Stratford-on-Slaney (Irish: Áth na Sráide, meaning 'ford of the street'), also known as Stratford or Stratford-upon-Slaney, is a small village on the River Slaney in west County Wicklow in Ireland.

[3] A large proportion of the migrant workers returned to Paisley in Scotland and Hillsborough in County Down.

The mill was sold in 1852 for the last time and "by the mid 1960s, Stratford stood bare, with the exception of a dozen or so houses and the ruins of what once was one man's dream".

Early in the nineteenth century, when Stratford-on-Slaney was at its busiest, Orr Smith & Co. employed more than a 1,000 people and turned out about 2,000 finished pieces per week.

[6] They sold their works to John Swainson a Preston cotton merchant circa 1837, and the Orrs continued their business in Scotland.

[8] Due to the climate in the South, which was moist and provided an ideal setting for cotton cultivation, Stratford saw potential for the creation of textile businesses in that region.

[6] The distinctive crescent and octagonal shape of Stratford-on-Slaney demonstrates Edward Stratford's vision and desire for his experimental town as well as his aspirations as a budding architect.

It is crucial to promote and facilitate growth in a sustainable way in order to ensure their continuing existence in the future.

[15] A small Seventh-Day Adventist church is located south of the village in nearby Ballinacrow.

According to Samuel Lewis' 1837 Topographical Directory of Ireland Stratford was a market-town and a parochial district, in the barony of Upper Talbotstown, county of Wicklow, and province of Leinster, 2¼ miles (N.N.E.)

This town, which is of recent date, owes its origin to Edward, late Earl of Aldborough, who, towards the close of the last century, conferred upon it his family name, "Stratford," and distinguished it from other places of that name by the adjunct which describes its situation on the Slaney.

Adjoining the town, on the bank of the river, are extensive cotton and calico printing works, established in 1792, by Messrs. Orr and Co., the present proprietors; they employ from 800 to 1000 persons: the machinery is worked by water power, and the average number of pieces printed and finished weekly is about 2000.

The market is on Tuesday and Saturday, and by the patent the town is entitled to two annual fairs, which have never yet been held.