Campile is a small village situated in the south of Ireland. It is located fourteen kilometres outside the town of New Ross. As of the 2016 census, Campile village had a population of 448 people.
History
The first mention of Campile, then known in Irish as Ceann Phoill, was in the Annals of Inisfallen dating from 937 AD. The annals record a group of Jewish migrants who arrived in Campile after sailing up the Pill river in their hand made ox-hide coracles. The Jewish settlers set up a small but prosperous community in Ballykeeroge about 2 kilometers from the village of Campile. Although some of the old Jewish names still exist in the village and surrounding hinterland, the early settlement was knocked down in the mid 20th Century to make way for a landfill site. During the Irish Rebellion of 1798, a rebel camp was located on nearby Slieve Coillte hill. Ireland remained officially neutral during World War II. However, on 26 August 1940, the GermanLuftwaffe bombed Campile in daylight. Three women were killed - Mary Ellen Kent, her sister Catherine Kent, both from Terrerath, and Kathleen Hurley from Garryduff. Four German bombs were dropped on the creamery and restaurant sections of Shelburne Co-op on that day. The railway was also targeted by the bombers. The attack has never been fully explained, although there are numerous theories as to why the bombing occurred. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the bombing, a plaque was erected on the co-op walls in memory of the three women. The local 'Harts Bar and Lounge' contains some artifacts relating to the bombing.
Amenities
The village has two small supermarkets, a Centra store and a Londis store. There are also two smaller local shops. The Shelbourne Co-Op, founded in 1919, still has a premises in the village albeit under the Glanbia banner. There is also a pharmacy, a joinery, a hardware store, a filling station, a take-away, a soccer pitch, a hair salon, a community hall and two pubs, Dunphys and Harts. The local churches are situated in Horeswood, about a half mile from the village and at Ballykelly approximately four miles from Campile, while the parish school is situated in Ballyfarnogue adjacent to the Horeswood GAA Complex, two miles from the village.
Transport
Rail transport
opened on 1 August 1906. On 21 July 2010, Irish Rail announced that it would suspend its rail service through Campile, and this took effect after the operation of the evening train on 18 September 2010. Before that date, it was served Mondays to Saturdays by one passenger train in each direction.
Bus transport
Prior to the cessation of the rail service Campile's Bus Éireann service was infrequent consisting of the commuter route between Duncannon and Waterford city via New Ross and on certain days by a cross-country bus to Wexford. After the rail service ceased, the bus service was enhanced significantly. A revised Bus Éireann route 370 service came into effect from Monday 20 September 2010.
Sport
The local sports teams for Campile and the surrounding area are Campile United in soccer, who play in the Wexford soccer league, and Horeswood GAA who play in the Wexford Gaelic football and hurling leagues. Horeswood GAA have won the Wexford Senior Football Championship 4 times in 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2011.
Education
Scoil Mhuire is situated in the townland of Ballinamona on the New Ross-Campile road. It is a central school for the parish of Sutton's, which is divided into Horeswood Parish and Ballykelly Parish. In 1979, four schools in the parish amalgamated into Scoil Mhuire. These four schools were Aclare NS, Ballykelly NS, Horeswood NS, and Killesk NS.
