Duncormick or Duncormac () is a rural village and surrounding community located in County Wexford, Ireland. At the time of the 2016 census, the village of Duncormick had a population of 116 people. The village is from Wexford Town, close to the fishing village of Kilmore Quay which is one of the largest fishing harbours in Ireland. Duncormick is sometimes used to refer not only to a village, but also to the rural area surrounding it.
Location
Duncormick is located on the River Muck and on the Bannow Drive, a tourist trail and signposted route through four Wexford villages including Cullenstown, Bannow and Wellingtonbridge. Duncormick is close to a number of beaches, and a forty-minute drive from Rosslare Europort, to the east, which serves Britain and France. Waterford Airport lies to the west.
History
The name Duncormick derives from the Irish Dún Cormaic, meaning "Cormac's fortress". For many centuries before the arrival of the Normans in 1169, this part of the country was inhabited by the Tuatha Ui Bairche (their name and territory is the basis for the modern barony of Bargy). In the sixth century, the Ui Bairche had a powerful chief named Cormac Mac Diarmata who was for a time hailed as King of Leinster. It is possible that Cormac had a base in Duncormick. In that early Christian, pre-Viking period, Duncormick was a prominent coastal settlement. There is a clay mound that rises behind the site of the old water mill and the modern Peace Garden, which may have been part of structures associated with this period.
In the 12th century, the first Norman forces arrived on three single-masted Longships at Bannow Bay, County Wexford. Arriving in May 1169, they had sailed from Milford Haven in Wales, and on board were Normans, Welshmen and Flemings. Their leader was Robert FitzStephen, a Norman-Welsh warlord, and they made camp on Bannow Island, separated from the mainland by a narrow channel which has since silted up. A day later, two further ships arrived under the command of Maurice de Prendergast, bringing their numbers to around 600. They were joined by 500 Irish warriors led by Dermot MacMurrough, King of Leinster. From Bannow the combined armies headed towards Wexford, a Viking seaport approximately 32 km away. There was a brief skirmish at Duncormick, before they continued on to assault Wexford's walls during the Siege of Wexford (1169).
By the mid-19th century, the 1850s, the village of Duncormick had a population of about 250. The nearby Bridgetown Canal was constructed between 1850 and 1853. It is 8 km in length and less than 5 minutes walk from the village centre. The canal served the communities of Bridgetown and Duncormick. While initially part of an extensive drainage and reclamation scheme, it was subsequently used as a transport system. Traffic was still common on the canal in the early 20th century, and the canal remained in use up to the 1940s.
Into the 20th century, and on a sunny day in August 1940, a German war plane attacked the communities of Duncormick and Campile. It released four bombs over Duncormick railway station. However, the bombs missed the station, making four huge craters in a nearby turnip field. The nearby community of Campile was not so lucky, and two people were killed. Not long afterward Duncormick railway station was one of a number of rural railway stations in Ireland to be closed.
Transport
Road
Duncormick has a cross roads in the village centre serving the R736, a regional road.
Bus services include the 'Wexford Local Link' which serves the village on certain days of the week. Bus Éireann route 381 operates on Tuesdays providing a link to and from Wexford.
Railway
Duncormick was once connected to Ireland's rail network by Duncormick railway station. In 1970 it was one of many rural stations, listed by Dáil Éireann, as having a revenue of less than £10,000 per annum. The station subsequently closed, along with many other rural stations across the country. However, both Bridgetown railway station and Wellingtonbridge railway station remained open until September 2010. The line continues to be maintained and from time to time is used for empty stock movements.
Amenities
The village of Duncormick has a church, car dealership and health spa. A former filling station and post office have since closed. Other business in the area include an agricultural machinery sales business, a ladies hairdresser, a horse riding facility and a doctor's surgery. A number of B&B's are also located in and around the village.
There is one pub in the village, 'Sinnotts', which is partially thatched. A second pub, 'The Legend', has since closed down.