County Wicklow

[Van Demon]

I am looking for information about a town in COUNTY WICKLOW, IRELAND called COOLAMADRA. It is, or used be, near DUNLAVIN and it's where my convict ancestor JAMES WEEKES came from and fell foul of the law for stealing a sheep during the famine. I can't find it on any current maps and believe it may have either succumbed itself to the famine and been abandoned as a town and possibly also cut through by a new road in more recent times. I'm visiting in September and would like to check the place out. Any info about long term residents in the Dunlavin area by the name of Weekes would also be appreciated.   

[crisane]

I put Coolamadra County Wicklow Ireland in to google and it gave me a google map with Coolamadra close to Kellshamore and Donaghmore.
Dunlavin is SW of Dublin and 12 .5 kilometres from Coolamadra according to google maps.

[aghadowey]

Coolamadra is a townland in the civil parish of Donaghmore in Co. Wicklow. The Poor Law Union/registration district is Baltinglass.
It's listed as Coolamaddra in 1911 census.

[Van Demon]

Thanks Crisane. Googling the name had produced no results and in using Google map I was not putting in any more than the town name.  "Boy look" as my wife would say.

[shanew147]

Coolamadra on the 1st Edition OSI maps : Coolamadra, Co. Wicklow (click the historic or historic bw option)

To get there take the N81 south west from Dublin, which you can get to easily from the M50 which goes right around Dublin. As far as I remember the junction (jct 11 / south) is signposted as Tallaght/Blessington.

Going further south (all on the N81) you pass through Blessington, then pass close to Russborough House, then the village of Hollywood. From  Hollywood onward there will be signs for the town of Dunvavin to the right (west)..  the junction for Coolamadra is further south and to the left (east). It seems to be just before the town of Baltinglass and is probably signposted as 'Glen of Imaal' (Irish: Gleann Uí Mháil). Some areas around here are restricted as they are used for military training.

Google map : N81 to Coolamadra townland


Shane

edit : corrected spelling of townland

[Van Demon]

Thanks Shane. I definitely have my bearings now and the Ordinance Survey map link is most interesting.