Avoca, County Wicklow
Avoca (Irish: Abhóca, formerly Abhainn Mhór, meaning "the great river") is a small town near Arklow, in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is situated on the River Avoca.
Avoca
Abhóca | |
|---|---|
Town | |
Main Street | |
Avoca Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates: 52.857°N 6.215°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Leinster |
| County | County Wicklow |
| Elevation | 35 m (115 ft) |
| Population (2016) | 771 |
| Irish Grid Reference | T201801 |
The Avoca area has been associated with its copper mines for many years and the valley has been celebrated by Thomas Moore in the song "The Meeting of the Waters". The name of the song derives from the meeting of the Avonmore and Avonbeg rivers, about 3 kilometres from the village of Avoca. The song is said to have been written under a tree, the stump of which remains by the Meetings. Avoca is also famous for its handweaving, with Avoca Handweavers based there.
Avoca has been used as a filming location for several films and television series. The BBC series Ballykissangel was filmed there. In 1967, Avoca was one of the locations used in the film Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon, and it was the setting for the comedy film Zonad which had a general Irish release in 2010.
The red kite, recently reintroduced to Ireland, is now commonly seen in and around Avoca.