Ballyfermot
Encyclopedia
Ballyfermot is a suburb in the city of Dublin.Celebrities such as the famous Furey Brothers and the brilliant Keenan family have all resided in Ballyfermot.Ireland
, located 7 kilometres due west from the city centre, and to the south of the Phoenix Park
. It is bordered to the north by Chapelizod
, to the south by Walkinstown
, to the east by Inchicore
, and to the west by Palmerstown
and Clondalkin
. The River Liffey
lies to the north, and the Grand Canal
, now a recreational waterway, borders the south. Ballyfermot is designated as postal district Dublin 10.
.
The 12th century saw the Cambro-Normans expand west from Pembroke
in South Wales into Leinster. Under the auspices of the Papal Bull Laudabiliter
of Adrian IV, and encouraged by his successor, Pope Alexander III
, the expeditionary force of knights and their retinue of about six hundred were dispatched by order of the
Angevin
King Henry II of England. They duly arrived at Wexford in 1169 by invitation as allies of Dermot Mac Murrough Ri of Leinster.
Through feudal land grants and intermarriage the Cambro Norman knights came into possession of land in southwest Dublin. Family names associated with the area at this time included O'Cathasaidhe, Fitzwilliam, Le Gros (Grace), O'Dualainghe, Tyrrell, O'Hennessy, O'Morchain, Dillon, O'Kelly, De Barneval (Barnewall), and Newcomyn (Newcomen).
Ballyfermot Castle was located northwest of the intersection of Le Fanu and Raheen Roads, the centre of the old Ballyfermot townships. It was built in the mid fourteenth century by Wolfram De Barneval as a stronghold against the formidable O'Byrnes and O'Tooles. These aboriginal Gaelic Irish families had been discommoded from their lush home territory around Naas. They were driven south into the wooded Dublin hills. Unlike their Mac Giolla Mocolmog relatives (who were now called FitzDermot in Hiberno-Norman) they had not integrated with the evolving Norman Irish society. They frequently raided, rustled and burned local bawn enclosures from their inaccessible hillside encampments.
Ballyfermot Castle was later inherited by the Newcomen family, who held it well into the mid-seventeenth century. It subsequently declined in importance, and became a school which was managed by headmaster William Prosser in the latter eighteenth century. Samuel Lewis (publisher) in his celebrated work A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland places a Captain Lamplin as living there in 1834, possibly the last resident. The castle is reputed to have been destroyed by fire. Ballyfermot House, known locally as the tiled house, possibly built by the Verveer family, stood on the great park to the north of the castle's aquaculture pond. Built in the seventeenth century, the house had a quirky slated facade in the Dutch style. It was home to Lt. Joseph Lampier and his wife Bridget Cavanaugh of Goldenbridge around this time.
The nineteenth century newspaper publisher and writer Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, proprietor of the Dublin Evening Mail
lived in nearby Chapelizod when not in residence his city townhouse at Merrion Square. Ballyfermot and Chapelizod feature in his novel The House by the Churchyard
and some of his other works. This Georgian house still adjoins Park Lane next to St. Laurence's parish churchyard in Chapelizod. The eighteenth century church, alongside the original medieval bell tower, is still in use. It serves the united parish of Ballyfermot, Palmerstown, and Chapelizod in the Church of Ireland
. Le Fanu Road is named after him, as is Le Fanu Park, referred to locally as The Lawns. Le Fanu was a mentor of the writer Bram Stoker
author of Dracula
, who did the theater reviews for his newspaper The Dublin Evening Mail.
A short distance from the Castle site at the south-east end of Le Fanu Park is a mound which covers a local historical site containing the ruins and graveyard of the rectory chapel of St. Laurence. It is believed to have originated as a Culdee
establishment of monastic Celtic Christianity
, perhaps a branch of the major Tallaght Maelruain or Kilnamanagh monasteries. It was connected to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem at Kilmainham
in the thirteenth century. The ruins survived into the nineteen sixties. It served Ballyfermot and the surrounding townlands into the late seventeenth century.
