Santry
Encyclopedia
Santry is a suburb on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland
, bordering Coolock
, Glasnevin
and Ballymun
. Today it straddles the boundary of Dublin City and Fingal County Council
area.
The character of the area has changed in the last 100 years, from a district centred on a large estate, and later small village, to a modern, rather dispersed, mixed-use suburb. Much of the old village is gone and where there were once fields full of crops, and wild woodlands of all sorts, there are now housing estates, an athletics stadium
, a shopping complex, industrial parks and busy roads leading to Dublin Airport
. Morton Stadium is now the home to the newest League of Ireland
club—Sporting Fingal—until their permanent home ground is constructed in the Swords
/Donabate area. The Trinity College Library
has a depository at Santry which holds three million books.
During the Viking
invasions a number of peaceful Norse farmers moved into the North Dublin area, which proved to be excellent farmland. These Norsemen were famous for their agricultural prowess, crafts and fishing skills. They also brought new pastimes and strange Scandinavia
n phrases which are thought to survive to today further away from the city. The gregarious, direct, rogueish and outgoing character of the Norsemen may be something that endures with what Dublin people understand as a "Northsider
".
After this time people began to refer to the area north of the River Tolka
, including from Santry and north to Swords, Lusk, and beyond as "Fingal
", which translates as "fair-haired foreigner". The name was confined to songs, poems, folk memory and some antiquarian titles until a re-organization of local government in the 1990s set up Fingal
and Fingal County Council.
In the 12th century, the neighborhood of Santry was plundered by Murcadh Ua Maeleachlain, King of Meath, in revenge for the death of his son at the hands of Mac Gilla Mocholmog, chief of Fingal, who then established his base in Santry.
In 1581 the lands and title of Santry were awarded to William Nugent
who then lost it after falling out of favour with the Crown because of his religion. In 1620 the lands of Santry were confiscated from Nugent's aristocratic but Catholic offspring, the Barnewalls. The Protestant Barry family (originally from Cork) took charge of the estate and tenants and became the Lords of Santry where they remained in title for three or four generations. King Charles II
made Sir James Barry, then only a knight, Baron of Santry (for services rendered).
Santry was the scene of violence in the early months of the Irish Rebellion of 1641
, when a punitive expedition of Parliamentarians led by Sir Charles Coote mistakenly massacred a group of local farm labourers, who were sleeping in the fields there. Coote had assumed they were rebels preparing to attack Dublin.
During the Williamite war in Ireland
, in 1690, the Catholic King James stationed his Jacobite
army just to the west of Santry, near Balcurris (now within Ballymun
) before setting out to oppose William of Orange
at the battle of the Boyne
.
In the Irish Rebellion of 1798
United Irishmen from all over Fingal marched south towards Dublin city but were met by a company of local Yeomanry (government militia) from Santry village and were massacred. The bloodshed was so bad in this action that the area at the Northern gateway to Santry Demesne (now near the Little Venice Restaurant) was known as "Bloody Hollows" for several years after. Later a Royal Irish Constabulary
station was located on the site of the present-day restaurant.
in Dublin, Ireland. It is in the Fingal County Council
district of Dublin. Morton Stadium
, the National Athletics Stadium of Ireland, is right beside it. It contains a walled garden. a lake, monuments and has the Santry River going through it. It is the venue for the European Cross Country Championships
in 2009.
Where the new Santry Demesne public park is situated was once a palatial old house and gardens, built in the 18th century. This was once the largest house in North County Dublin
and people travelled from far and wide to be received by the owners, the Barry family. Many clues of the house still exist and the park is worth visiting to find the house foundations, front steps, tree avenue and walled garden. A small bend in the Santry River
(which forms the boundary of the park today) was widened to create a small pond for the boating pleasure of Georgian ladies and gentlemen who resided at, and visited, the house.
