Kingscourt, historically known as Dunaree (Irish: Dún an Rí, meaning "fort of the king"),[2] is a town in County Cavan, Ireland. It is located near the Cavan–Meath border. The town was founded near the site of the old village of Cabra, by Mervyn Pratt, towards the end of the 18th century, and was completed by his brother, The Rev. Joseph Pratt.[3]
Cabra Castle, an early 19th-century 'Gothick-style' castle, is located very near the town, being on the R179 road (known locally as the Carrickmacross Road). The castle was originally called Cormey Castle and was built on the site of an earlier Cormey Castle which had been destroyed during the Cromwellian War.[6] The castle has, in recent years, been restored and expanded and is now a four-star hotel which is popular for weddings.
The local Catholic church, which is perched high above the town, contains stained glass windows by the renowned Irish artist Evie Hone, who also provided designs for Eton College Chapel. The local Church of Ireland, St. Ernan's,[7] Lisasturrin, Enniskeen, Kingscourt Parish, a gothic revival church built c. 1780, has the stained glass Four Evangelists' window (1864), originally in St. Jude's, Dublin, from the William Wailes studio Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Economy
Building supplies company Kingspan is headquartered in the town. The company was founded in 1965 and initially known as Kingscourt Construction Group.[8] Kingspan is now a constituent company on the Dublin stock market's ISEQ 20 index.
Dún na Rí Forest Park is located a couple of kilometers from Kingscourt. Situated in a valley, and formerly part of the Pratt family's Cabra Estate (which was centered on nearby Cabra Castle), Dún na Rí is home to stoat, hare, mink, rabbit and otter, as well as red and grey squirrel along the banks of the River Cabra. The park itself borders the Shercock and Carrickmacross roads. The original Cabra House (also sometimes known as Cabra Castle) was located within the modern forestpark. The Pratt dynasty moved into the current Cabra Castle (which is just across the Carrickmacross Road from the forest park's main entrance) in 1813.
Transport
Railway
Kingscourt has a railway line which has been disused following strike action by Iarnród Éireann train drivers in 2001. The line ceased to have passenger services in 1947, and was then a freight-only service. The line, which runs from Kingscourt to Navan and then on to Drogheda, was used to carry gypsum ore daily from Gypsum Industries, but the company withdrew this service when Iarnród Éireann could not guarantee deliveries of Gypsum ore, and was consequently transferred to road transport in 2001.
The Racquetball Association of Ireland is based in Kingscourt and the 14th IRF Racquetball World Championships took place in the town in 2008. Held every two years, previous championships were held in the Dominican Republic (2006), South Korea (2004) and Puerto Rico (2002).[9] The Kingscourt Handball and Racquetball court complex is the largest in Ireland with three 40x20s and one 60x30 court.[10] Kingscourt Handball Club is home to a number of All-Ireland champions, and the club have won the Senior All-Ireland Club title twice; once in 2001 and again in 2003.[11]
