The importance of the Avoca Valley in the past is suggested by the fact that the Greek astronomer and map maker, Ptolemy, included the River Avoca on his Map of Ireland in the year 140. Avoca has also been linked through centuries of mining to the world.
Mining took place here as recently as the 1980s, and stories of the industry are still in local memory. The textile and weaving industries are continuing parts of the local industrial heritage. Just outside the village is the Avoca Handweavers Mill. It was founded in 1723 and is Ireland’s oldest continuously operating weaving mill. Avoca has become one of Ireland’s most recognisable brands.
The valley’s beautiful landscape has inspired many artists. The most famous example is the well-known poet, Thomas Moore (1779-1852). His song ‘The Meeting of the Waters’ was written one day as he sat under a tree at The Meetings, where the Avonmore and Avonbeg Rivers join to form the Avoca. The beauty of what he saw inspired him to write a song that begins, ‘There is not in this wide world a valley so sweet.’
The valley’s diverse landscape has also served as a location for film and television productions. The film ‘Jules Verne’s Rocket to the Moon’ (1967) used an abandoned copper mine as the site of a rocket launch. More recently, the village of Avoca provided the setting for the popular television series ‘Ballykissangel,’ which brought Avoca to viewers around the world between 1996 and 2001.