Among the local people buried here are members of the Newcomen and Barnewall families. Sir Robert Newcomen who died in 1629 and his son Sir Beverley Newcomen, Admiral of Ireland, who died in 1637 while taking soundings at Waterford harbour were buried here. His mother Elizabeth (Barnewall of Drimnagh Castle) who died in 1643 is buried as is his widow Margaret (Usher of Donnybrook Castle) who subsequently married Sir Hubert Adrian-Verveer. The Newcomens, Barons of Newcastle Lyons were influential in Irish governance, military and legal circles. They resided at Ballyfermot Castle which stood in the nearby park. The great park lay to the north and west of the castle. This noble family intermarried with the Barnwalls of Drimnagh, the Plunketts of Malahide and the St. Lawrences of Howth. M.P's for the Westmeath constituency of Kilbeggan, they also married into the Fitzgeralds of Maynooth, and the Nugents, Husseys, Geoghegans and Nagles of Meath and Westmeath. The line had run out by the Restoration in 1660, and after Margaret's death, the castle was taken up by Sir Thomas Domville.
Dublin City Council covered the castle's remaining ruin with topsoil, keeping its contents intact for future historical research. Close by was the demesne home farm, last occupied by the Corrigan family. It was originally surrounded by the walled orchard and gardens.
Local manor houses of note include Johnstown House (St. John's College), Colepark House, Sarsfield House, Sevenoaks, Floraville, Auburn Villa and Gallanstown House. The Ballyfermot townlands were transferred from the Barony of Newcastle to the Barony of Uppercross in the nineteenth century.
The dairy and stud farms in the townlands of Ballyfermot were acquired by the authorities in the 1930s. They were developed into suburban housing estates needed to alleviate the post war housing shortage. This development, along with estates at Drimnagh
, Crumlin
, Walkinstown
in the south city, and Cabra
, Finglas
and Donnycarney
in the north city also provided modern accommodation to facilitate the Dublin City Council public housing programs. The first estate was built in the late 1940s at Ballyfermot Lower (East) to the south of Sarsfield Road and Ballyfermot Road, and was originally called the Sarsfield Estate. The street names reflect this historical theme. Gradually, the adjacent townlands to the south of Ballyfermot Road, and Grange Cross of Ballyfermot Upper (West), Blackditch, Cherry Orchard, Raheen, Gallanstown, along with the eastern part of Johnstown, a townland of Palmerstown
, located to the north and west of Johnstown House, were developed and incorporated into postal area Dublin 10.
. There is also relative ease of access to the city centre. Some of the major Irish motor distributors are based in Ballyfermot. They include Toyota, Nissan, General Motors
, J. C. Bamford
(JCB), Harris Assembly and Hilux. They are centred around Kylemore Road, home to many large companies including Thornton's Recycling, C&C, FBD, and Royal Liver Insurance. The industrial estates include Park West and JFK.
There are several hotels in the area. Days Hotel at Park West and Sheldon Park on Kylemore and Bewleys at Newlands are popular.
A community based CCTV monitoring scheme for Ballyfermot was launched in early 2003. This is part of the Department of Justice Town Centre CCTV monitoring initiative.
(routes 78, 78A, 79, 79A, 76, 76A, 76B, 18, 26,28, 210) and Dualway(123) serve the area. An hourly commuter train service is offered by Irish Rail, to Heuston station at Kingsbridge. The local station is Cherry Orchard/Park West Station, which is located on the Park West Road on the western perimeter of Ballyfermot. A proposed Dublin Metro route passes to the south. The Luas
light rail system also serves Ballyfermot. The south side stop is near the Kylemore and Naas Road intersection.
The park covers part of the great esker
and overlooks the Liffey Valley from the south. From Le Fanu and Kylemore Roads to the east, it falls away into the landscaped valley of a Liffey catchment. It runs west toward Glenaulin and Drumfin Roads which adjoin the park as it stretches in a crescent to Palmerstown. The Chapelizod Bypass runs North West alongside. Kylemore Road joins the motorway near the West County Hotel. California Hills Park has superb views north over the Strawberry Beds to the Phoenix Park. The Farmleigh clock tower at Castleknock is a prominent landmark. The park is used for football, golf practice, cross country runs and walks and includes a children's play area. Ballyfermot Leisure Co-Op is located near the G.A.A. Sports Park on Gurteen Road.
The magnificent Irish National War Memorial, Memorial Gardens and Park, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, are accessible from the Sarsfield Road via East Timor Park.
Other parks located in the area include Le Fanu Park, Glenaulin Sports Park, Markievitz Park, East Timor Park, and Cherry Orchard Park. Cherry Orchard Park area is the proposed site for a new Village Centre. Le Fanu Park houses the Ballyfermot Leisure Centre and The Base.
The Ballyfermot Medical Clinic is located on the main thoroughfare through Ballyfermot at the junction of Drumfinn Road, next to the Ballyfermot Civic Centre. This clinic facilitates Dental and General Practice and general nursing services to the public. Ballyfermot Medical Clinic is owned and operated by the HSE.
