Dunlavin, Dún Luáin, Co. Wicklow

Dún Luáin · Co. Wicklow

The octagonal Market House in the middle of the square, and thirty-six executions that happened in front of it.

Dunlavin is a west Wicklow market town close to the Kildare border, built around a square that contains one of the more unusual 18th-century public buildings in Leinster: an octagonal Market House with Doric colonnades at the corners, designed by Richard Castle between 1737 and 1741. Castle also designed Powerscourt House and Leinster House. The Dunlavin building is smaller and more battered - the interior was destroyed by fire in 1966 - but the shell holds its own.

On the morning of 26 May 1798 - a Sunday and Market Day - the Wicklow Militia arrested and executed thirty-six suspects in and around the square, based on a list the commanding officer did not actually have. It was one of the events that drove the south Wicklow rebellion into the mountains. The Dunlavin Festival of Arts has been running every June since 1983, using the three gallery spaces in the village; it is quieter than most of what happened in 1798 but considerably more enjoyable.

The town serves as a practical stop for west Wicklow and the Kildare border country. The pilgrim route St Kevin's Way begins 4km north at Hollywood and runs 30km east to Glendalough. Rathsallagh House, 3km south, is one of the better country house hotels in the county, converted from Queen Anne stables built in 1798 - the same year as the massacre, though the stables were not directly connected.

Population

~1,500

Founded

Market House 1737-41

Coords

53.0525° N, 6.6105° W

01 / 08

At a glance.

Three things every local will eventually mention. Read these and you've already understood more than most day-trippers do.

01 The Market House

Richard Castle built it in 1737. The Doric colonnades are still there.

An octagonal courthouse with a domed lantern, attributed to the same architect as Powerscourt and Leinster House. It served as a courthouse, then a fire station (which ended in 1966 when a fire destroyed the interior). The shell stands in the middle of the square.

Stories & lore → 02 1798

Thirty-six executions on a Sunday morning.

On 26 May 1798 - a Sunday, which was also Market Day - the Wicklow Militia executed thirty-six United Irishmen suspects in front of the Market House. The commanding officer had no intelligence list and bluffed the arrests. It was one of the opening atrocities of the south Wicklow rebellion.

Stories & lore → 03 St Kevin's Way

The pilgrim route to Glendalough starts 4km away.

The waymarked St Kevin's Way pilgrim path begins at Hollywood village, 4km north of Dunlavin. The 30km route follows an ancient pilgrimage track east through the Wicklow Mountains to Glendalough. Dunlavin is the practical staging point for the western end.

Walks & outings →

02 / 08

The pubs.

None of these are themed Irish pubs, because they don't need to be. A few that earn the trip:

Burke's Bar

Town local

Pub

On Stephen Street, the working local for Dunlavin. Open most nights.

The Pump House

Gastro, evenings

Bar & restaurant

Has its own website (thepumphousedunlavin.com) and takes bookings on OpenTable. The more food-serious option in the town.

The Olde Toll House

Traditional

Pub

A third option on the square. Listed on Publocation. The town supports all three.

03 / 08

Where to sleep.

Place	Type	Local note
Rathsallagh House	Country house hotel & golf	3km south of Dunlavin. Converted from Queen Anne stables in 1798, now 30+ rooms on 530 acres. Ireland's Blue Book member. Championship golf course. The serious accommodation option for west Wicklow.
Tynte House	B&B	Award-winning B&B in the town, listed on visitwicklow.ie. A quieter alternative to the country house.

04 / 08

Stories & lore.

The reason to come back. The things every local will eventually tell you about, usually after the second pint.

Richard Castle in the square

The Market House

The cruciform octagonal Market House was built 1737-41, attributed to Richard Castle - the same architect as Leinster House and Powerscourt. Its unusual plan features a domed octagonal lantern above a structure with Doric colonnades at the corners. It served as the courthouse for west Wicklow through the 18th and 19th centuries. A fire in 1966, when it was being used as a fire station, destroyed the interior. The exterior shell - listed as a protected structure - still anchors the town square.

26 May 1798

The Dunlavin Green executions

On a Sunday morning in May 1798 - Market Day in Dunlavin - Captain Saunders of the Wicklow Militia arrested and executed thirty-six United Irishmen suspects in the town square. Contemporary accounts suggest Saunders had no verified intelligence list; he arrested and killed based on suspicion. The executions were among the opening atrocities of the south Wicklow rebellion and drove many fence-sitters into the mountains with the insurgents. A commemorative plaque now marks the square.

Running since 1983

Dunlavin Festival of Arts

The Dunlavin Festival of Arts has operated every June since 1983 - its 40th anniversary was in June 2023. Three gallery venues in the village host exhibitions, workshops and events over three days in late June. A community arts festival that has outlasted most of its contemporaries in Wicklow.

The pilgrimage starts 4km north

St Kevin's Way

The waymarked St Kevin's Way pilgrim route begins at Hollywood village, 4km north of Dunlavin on the R747, and runs 30km east through the Wicklow Mountains to Glendalough. It follows the route medieval pilgrims used to visit St Kevin's monastic city. The western starting point at Hollywood has a car park and interpretive panel; walkers typically take two days to reach Glendalough, with an overnight at Donard or Knockanarrigan.

05 / 08

Things to do outside.

Wear waterproofs. Bring a sandwich. Tell someone where you're going if it's the mountain.

St Kevin's Way (western approach) Starting point at Hollywood village, 4km north of Dunlavin on the R747. The waymarked pilgrim path crosses the Wicklow Mountains to Glendalough over two days, with an overnight at Donard or Knockanarrigan mid-route. The western section crosses the open mountain; boots and navigation skills required.

30 km one-way to Glendaloughdistance

2 days recommendedtime

06 / 08

When to go.

There is no bad time. There are different times.

Spring

Mar-May

The west Wicklow hills are accessible and green. Good time to walk the early sections of St Kevin's Way.

◉ Go

Summer

Jun-Aug

The Dunlavin Festival of Arts runs in late June - the liveliest the town gets in any year. Book Rathsallagh well ahead for festival weekend.

◉ Go

Autumn

Sep-Oct

Good walking weather for St Kevin's Way. Rathsallagh's estate is at its best in October.

◉ Go

Winter

Nov-Feb

A small market town in west Wicklow in January. Rathsallagh is open and warm; the town itself quietens considerably.

◐ Mind yourself

07 / 08

What to skip.

Honestly? Don't bother.

If a local was sitting beside you, this is the bit where they'd lean in.

Expecting the Market House interior

A fire in 1966 destroyed the interior. The building is a protected-structure shell. The exterior is the thing.

The town without visiting the square

The square - the Market House, the 1798 plaque - is the whole historical argument for stopping. If you pass through without seeing it, you've passed through for no reason.

Trying to drive to Glendalough directly from here

The mountain roads between west Wicklow and Glendalough are narrow and winding. Via Baltinglass and Rathdrum or via Blessington adds time but keeps you on sensible roads.