The house fell into disrepair, initially at the turn of the 20th century as the estate proved not to be economically viable but ultimately after the Domville family departed Ireland post-independence in 1921. It came into the possession of the state, who intended to repair it and use it as a mental asylum. This plan was shelved by the start of World War II
; the need to increase security around Dublin Airport meant it was used as an army depot, and part of the gardens as a firing range. There are many theories locally about what happened next but it appears as if soldiers of the Irish army caused a fire and the house was severely damaged in 1947, followed by demolition shortly afterwards.
:
16 - From Ballinteer to Santry
16a - From Lower Rathfarnam to Dublin Airport
17a - From [Blanchardstown]] to Kilbarrack
via Santry
27b - From Harristown to Eden Quay
- turns away from Santry at the Santry Demesne junction
33 - From Balbriggan
to Lower Abbey Street
41 - From Swords Manor to Lower Abbey Street
41a - From Swords Manor to Lower Abbey Street (no return service)
41b - From Rolestown to Lower Abbey Street
41c - From Swords Manor to Lower Abbewny Street
103 - From Clontarf Dart Station to Omni Shopping Centre
104 - From Clontarf Dart Station to Cappagh Hospital
746 - Dublin Airport
to Dun Laoghaire
*Route 746 no longer operates and has been cancelled by Dublin Bus*
http://www.dublinbus.ie/en/Your-Journey1/Timetables/Airport-Services/
Ongoing Budgetary Cuts to Dublin Bus mean that many services are being cancelled, shortened, merged with another pre-existing services or reduced in frequency.
Updates can be found at www.dublinbus.ie. Residential Protests have commenced in areas where services are being affected (http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0611/dublinbus.html)
The Metro North line of the planned Dublin Metro
which is predicted to begin operation in 2010 will pass through the nearby suburb of Ballymun
.
As of Oct 2011, no evident construction or media announcement of Metro North can be seen, and most likely due to the economic downturn, Metro North will not be completed.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, bordering Coolock
Coolock
Coolock is a large suburban area, centred on a village, on Dublin city's Northside in Ireland. Coolock is crossed by the Santry River, a prominent feature in the middle of the district, with a linear park and ponds...
, Glasnevin
Glasnevin
Glasnevin is a largely residential neighbourhood of Dublin, Ireland.-Geography:A mainly residential neighbourhood, it is located on the Northside of the city of Dublin . It was originally established on the northern bank of the River Tolka...
and Ballymun
Ballymun
Ballymun is an area on Dublin's Northside close to Dublin Airport, Ireland. It is infamous for the Ballymun flats, which became a symbol of poverty, drugs, alienation from the state and social problems in Ireland from the 1970s...
. Today it straddles the boundary of Dublin City and Fingal County Council
Fingal County Council
Fingal County council is the local authority for the county of Fingal in Ireland. It is one of three local authorities that comprised the former Dublin County Council before its abolition and one of four councils in the Dublin Region. The county seat is in Swords, with another major office...
area.
The character of the area has changed in the last 100 years, from a district centred on a large estate, and later small village, to a modern, rather dispersed, mixed-use suburb. Much of the old village is gone and where there were once fields full of crops, and wild woodlands of all sorts, there are now housing estates, an athletics stadium
Morton Stadium
Morton Stadium, or the National Athletics Stadium, is an athletics stadium in Santry, in the north of Dublin City. Often called Santry Stadium, it is the centre for athletics events in Ireland, and home track of Clonliffe Harriers. It was home to Sporting Fingal FC...
, a shopping complex, industrial parks and busy roads leading to Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon...
. Morton Stadium is now the home to the newest League of Ireland
League of Ireland
The League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...
club—Sporting Fingal—until their permanent home ground is constructed in the Swords
Swords, Dublin
Swords is the county town of Fingal in Ireland. It is about 13 km north of Dublin city centre and is part of its commuter belt.- History :...