The Hermitage Medical Clinic is located in close proximity to the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, just off the N4 motorway. The Hermitage Hospital is a 101 bed private facility with specialised medical teams who provide medical, surgical and advanced radiotherapy care to patients.
The hospital is privately run. Its principal investors are Sean Mulryan, Larry Goodman, John Flynn and George Duffy M.D.
Secondary Schools
Third Level Colleges
A fictional Ballyfermot School was created for the children's television programme Roy
and many of the episodes were set there.
Pubs and restaurants in the area include Downeys, O'Sheas, Chasers, Tim Youngs, Decies County, and Fowlers County Bar.
The Gala is the largest bingo venue in the area. It also houses a large snooker hall. The Gala has seen many recreational uses since its heyday as the major local cinema and concert venue. It opened in 1953. People who grew up here have fond and nostalgic memories of childhood Saturday matinees, complete with weekly episodes of Batman and Super Man. This serial movie was called 'The Follier Upper'. The De La Salle Boys Band under the baton of bandmaster Brother Cyprian played its annual Christmas 'Rocking Spotlight Concert' at the Gala.
The Ritz Ballroom was a very popular venue in the early rock and roll era. It featured the capital's top rated rock bands. Major attractions included John Hardy's Blue Clavons and The Melochords featuring Dickie Rock.
The Young Shadows featured aspiring talent from around Dublin. They rehearsed and played resident gigs here at the Ritz Ballroom. This very young band made its national debut on RTÉ's Showband Show live in black and white. Local stars Pat Long sang, Liam Campelli and Eamon Pollard played lead and rhythm guitars, with Jimmy O'Neill on trumpet. Crumlin's Paddy O'Keefe riffed on bass, tightly synchronized with Inchicore's Paddy Holgate on drums, while Phibsboro native Joe Geoghegan lead the band on sax and clarinet. This real life 'Joey De Lips' went on to feature in the chart topping Dreams with Eric Bell (Thin Lizzy) and Pendulum, Toronto Canada's hugely popular rock band. The Fureys, the internationally successful traditional Irish music family band grew up and began their career here in Ballyfermot. Their father Ted Furey was a highly rated traditional fiddler and a member of Comhaltas Ceoltori Eireann.
There are an impressive variety of seniors activities available. Many events and activities are sponsored by churches, pubs and clubs. Many very successful events are organised by the seniors themselves, with transportarion assistance Dublin Bus.
The Civic Centre shares space with the Ballyfermot Residents Association. A ground breaking Irish movement, B.R.A. has been a popular venue for local events since its inception in the seventies, and features a popular weekly disco.
Ballyfermot Public Library serves the area, which is has several reading clubs. Details of these can be found in the Public Library, The Civic Centre, and the various community centres. The Library also hosts the Nature Club.
St. Matthews Community Centre is located adjacent to St. Matthews Church in Ballyfermot Upper (west) http://www.stmatthewsballyfermot.com/.
The Base is a popular youth centre and child care facility. It is located at Blackditch Road in Le Fanu Park. The Base is a multifaceted community centre and the first facility of its kind in Ireland. A full description of its many activities, facilities, structure and scope are available at www.thebase.ie
, William Flood
, Alan Quinn
and Glenn Whelan
all played for Cherry Orchard. John Wilkes has been credited with nurturing some of Cherry orchard FC's most notable successes. Ballyfermot United FC shares the origins of Cherry Orchard FC with Joe Kelly. The Ballyfermot United FC Social Club is located close to Le Fanu Park. Other clubs include the Black Diamonds, Drumfinn celtic, C.I.E. Ranch, O.L.V, Clifden Celtic and the newly formed Orchard Celtic.
Orchard Celtic are performing successfully with two senior teams formed. The under twelves team have won the double in their second year.
The under fourteens won The Hollywood Cup in 2011.
St Patrick's Athletic F.C. are located in nearby Inchicore, and Ballyfermot has a large number of Saints fans.
clubs serving Ballyfermot.
Ballyfermot De La Salle is the largest football club in the area. They originated in 1953 as Ballyfermot Gaels. They currently play their senior home games in the Drumfin/Glenaulin Sports Park, located on the west side of California Hills Park. They train and play junior fixtures at the facilities located behind the De La Salle Primary Schools on Ballyfermot Road.
