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Balbriggan

 

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Balbriggan


 
 

Balbriggan (Baile Brigín in IrishIrish language

Irish , a language spoken in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, is constitutionally recognised as the first offic...
) is a town in north county DublinDublin

Dublin is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Ireland , located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, ...
, IrelandRepublic of Ireland Overview

The Republic of Ireland is the official description of the sovereign state which covers approximately five-sixths the islan...
. The 2006 census population was 15,559 for Balbriggan and its environs.

According to P.W. Joyce the name arises from "Baile Bhrecan" which literally means "Brecan's Town"). Brecan is a common medieval first name and there are several other Brackenstowns in Ireland. There is also a possible link to the Bracken River. In this case the name could derive from Bhreac-ín (Little Trout). Many locals however have traditionally felt that Baile Brigín means "Town of the Little Hills", due to the relatively low hills that surround the town.

Origin

There is no chronological consensusConsensus

Consensus has two common meanings....
 about the "foundation" of the villageVillage

A village is a human residential settlement commonly found in rural areas....
, other than there may always have been a small settlement of fishermen, weavers and some sort of agricultural trade post.

An 18th century travelerTraveler

Traveler or Traveller may refer to:...
 described Balbriggan as " ..a small village situated in a small glin where the sea forms a little harborHarbor

A harbor or harbour , or haven, is a place where ships may shelter from the weather or are stored....
 - it is reckoned safe and is sheltered by a good pier. The village is resorted to in Summer time by several genteel people for the benefit of bathing."

The village, which is situated on the eastern coast and on the road from Dublin to the north of Ireland, owes its rise, from a small fishing village to a place of manufacturing and commercial importance, to the late Baron HamiltonBaron Hamilton

Baron Hamilton may refer to several peerage titles....
, who, in 1780, introduced cotton manufacture, for which he erected factories, and who may be regarded as its founder.

It was also the location of the 19th-century Smith's Stocking Mill, which made stockings as well as men's "Long-Johns" called Balbriggans. Balbriggans are often mentioned in John WayneJohn Wayne

John Wayne , popularly known as "The Duke," was an Academy Award winning, American film actor whose career began in silent ...
 movies.

Transport & communications

Balbriggan is 32 km north of DublinDublin

Dublin is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Ireland , located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, ...
 city, on the BelfastBelfast Overview

Belfast is a city in the United Kingdom and the capital of Northern Ireland....
–Dublin main line of the Irish rail networkRail transport in Ireland

Most Rail services in Ireland are provided by Iarnrd ireann in the Republic of Ireland, and by Northern Ireland Railways in Northe...
. Commuter rail services serve Balbriggan railway stationBalbriggan railway station Overview

Balbriggan railway station Serves Balbriggan in County Dublin ...
, which opened on 25 May 1844 and closed for goods traffic on 2 December 1974.. It is estimated that about 2,200 commuters use the station every working day. The Town is also located next to the M1 motorway, the Balbriggan Bypass, which was completed in 1998. Prior to this, the main Dublin-Belfast road went through the centre of the Town, with major traffic congestion on a daily basis. Balbriggan is the most northerly Town in FingalFingal

Fingal is an administrative county of the Republic of Ireland, formed from part of the historic county of Dublin....
 (although the village of BalscaddenBalscadden

Balscadden is a tiny hamlet and a wide townland just North of Balbriggan in County Fingal....
 lies further north within the county). The Town is situated very close to DroghedaDrogheda

Drogheda or [dr?h?d?]) is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin...
.

Balbriggan is currently experiencing a building boom as a result of the demand for housing within the wider Dublin region. The population has exploded in recent years, due to new developments on the northwest of the Town. Most residents in these new estates have had no previous connection with the Town, and there are many from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Unfortunately the infrastructure and services have not been put in place to cope with this new population, and there is strain on schools, public transport and other services.

Amenities

The River Bracken, which flows through the village, once formed a lake there known locally at "The Canal". This lake was reclaimed through land-fill in the early 1980s to create a public park.

Demographics

Sixteen per cent of the town's population is non-ethnic Irish, six per cent being of African origin.

Education facilities

  • In September 2006 Balbriggan Opened a new National School, Gaelscoil Bhaile BrigínGaelscoil Bhaile Brigín Overview

    Sorry, no overview for this topic
     which is an Irish speaking school for 4-11 year olds.
  • Balbriggan also has an Educate Together primary school.
  • Several other schools are open in the area.

Buildings of note

  • Balbriggan Market House is a 5 bay 2 storey building dating from 1811.

Economy

The Department of Foreign AffairsDepartment of Foreign Affairs (Ireland)

The Department of Foreign Affairs is the government department of the Irish government that is responsible for promoting the...
 has located a passportPassport

A passport is a travel document issued by a national government that usually identifies the bearer as a national of the issu...
 production facility in Balbriggan. There is also a proposal to relocate the Drogheda International Seaport to the north (Bremore area) of the Town.

Over the Easter 2008 weekend precast engineering company Techrete relocated their production facility from Howth to Stephenstown Industrial Park with their head office set to follow suit in Autumn.

It is expected that the proposed Bremore PortBremore Port

Bremore PortBremore near Balbriggan, Ireland, is being developed to provide an east coast deepwater port for Ireland to sup...
 and orbital motorway projects as well as the existing M1 motorway and Belfast - Dublin railway are major draws to prospective companies with large logistical sectors hoping to expand or set up in the Fingal area.

Balbriggan Town Hall, serving as the home to Balbriggan Town CouncilBalbriggan Town Council

HistoryBalbriggan Town Council is a branch of local government under the Department of the Environment of Ireland....
.

