Blessington
Population: 5,611 (2022 Census)
Blessington is located in the north-west of County Wicklow, among the undulating slopes of the Wicklow Mountains and directly adjacent to the Poulaphouca Reservoir, otherwise known as Blessington Lake. It straddles the border between Wicklow and Kildare and is located approximately 30km south of Dublin and 12km east of Naas.
The town is an attractive, former market town that has, as with many Irish towns, developed in a linear fashion along its main transport route, which in this case is the national route N81. Evidence of human activity in the area exists from the Bronze Age, however it was arguably from the 15th Century onwards that the town we today know as Blessington came to resemble its current form. Archbishop Michael Boyle received a charter to establish the town of Blessington in 1667, with the construction and development of Blessington House and Estate beginning around this time.
The Market Square is located at the heart of the town, with the Downshire Monument and impressive Market House (constructed between 1820 and 1840), now Credit Union, providing indications of its past use. The Market Square (the Square) lends Blessington the characteristics of a traditional market town, something that is of significance in terms of exploiting and building upon the area’s heritage. Blessington also has an enviable position of being located within a wider area of immense natural beauty, with several important and protected features nearby.
The Town Team has been instrumental in the development of this Town Centre First Plan for Blessington. The proposed opportunities within the Action Plan have been developed in response to the findings of the Collaborative Town Centre Health Check (CTCHC) and through extensive consultation, with the local community driving the decision-making process. The framework provided by this plan is one that is durable, but flexible, and capable of supporting the changing needs of the Blessington community and hopes to herald a new era for the town and its future.