Another club, Liffey Gaels, was founded in 1951. It was known as Rialto Gaels for over twenty years. In the 1970s it changed its name to SS. Michaels and James' to reflect the efforts of the teachers and students of these schools in the development of the club. In 1984, a local juvenile club Donore Iosagain amalgamated with SS Michaels and James' and the club was renamed the Liffey Gaels. Today their immediate catchment area runs from Ballyfermot through Inchicore and the parishes of St. Michael’s, St. James’, St. Catherine’s, Rialto and Donore Avenue. The Gaels play their home games Liffeyside at East Timor Park on Sarsfield Road in Inchicore.
Jimmy Keating of Le Fanu Rd Ballyfermot, a trojan worker for the club was eventually elected life president. He died in Sep, 1996, leaving a fine sports successful club behind. He was the manager of the senior teams in both football and hurling with Jack Whitney & Bob Weathman. The club plays in the Kerry colours as a tribute to the first parish priest, Kerryman Charles Canon Troy who sponsored the club. Jimmy led the club to many successes on his watch, reaching Croke Park on a number of occasions.
Badminton, martial arts, snooker, pool, bowling, squash, handball, racquetball, indoor go-karting, tennis, pitch and putt, fishing, boules, rock-climbing, River Liffey rowing, and table tennis are all represented by local clubs.
Ballyfermot Leisure Co-Op (BLCO) is located on Gurteen Road adjacent to Mary Queen of Angels National School. The facilities include:
Liffey Valley Fitnesshttp://www.liffeyvalleyfitness.ie/ is located on the Colcut Road
Sheldon Park Fitness Centre is located on the Kylemore Road,
SanoVitae Health and Fitness Club is located in the Clarion Hotel complex close to the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre.
The Little Gym is also located in the Clarion Hotel complex.
is a third level radio, film and television arts college. It is home to the Irish School Of Animation. Often referred to as the Rock School. Many current media personalities have studied here. Tomm Moore
who co-directed with Nora Twomey on the award winning animated movie The Secret of Kells was a graduate of ISA class of '98. Multi-award achiever and recent Oscar winning animator Richie Baneham is a graduate of the Irish School Of Animation at BCFE.
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,...
, located 7 kilometres due west from the city centre, and to the south of the Phoenix Park
Phoenix Park
Phoenix Park is an urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying 2–4 km west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its 16 km perimeter wall encloses , one of the largest walled city parks in Europe. It includes large areas of grassland and tree-lined avenues, and since the seventeenth...
. It is bordered to the north by Chapelizod
Chapelizod
Chapelizod is a picturesque Irish village preserved within the city of Dublin, Ireland. It lies in the verdant wooded valley of the River Liffey, on the way to the slopes of the Strawberry Beds, below the Phoenix Park. The village is associated with Iseult of Ireland and the location of Iseault's...
, to the south by Walkinstown
Walkinstown
Walkinstown is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland, situated on the Southside of the city, approximately 6 kilometres south-west of Dublin city centre. The suburb borders Crumlin to the east, Drimnagh to the north, Greenhills to the south and Ballymount, Bluebell and Clondalkin to the west...
, to the east by Inchicore
Inchicore
-Location and access:Located five kilometres due west of the city centre, Inchicore lies south of the River Liffey, west of Kilmainham, north of Drimnagh and east of Ballyfermot. The majority of Inchicore is in the Dublin 8 postal district...
, and to the west by Palmerstown
Palmerstown
Palmerstown , occasionally referred to as Palmerston, is a suburb of Dublin,Ireland. It is located about 8km west of the city centre, in the administrative county of South Dublin. The area is bordered to the north by the River Liffey, to the west by Lucan, to the south by Ballyfermot and to theeast...
and Clondalkin
Clondalkin
-Today:Modern Clondalkin is a busy satellite town of Dublin, with a population of 43,929 in 2006. Retail facilities include Tesco Ireland- and Dunnes Stores-led shopping centres, and Aldi and Lidl stores on the Fonthill Road and New Nangor Road respectively, and the village centre is a base for...
. The River Liffey
River Liffey
The Liffey is a river in Ireland, which flows through the centre of Dublin. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the River Poddle and the River Camac. The river supplies much of Dublin's water, and a range of recreational opportunities.-Name:The river was previously named An Ruirthech,...
lies to the north, and the Grand Canal
Grand Canal of Ireland
The Grand Canal is the southernmost of a pair of canals that connect Dublin, in the east of Ireland, with the River Shannon in the west,via Tullamore and a number of other villages and towns, the two canals nearly encircling Dublin's inner city. Its sister canal on the Northside of Dublin is the...
