The Cricket Pitch

This Meadow is said to have been Irelands first and only circular Cricket Pitch and was created as a leisure facility for The Stopford Family of Courtown House, the Anglo Irish Landlord of this area.

During the Victorian Era (1837-1901), cricket flourished as the national sport of England, experiencing significant professionalization, widespread popularization, and expansion across the British Empire,

So this Cricket Pitch was the equivalent of having your own GAA pitch!

It was used up until the family departed in the 1920s. It then became a popular camping spot during the period of the 1930s to 1980s

Today, it is close to disappearing into the sea and so in an effort to protect it, it has been planted with native Irish trees and dune grass.

The sycamore trees that surround the area are not native and were planted as part of Lord Courtowns Estate, and as you can see from the image, the area has changed significantly from that time.