/Donabate area. The Trinity College Library
Trinity College Library, Dublin
Trinity College Library Dublin, the centrally-administered library of Trinity College, Dublin, is the largest library in Ireland. As a "copyright library", it has legal deposit rights for material published in the Republic of Ireland; it is also the only Irish library to hold such rights for the...
has a depository at Santry which holds three million books.
History
Santry is an anglicisation of the Irish placename Shean Triabh which literally means "old tribe". Although nobody can be quite sure, the book of Leccan refers to a tribe called the Almanii who inhabited the area, who might have been the source of the name.During the Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
invasions a number of peaceful Norse farmers moved into the North Dublin area, which proved to be excellent farmland. These Norsemen were famous for their agricultural prowess, crafts and fishing skills. They also brought new pastimes and strange Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n phrases which are thought to survive to today further away from the city. The gregarious, direct, rogueish and outgoing character of the Norsemen may be something that endures with what Dublin people understand as a "Northsider
Northside (Dublin)
The Northside is the area in County Dublin, Ireland bounded to the south by the River Liffey to the east by Dublin Bay, to the north and west by the boundaries of County Dublin.- Introduction :...
".
After this time people began to refer to the area north of the River Tolka
River Tolka
The River Tolka is one of Dublin's three main rivers, flowing from County Meath to Fingal, within the old County Dublin, and through the north of Dublin city, Ireland. It is one of Dublin's three main rivers, the others being the Liffey and the Dodder...
, including from Santry and north to Swords, Lusk, and beyond as "Fingal
Fingal
Fingal is a county in Ireland. It is one of three smaller counties into which County Dublin was divided in 1994. With its county seat located in Swords, it has a population of 239,992 according to the 2006 census...
", which translates as "fair-haired foreigner". The name was confined to songs, poems, folk memory and some antiquarian titles until a re-organization of local government in the 1990s set up Fingal
Fingal
Fingal is a county in Ireland. It is one of three smaller counties into which County Dublin was divided in 1994. With its county seat located in Swords, it has a population of 239,992 according to the 2006 census...
and Fingal County Council.
In the 12th century, the neighborhood of Santry was plundered by Murcadh Ua Maeleachlain, King of Meath, in revenge for the death of his son at the hands of Mac Gilla Mocholmog, chief of Fingal, who then established his base in Santry.
In 1581 the lands and title of Santry were awarded to William Nugent
William Nugent
William Nugent was an Irish rebel, brother of Christopher, fourteenth baron of Delvin , and the younger son of Richard Nugent, thirteenth baron Delvin, from whom he inherited the manor and castle of Ross in County Meath.-Life and politics:He first acquired notoriety in December 1573 by his...
who then lost it after falling out of favour with the Crown because of his religion. In 1620 the lands of Santry were confiscated from Nugent's aristocratic but Catholic offspring, the Barnewalls. The Protestant Barry family (originally from Cork) took charge of the estate and tenants and became the Lords of Santry where they remained in title for three or four generations. King Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
made Sir James Barry, then only a knight, Baron of Santry (for services rendered).
Santry was the scene of violence in the early months of the Irish Rebellion of 1641
Irish Rebellion of 1641
The Irish Rebellion of 1641 began as an attempted coup d'état by Irish Catholic gentry, who tried to seize control of the English administration in Ireland to force concessions for the Catholics living under English rule...
, when a punitive expedition of Parliamentarians led by Sir Charles Coote mistakenly massacred a group of local farm labourers, who were sleeping in the fields there. Coote had assumed they were rebels preparing to attack Dublin.
During the Williamite war in Ireland
Williamite war in Ireland
The Williamite War in Ireland—also called the Jacobite War in Ireland, the Williamite-Jacobite War in Ireland and in Irish as Cogadh an Dá Rí —was a conflict between Catholic King James II and Protestant King William of Orange over who would be King of England, Scotland and Ireland...