, now a recreational waterway, borders the south. Ballyfermot is designated as postal district Dublin 10.
History
The name Ballyfermot is derived from the medieval Gaelic Baile Formaid. It was named after Dermot, a chieftain of the Mac Giolla Mocholmog sept, who ruled the medieval cantred of Ui Dunchada. Ui Dunchada covered much of what later became the Barony of Newcastle. It extended across south west Dublin from the Liffey to north west Wicklow. The Mac Giolla Mocholmog also were prominent in commercial and trade activity in the Danish City of Dublin (Dyflin). They had a large storehouse at Mocholmog's Lane (now St. Michael's Lane) on the west side of Christ Church CathedralChrist Church Cathedral, Dublin
Christ Church Cathedral is the cathedral of the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough and the cathedral of the Ecclesiastical province of the United Provinces of Dublin and Cashel in the Church of Ireland...
.
The 12th century saw the Cambro-Normans expand west from Pembroke
Pembroke Township
Pembroke Township was an area adjoining the City of Dublin, Ireland formed for local government purposes by private Act of Parliament in 1863. The township took its name from the fact that most of the area was part of the estate of the Earl of Pembroke. The township was governed by commissioners...
in South Wales into Leinster. Under the auspices of the Papal Bull Laudabiliter
Laudabiliter
Laudabiliter was a papal bull issued in 1155 by Adrian IV, the only Englishman to serve as Pope, giving the Angevin King Henry II of England the right to assume control over Ireland and apply the Gregorian Reforms in the Irish church...
of Adrian IV, and encouraged by his successor, Pope Alexander III
Pope Alexander III
Pope Alexander III , born Rolando of Siena, was Pope from 1159 to 1181. He is noted in history for laying the foundation stone for the Notre Dame de Paris.-Church career:...
, the expeditionary force of knights and their retinue of about six hundred were dispatched by order of the
Angevin
House of Plantagenet
The House of Plantagenet , a branch of the Angevins, was a royal house founded by Geoffrey V of Anjou, father of Henry II of England. Plantagenet kings first ruled the Kingdom of England in the 12th century. Their paternal ancestors originated in the French province of Gâtinais and gained the...
King Henry II of England. They duly arrived at Wexford in 1169 by invitation as allies of Dermot Mac Murrough Ri of Leinster.
Through feudal land grants and intermarriage the Cambro Norman knights came into possession of land in southwest Dublin. Family names associated with the area at this time included O'Cathasaidhe, Fitzwilliam, Le Gros (Grace), O'Dualainghe, Tyrrell, O'Hennessy, O'Morchain, Dillon, O'Kelly, De Barneval (Barnewall), and Newcomyn (Newcomen).
Ballyfermot Castle was located northwest of the intersection of Le Fanu and Raheen Roads, the centre of the old Ballyfermot townships. It was built in the mid fourteenth century by Wolfram De Barneval as a stronghold against the formidable O'Byrnes and O'Tooles. These aboriginal Gaelic Irish families had been discommoded from their lush home territory around Naas. They were driven south into the wooded Dublin hills. Unlike their Mac Giolla Mocolmog relatives (who were now called FitzDermot in Hiberno-Norman) they had not integrated with the evolving Norman Irish society. They frequently raided, rustled and burned local bawn enclosures from their inaccessible hillside encampments.
Ballyfermot Castle was later inherited by the Newcomen family, who held it well into the mid-seventeenth century. It subsequently declined in importance, and became a school which was managed by headmaster William Prosser in the latter eighteenth century. Samuel Lewis (publisher) in his celebrated work A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland places a Captain Lamplin as living there in 1834, possibly the last resident. The castle is reputed to have been destroyed by fire. Ballyfermot House, known locally as the tiled house, possibly built by the Verveer family, stood on the great park to the north of the castle's aquaculture pond. Built in the seventeenth century, the house had a quirky slated facade in the Dutch style. It was home to Lt. Joseph Lampier and his wife Bridget Cavanaugh of Goldenbridge around this time.
