to Saturdays and one each way on Sundays. There has been some local political pressure to reopen Avoca railway station, from which passenger services were withdrawn on 3 March 1964, almost 101 years after its opening, on the Dublin-Rosslare railway line, on 18 July 1863. International relations Avoca has a town twinning agreement with Bromham, Wiltshire in England. Notable people Noel Andrews (1932–2011), Irish radio and television commentator ran The Avoca Inn from 1970-1990 George Barret Sr. (c. 1730–1784), Irish landscape artist painted at Avoca Niall Byrne, guitarist in Irish band The Redneck Manifesto Oliver Byrne (1810–1880), civil engineer and author of scientific works was born in the Vale of Avoca Harry Harrison (1925–2012), American science fiction author lived in the area in the 1970s Lawrence Kavenagh (c. 1810–1846), Irish-Australian convict bushranger was born in either Newbridge (now called Avoca) or nearby Rathdrum Pauline Mellon, Irish mathematician was born in the town Abraham Mills (c. 1750–1828), English mining company manager and geologist, one of the earliest advocates of investment in Irish gold mining, spent time mining for copper in Avoca John O'Hagan (1873–1930), Irish priest who served as Rector of the Pontifical Irish College in Rome from 1919 to 1930 was born in Ballykillageer near the town Chris Pontius (b. 1974), American stunt performer and cast member of reality stunt show Jackass lived in the town from 2004–2008 Donald Pratt (b. 1935), Irish businessman and former first-class cricketer purchased Avoca Handweavers in 1974 Günther Schütz (1912–1991), German citizen who worked for German Intelligence (Abwehr) during World War II retired in Avoca Emily Wynne (1872–1958), Irish author and textile artist worked at Avoca Woollen Mills See also List of towns and villages in Ireland Avoca, Victoria, Australia which was named after the Avoca in Wicklow The Avoca School, Blackrock, County Dublin References Notes Timothy Alborn, An Irish El Dorado: Recovering Gold in County Wicklow, Journal of British Studies, Vol. 50, No. 2 (April 2011), pp. 359–380. Published by: The University of Chicago Press on behalf of The North American Conference on British Studies. Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/658187. PDF. Bodkin T. (1920) Four Irish Landscape Painters: George Barret R.A., Irish Academic Press, 2nd ed. 1987. External links Avoca Cemetery Headstones Mining, Metal Resources and Exploration in the Republic of Ireland in German, English summary Towns and villages in County Wicklow