Skerries, Dublin - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The 20th century and today

Historically, Skerries has been a thriving fishing port and a major center of hand embroidery. In the late 20th century, it became a resort town (golf, sailing, motorcycling, etc.), and another suburb for commuters to the city of Dublin.

A holiday camp was set up on Red Island in the 1950’s but was later torn down in the 1980s as foreign holidays became cheaper and more popular. Red Island is now an amenity area for the local community, with a playground, and swimming areas.

Recently the Skerries Mills were restored by Fingal County Council as a local amenity and tourist attraction. There are two fully restored and working windmills, watermill and a museum and coffee shop. One of the windmills lost sails during storms in January 2007, but has since been repaired

In common with much of Dublin's hinterland, Skerries saw astronomical growth in property prices during the late 1990s and early 21st century.

There is also an amusement park in the town, near Skerries beach.

Literary reference

In Flann O'Brien

Flann O'Brien

Brian O'Nolan was an Irish novelist, playwright and satirist regarded as a key figure in postmodern literature. Best known for novels such as At Swim-Two-Birds, The Third Policeman and An Béal Bocht and many satirical columns in The Irish Times Brian O'Nolan (5 October 1911 – 1 April 1966) was...

's book "The Dalkey Archive

The Dalkey Archive

The Dalkey Archive is a novel by the Irish writer Flann O'Brien. It is his fifth and final novel, published in 1964, two years before his death. It features a mad scientist, De Selby, who tries to destroy the world by removing all the oxygen from the air. He has also many strange inventions...

" Skerries is the location of the narrator's meeting with James Joyce

James Joyce

James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...

. The narrator has heard a rumour that Joyce has returned from the continent and is working in a small country pub. He tracks him down to a place on the outskirts of Skerries, but Joyce denies all knowledge of "that filthy book" Ulysses.

Music

Skerries has a vibrant and long running musical tradition from Tony Keeling and the Graduates in the showband days, right through to the modern day era with bands like Primordial and The Delorentos keeping the Skerries flag flying in both global and local music scenes. Extreme metal band Primordial

Primordial (band)

Primordial is an extreme metal band from Skerries, County Dublin, Ireland. It was formed in 1987 by Pól MacAmlaigh and Ciarán MacUiliam . Their sound melds black metal with Irish folk music.-Biography:...

, which combines black metal with Irish folk music, was formed in Skerries.

Emblem

The emblem of Skerries is a goat, which derives from a legend concerning St. Patrick, and his island mentioned above. While St. Patrick was on shore one day buying supplies the good folk of Skerries rowed over to his island where he had a goat tied up for milk. They stole it, took it back to the mainland and ate it. When he returned he was furious, and bounded with a great leap from his island to Red Island (there is an indentation in the rock which is supposed to be his footprint). He questioned them, and when they denied it he took away their powers of speech, so that they could only bleat like goats, until they eventually admitted their crime.

Sport

Skerries Harps GAA
Skerries Harps GAA
Skerries Harps is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Skerries, County Dublin, Ireland, playing Gaelic football, hurling and camogie. Notable ex-players include Bobby Beggs, Paddy Ellis. Dublin GAA superstar Bryan Cullen is a current player. The club is located on the Dublin Road in...

is the local Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...

club.
The town also hosts the annual Skerries 100 motor cycle race. http://www.loughshinnymotorcycleclub.com/
Skerries Town Football Club is the local soccer team in the area.
Skerries Rugby Club is the local rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

team in the area http://www.skerriesrfc.ie/index.html
Skerries is the hometown of two-time national NCAA Division II men's soccer Player of the Year Steven Beattie
Steven Beattie
Steven Beattie is a Irish footballer.- Youth & College :Arguably one of the most dominant athletes to ever wear a Norse uniform, Beattie ran roughshod against opposing defenses during his four-year career at Northern Kentucky University, scoring 77 career goals and adding 30 assists...

, who led Northern Kentucky University
Northern Kentucky University
|type = Public|president= Dr. James C. Votruba|city = Highland Heights|state = KY|country = U.S.|endowment = $68 million|students = 15,405|undergrad = 13,206|postgrad = 2,199|faculty = 1,159...

to a national championship in 2010. Beattie was drafted by the Toronto FC of the MLS in 2011.

External links

http://www.ipernity.com/doc/markwaldron/album/17708 PHOTOGRAPHS