Sport

Gaelic games



O'Dwyers GAAO'Dwyers GAA

O'Dwyers GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based at Hamlet Lane, Balbriggan, County Dublin, Ireland, serving the com...
 is the local Gaelic Athletic AssociationGaelic Athletic Association

The Gaelic Athletic Association is an organisation which is mostly focussed on promoting gaelic games: that is, Irish ...
 club. It was founded in 1918 and currently fields juvenile hurling and football teams from U-7 to U-18. There is three adult male football teams that play in AFL4, AFL9 and AFL12, a female adult team that play in Ladies AFL3, a Junior 1 Hurling team and a Camogie team.

Soccer

Balbriggan has four soccer clubs.

  • Balbriggan Football Club

Formerly known as Clonard Celtic (founded 1982), this club amalgamated with another club in the town, Balscadden Blues, in the 1990s. Balbriggan F.C. now fields numerous under age teams from under 8's right up to under 18's. The 3 senior teams currently play in the Leinster Senior League and work has now been completed on their new clubhouse located in Bremore, Balbriggan.

  • Glebe North Football Club


Established in 1945, this club is the most successful in the town. Several past players have received international honours; both Anthony Guildea and Michael Reid were capped for Ireland at junior level. Market Green, the club's ground opened a new clubhouse on 31 May 1998The club has 2 Senior teams playing in the Leinster Senior League and 12 schoolboy/girl teams playing in the NDSL League's .The main pitch and clubhouse are located at market green, the club also has a fully floodlight all weather pitch.

  • Ringcommon Wanderers Football Club

Established in late 1999, this club is the newest and probably the smallest in the village. Players hail from Balbriggan, The Naul and Balrothery. Currently it consists of women's and men's senior teams only. The Ringcommons Sports Centre is the club's homeground.

The club use the [Ring Commons] sports facilities. These include two soccer pitches & floodlit training areas, an 18 hole Pitch and Putt course, a Rugby pitch and plans are underway to open a further number of full size soccer pitches. The clubhouse includes a large meeting hall, as well as offices, kitchen, changing rooms, toilets and showers.

  • Hyde Park Football Club also operate in the area.

RugbyRugby football

Rugby football, often just referred to as rugby, refers to sports descended from a common form of football developed a...




Balbriggan Rugby Club was originally founded in 1925. They currently field two adult teams who play in the Leinster League, Div.3 and Leinster North East Area League (Mc Gee Cup). They also field several underage teams from U7's through to U18's and U20's. The Club started the 2007/2008 Season playing at the new Club Grounds BalrotheryBalrothery

Balrothery is an ancient barony, which includes a village of the same name, that is located in County Dublin, Ireland....
, Co. Dublin nextdoor to North County Cricket Club. The Club plan further major development which will see the building of a clubhouse, swimming pool, gyms and training areas. It is hoped these new facilities will be on stream for the start of 08/09 Season.

CricketFacts About Cricket

Cricket is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players each....

  • Balbriggan Cricket Club


The Circket Clubs home ground is in the 'Town Park', beside the Catholic Church

GolfGolf

Golf is a sport where individual players or teams hit a ball into a hole using various clubs, and is one of the few ball ga...




Balbriggan Golf Club is an 18 hole parkland golf course situated in north County Dublin only minutes from Dublin Airport.

Located about 20 miles north of Dublin city, the course is easily accessible being just off the M1. Follow the sign to Balbriggan and we are on the right hand side as you approach the town from the South.To arrange a tee time please contact Nigel Howley our Club Professional.

Established in 1945, and after many phases of development, the course presents a challenge to all who play it.

The course is currently undergoing some further redevelopment with the new par of the course being 70. Gerald Gallen holds the current course record with a score of 69 that comprised 17 straight pars and a birdie on the 18th. Darragh Callaghan no longer holds the course record as a result of this round.

Historical events relating to Balbriggan

Medieval battle
According to Ware, a Medieval Annalist, a battle took place there on WhitsunWhitsun

The word Whitsun is a British English name for Pentecost...
-eve, 1329, between John de Bermingham, Earl of LouthBaron Athenry

The title of Baron Athenry was created in the Peerage of Ireland in 1172....
, (who bad been elevated to the 'palatine dignity' of the county), Richard, Lord of Malahide, and several of their kinsmen, against local rival families, the Verduns, Gernons, and Savages, who were opposed to the elevation of the earl; and in which the former, with 60 of their English followers, were killed.

William III camped here after the Battle of the BoyneBattle of the Boyne

The Battle of the Boyne was a turning point in the Williamite war in Ireland between the deposed King James VII of Scotland ...
,in July, 1690.

Sack of Balbriggan

The assault on the village's population by the British Black and TansBlack and Tans

The Black and Tans, more properly known as the Royal Irish Constabulary Reserve Force, was one of two paramilitary for...
 based in the nearby Gormanstown military barracks on 9 September 1920 was one of the more infamous acts of the Irish War of IndependenceIrish War of Independence

The Irish War of Independence was a guerrilla campaign mounted against the British government in Ireland by the Irish Repub...
. This event, known as the "Sack of Balbriggan", resulted in the destruction of 54 houses, a hoisery factory and the looting of four public houses. The attack received much international attention due to Balbriggan's position close to foreign news correspondents in Dublin. A subsequent delegation from the United StatesUnited States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., and America, is...
 pledged to rebuild thirty homes in the village and a local factory. Other deaths followed during the war, most noticeably those of Seán Lawless and Séamas Gibbons who were bayoneted to death by the British forces on 20 September 1920. A plaque on Bridge Street in the town commemorates their murder.

See also

  • List of villages in the Republic of Ireland
  • Market Houses in the Republic of IrelandMarket Houses in the Republic of Ireland

    Market Houses are a notable feature of many Irish towns with varying styles of architecture, size and ornamentation making f...


External links

  • population