he brought his new bride to live in their family home at Dunmore East.<ref>Template:CitationTemplate:Isbn missing</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Fisherman's Hall in the village was also built by Nanette Malcomson in memory of her son Joseph who had been a fisherman and died at a relatively young age.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She donated the land for the building and established a deed of trust to build and maintain the hall. On her instructions, no alcohol could be sold or consumed in the Fisherman's Hall. In addition, a fire was to be kept lit to warm and dry any of the fishermen who arrived to read the newspapers which were replenished daily in the reading room which is the present-day library.<ref name="living"/> A 'Blue Plaque' to Nanette Malcomson was unveiled at the Fisherman's Hall in 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Sport
Dunmore East is home to several sporting clubs. Gaultier GAA, which focuses primarily on Gaelic football, is located just outside the village, across the road from Dunmore FC soccer club. Gaultier GAA was founded in 1927 and competes in the Waterford Senior Football Championship as well as catering for over 100 juvenile members.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Dunmore FC, the local association football (soccer) club, was founded in the 1970s initially before being re-established in the early to mid-2000s. Waterford Harbour Sailing Club was founded in 1934<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> has about 250 members and regularly hosts dinghy events.Template:Citation needed
Harbour
The harbour is one of the five designated National Fishery Harbours, and has the second highest figure for fish landings after Killybegs. In the summer months, it is popular with visiting yachts which have a designated pontoon.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A plan was developed in 2005 by Waterford County Council to expand the harbour to accommodate more recreational marine activities. However that plan appears to have been shelved due to lack of funding.Template:Original research inline
The first official woman crew member in a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Lifeboat was based at Dunmore East.
Amish-Mennonite Community
Ireland's only Amish-Mennonite community resides in Dunmore East. The community consists of approximately 100 individuals, including 15 families.Template:Citation needed The community operates several enterprises, including a bakery, a bookshop, a petrol station, and training schools for woodworking, forestry, and animal husbandry. Educationally, the community integrates with the Irish curriculum, with children attending schools that prepare them for the Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate examinations.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Tourism
Tourism in Dunmore East is supported by boating and sailing facilities, holiday homes, traditional pubs, a golf course and several hotels.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The village is home to the Waterford Harbour Sailing Club with dinghy and keelboat sailing and the Dunmore East Adventure Centre. The local golf course is located on the cliff top overlooking the bay.
Dunmore East has a number of seafood restaurants, and there are a number of hotels in Dunmore: The Strand Inn<ref name="living"/> and The Haven Hotel (a former Malcomson property) and the Ocean Hotel.<ref name="living"/> There are also caravan sites catering for motorhomes and touring caravans.
Among the events held in Dunmore East is the annual bluegrass festival which takes place at the end of August.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
A number of tourist walking routes have been opened at Dunmore East.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Trails in the woods, which surround the village, consist of a series of marked paths of varying lengths. There is also a cliff path to Portally and on to Ballymacaw which is about Template:Cvt in total length. This includes what may be Ireland's longest sea cave at Rathmoylan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This path starts from the car park at the Shanoon.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
International relations
Dunmore East is twinned with the village of Clohars-Carnoët in France.Template:Citation needed
Transport
Bus Éireann route 354 links the village to Waterford replacing the longstanding Suirway service which ceased in 2022.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
See also
References
External links
Template:Wikivoyage Template:Commons category
- Dunmore East walking guide
- Official Dunmore East Tourism Web Site
- Dunmore East Adventure Centre
- Waterford Harbour Sailing Club
- Dunmore East Golf Club