, in 1690, the Catholic King James stationed his Jacobite
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
army just to the west of Santry, near Balcurris (now within Ballymun
Ballymun
Ballymun is an area on Dublin's Northside close to Dublin Airport, Ireland. It is infamous for the Ballymun flats, which became a symbol of poverty, drugs, alienation from the state and social problems in Ireland from the 1970s...
) before setting out to oppose William of Orange
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
at the battle of the Boyne
Battle of the Boyne
The Battle of the Boyne was fought in 1690 between two rival claimants of the English, Scottish and Irish thronesthe Catholic King James and the Protestant King William across the River Boyne near Drogheda on the east coast of Ireland...
.
In the Irish Rebellion of 1798
Irish Rebellion of 1798
The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...
United Irishmen from all over Fingal marched south towards Dublin city but were met by a company of local Yeomanry (government militia) from Santry village and were massacred. The bloodshed was so bad in this action that the area at the Northern gateway to Santry Demesne (now near the Little Venice Restaurant) was known as "Bloody Hollows" for several years after. Later a Royal Irish Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary
The armed Royal Irish Constabulary was Ireland's major police force for most of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. A separate civic police force, the unarmed Dublin Metropolitan Police controlled the capital, and the cities of Derry and Belfast, originally with their own police...
station was located on the site of the present-day restaurant.
Santry Demesne (Santry Court)
Santry Demesne (also referred to as Santry Park) is a demesneDemesne
In the feudal system the demesne was all the land, not necessarily all contiguous to the manor house, which was retained by a lord of the manor for his own use and support, under his own management, as distinguished from land sub-enfeoffed by him to others as sub-tenants...
in Dublin, Ireland. It is in the Fingal County Council
Fingal County Council
Fingal County council is the local authority for the county of Fingal in Ireland. It is one of three local authorities that comprised the former Dublin County Council before its abolition and one of four councils in the Dublin Region. The county seat is in Swords, with another major office...
district of Dublin. Morton Stadium
Morton Stadium
Morton Stadium, or the National Athletics Stadium, is an athletics stadium in Santry, in the north of Dublin City. Often called Santry Stadium, it is the centre for athletics events in Ireland, and home track of Clonliffe Harriers. It was home to Sporting Fingal FC...
, the National Athletics Stadium of Ireland, is right beside it. It contains a walled garden. a lake, monuments and has the Santry River going through it. It is the venue for the European Cross Country Championships
European Cross Country Championships
The European Cross Country Championships is an annual international cross country running competition. Organised by the European Athletic Association, it is the area championships for the region and is held in December each year...
in 2009.
Where the new Santry Demesne public park is situated was once a palatial old house and gardens, built in the 18th century. This was once the largest house in North County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
and people travelled from far and wide to be received by the owners, the Barry family. Many clues of the house still exist and the park is worth visiting to find the house foundations, front steps, tree avenue and walled garden. A small bend in the Santry River
Santry River
Santry River is a fairly small river on the north side of Dublin city, one of the forty or so watercourses monitored by Dublin City Council.-Course:...
(which forms the boundary of the park today) was widened to create a small pond for the boating pleasure of Georgian ladies and gentlemen who resided at, and visited, the house.
The house fell into disrepair, initially at the turn of the 20th century as the estate proved not to be economically viable but ultimately after the Domville family departed Ireland post-independence in 1921. It came into the possession of the state, who intended to repair it and use it as a mental asylum. This plan was shelved by the start of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
; the need to increase security around Dublin Airport meant it was used as an army depot, and part of the gardens as a firing range. There are many theories locally about what happened next but it appears as if soldiers of the Irish army caused a fire and the house was severely damaged in 1947, followed by demolition shortly afterwards.
