Woodenbridge: Golf, River Landscapes and History

Woodenbridge brings together golf, river landscapes and local history, offering different starting points for choosing a destination for your stay. When considering the area in light of your own travel interests, specific distinctions come to the fore: a golf course where rivers come into play, a confluence, a riverside memorial and historical connections spanning several eras.

Golf between the Avoca and Aughrim

Woodenbridge Golf Course is an 18-hole, par-71 parkland course. The Avoca and Aughrim rivers come into play on at least ten holes. Here, water is therefore not just part of the scenery, but also part of the game. Visitors and members can book a round or entry in open competitions online. A round and a competition are different ways to play the course; availability may change. So check your preferred option before your trip.

River landscapes and a memorial

Woodenbridge Golf Club is set in a natural amphitheatre, divided by the meandering Avoca River and enclosed by wooded slopes. The Aughrim and Avoca rivers also meet at the Meeting of the Waters in Woodenbridge. The rivers thus shape the area in different ways: as part of the club’s described setting and as a confluence.

The Woodenbridge World War 1 Memorial Park stands on the banks of the Aughrim River in Woodenbridge. It commemorates the 1,192 men from County Wicklow who lost their lives in the First World War. The memorial’s riverside location connects a specific place with a remembrance that extends beyond the area to County Wicklow as a whole.

Another natural attraction, Glenart Forest, is located near Woodenbridge and has woodland trails. It adds a distinct forest area to the river landscape. The two settings—the riverbank and the forest—offer different landscape experiences, without being presented as a single route.

Hotel history and the region’s past

The Woodenbridge Hotel is considered Ireland’s oldest hotel and dates back to 1608. Woodenbridge’s history is also linked to earlier travel: the village was first licensed as a coaching inn and was one of the first inland stopping points for people travelling from the coast on foot or horseback. The hotel’s history and the coaching era offer two historical points of reference for the area.

Croghan Kinsella, a mountain near the source of the Gold Mines River, lies southwest of Woodenbridge. A gold rush began there in 1796 after a gold nugget was discovered. This historical connection belongs to the surrounding area and adds another distinct, geographically specific episode to the region’s story.

County Wicklow: other travel interests

County Wicklow also offers distinctive historical and landscape themes. In Glendalough, St Kevin founded a monastery in the 6th century. The remains of the Monastic City include a round tower, numerous medieval stone churches and decorated crosses. This monastic history differs from Woodenbridge’s hotel and coaching connections and helps distinguish the county’s different historical periods.

Wicklow Mountains National Park covers 20,000 hectares and is an important recreational area for locals and tourists. Walking is also a wide-ranging theme in County Wicklow: the county has more than 50 trails to choose from by length, location, type, theme and difficulty. The Wicklow Way was Ireland’s first waymarked long-distance trail. These details relate to County Wicklow and complement Woodenbridge’s local highlights with a distinct perspective on the county.

Discover more destinations: Kiltegan, Ballyknockan, Hollywood, Oldbridge, Wicklow, Shillelagh, Blessington, Ashford.

For the main travel overview: County Wicklow.