Swiss Cottages
The Swiss Cottages that are still associated with Santry no longer exist. The cottages were built in 1840 by Lady Domville who, after a visit to Switzerland, decided to build 11 Swiss-style cottages for the farm workers and estate staff. Unfortunately 10 of the 11 cottages were destroyed demolished due to their dilapidation. While the last remaining cottage still stands in Santry, it is not in its original conception and the building was adapted into an office block in 1984 and today houses a pharmacy. Morton Stadium now stands on the site of what was the gardens at the rear of the house. The only contemporary reminder of the Swiss Cottages is found on the name of a local pub, ‘The Swiss Cottage’.Transport
Public transport comprises a number of bus routes, operated by Dublin BusDublin Bus
Dublin Bus is a public transport operator in Ireland. It operates an extensive bus network of 172 radial, cross-city and peripheral routes and 18 night routes in the city of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area. The company, established in 1987, is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann which is...
:
16 - From Ballinteer to Santry
16a - From Lower Rathfarnam to Dublin Airport
17a - From [Blanchardstown]] to Kilbarrack
Kilbarrack
Kilbarrack is a residential suburb of Dublin, Ireland, running inwards from the coast, about from the city's centre. Modern-day Kilbarrack is within the jurisdiction of Dublin City Council, with part of its old lands now in Donaghmede, and part in Bayside under Fingal County Council...
via Santry
27b - From Harristown to Eden Quay
Eden Quay
Eden Quay is one of the Dublin quays on the banks of the River Liffey in Dublin. The quay runs the bank between O'Connell Bridge and Butt Bridge. The quay is bisected by Marlborough Street, roughly halfway along its length...
- turns away from Santry at the Santry Demesne junction
33 - From Balbriggan
Balbriggan
Balbriggan is a town in the northern part of the administrative county of Fingal, within County Dublin, Ireland. The 2006 census population was 15,559 for Balbriggan and its environs.- Name :...
to Lower Abbey Street
41 - From Swords Manor to Lower Abbey Street
41a - From Swords Manor to Lower Abbey Street (no return service)
41b - From Rolestown to Lower Abbey Street
41c - From Swords Manor to Lower Abbewny Street
103 - From Clontarf Dart Station to Omni Shopping Centre
104 - From Clontarf Dart Station to Cappagh Hospital
746 - Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport, , is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority. Located in Collinstown, in the Fingal part of County Dublin, 18.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010, making it the busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland, followed by Cork and Shannon...
to Dun Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire or Dún Laoire , sometimes anglicised as "Dunleary" , is a suburban seaside town in County Dublin, Ireland, about twelve kilometres south of Dublin city centre. It is the county town of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County and a major port of entry from Great Britain...
*Route 746 no longer operates and has been cancelled by Dublin Bus*
http://www.dublinbus.ie/en/Your-Journey1/Timetables/Airport-Services/
Ongoing Budgetary Cuts to Dublin Bus mean that many services are being cancelled, shortened, merged with another pre-existing services or reduced in frequency.
Updates can be found at www.dublinbus.ie. Residential Protests have commenced in areas where services are being affected (http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0611/dublinbus.html)
The Metro North line of the planned Dublin Metro
Dublin Metro
The Dublin Metro is a proposed metro system for the city of Dublin. The first two lines were set out in the Irish Government's 2005 Transport 21 transport plan: they are known as Metro North and Metro West...
which is predicted to begin operation in 2010 will pass through the nearby suburb of Ballymun
Ballymun
Ballymun is an area on Dublin's Northside close to Dublin Airport, Ireland. It is infamous for the Ballymun flats, which became a symbol of poverty, drugs, alienation from the state and social problems in Ireland from the 1970s...
.
As of Oct 2011, no evident construction or media announcement of Metro North can be seen, and most likely due to the economic downturn, Metro North will not be completed.
See also
- Dublin University Football ClubDublin University Football ClubDublin University Football Club is the rugby union club of the University of Dublin, Trinity College, in Dublin, Ireland.-History:...
- List of towns and villages in Ireland
External links
- http://indigo.ie/~bdf/History2.htm
- http://www.southdublinlibraries.ie/services/local_studies/healy%20pdf%20files/x25%20Santry%20Swords%20etc%20done.pdf
- http://www.santrycommunity.info