The nineteenth century newspaper publisher and writer Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, proprietor of the Dublin Evening Mail
Dublin Evening Mail
The Dublin Evening Mail was between 1823 and 1962 one of Dublin's evening newspapers.-Origins:Launched in 1823, it proved to be the longest lasting evening paper in Ireland...
lived in nearby Chapelizod when not in residence his city townhouse at Merrion Square. Ballyfermot and Chapelizod feature in his novel The House by the Churchyard
The House by the Churchyard
The House by the Churchyard is a novel by Sheridan Le Fanu that combines elements of the mystery novel and the historical novel. Aside from its own merits, the novel is important as a key source for James Joyce's Finnegans Wake.- Plot summary :...
and some of his other works. This Georgian house still adjoins Park Lane next to St. Laurence's parish churchyard in Chapelizod. The eighteenth century church, alongside the original medieval bell tower, is still in use. It serves the united parish of Ballyfermot, Palmerstown, and Chapelizod in the Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
. Le Fanu Road is named after him, as is Le Fanu Park, referred to locally as The Lawns. Le Fanu was a mentor of the writer Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker
Abraham "Bram" Stoker was an Irish novelist and short story writer, best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula...
author of Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
, who did the theater reviews for his newspaper The Dublin Evening Mail.
A short distance from the Castle site at the south-east end of Le Fanu Park is a mound which covers a local historical site containing the ruins and graveyard of the rectory chapel of St. Laurence. It is believed to have originated as a Culdee
Culdee
Céli Dé or Culdees were originally members of ascetic Christian monastic and eremitical communities of Ireland, Scotland and England in the Middle Ages. The term is used of St. John the Apostle, of a missioner from abroad recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters at the year 806, and of Óengus...
establishment of monastic Celtic Christianity
Celtic Christianity
Celtic Christianity or Insular Christianity refers broadly to certain features of Christianity that were common, or held to be common, across the Celtic-speaking world during the Early Middle Ages...
, perhaps a branch of the major Tallaght Maelruain or Kilnamanagh monasteries. It was connected to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem at Kilmainham
Kilmainham
Kilmainham is a suburb of Dublin south of the River Liffey and west of the city centre, in the Dublin 8 postal district.-History:In the Viking era, the monastery was home to the first Norse base in Ireland....
in the thirteenth century. The ruins survived into the nineteen sixties. It served Ballyfermot and the surrounding townlands into the late seventeenth century.
Among the local people buried here are members of the Newcomen and Barnewall families. Sir Robert Newcomen who died in 1629 and his son Sir Beverley Newcomen, Admiral of Ireland, who died in 1637 while taking soundings at Waterford harbour were buried here. His mother Elizabeth (Barnewall of Drimnagh Castle) who died in 1643 is buried as is his widow Margaret (Usher of Donnybrook Castle) who subsequently married Sir Hubert Adrian-Verveer. The Newcomens, Barons of Newcastle Lyons were influential in Irish governance, military and legal circles. They resided at Ballyfermot Castle which stood in the nearby park. The great park lay to the north and west of the castle. This noble family intermarried with the Barnwalls of Drimnagh, the Plunketts of Malahide and the St. Lawrences of Howth. M.P's for the Westmeath constituency of Kilbeggan, they also married into the Fitzgeralds of Maynooth, and the Nugents, Husseys, Geoghegans and Nagles of Meath and Westmeath. The line had run out by the Restoration in 1660, and after Margaret's death, the castle was taken up by Sir Thomas Domville.
Dublin City Council covered the castle's remaining ruin with topsoil, keeping its contents intact for future historical research. Close by was the demesne home farm, last occupied by the Corrigan family. It was originally surrounded by the walled orchard and gardens.
Local manor houses of note include Johnstown House (St. John's College), Colepark House, Sarsfield House, Sevenoaks, Floraville, Auburn Villa and Gallanstown House. The Ballyfermot townlands were transferred from the Barony of Newcastle to the Barony of Uppercross in the nineteenth century.
The dairy and stud farms in the townlands of Ballyfermot were acquired by the authorities in the 1930s. They were developed into suburban housing estates needed to alleviate the post war housing shortage. This development, along with estates at Drimnagh
Drimnagh
Drimnagh is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland, situated on the Southside of the city between Walkinstown, Crumlin and Inchicore, bordering the Grand Canal to the north and east. Drimnagh is in postal district Dublin 12.-Early to Medieval:...
, Crumlin
Crumlin, Dublin
Crumlin is suburb in Southside Dublin, Ireland. It is the site of Ireland's largest hospital for children.-Location:Crumlin covers the area from the River Poddle near the KCR to the Drimnagh Road, to Bunting Road, and is situated not far from the city centre, on the Southside of Dublin city....
, Walkinstown
Walkinstown
Walkinstown is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland, situated on the Southside of the city, approximately 6 kilometres south-west of Dublin city centre. The suburb borders Crumlin to the east, Drimnagh to the north, Greenhills to the south and Ballymount, Bluebell and Clondalkin to the west...
in the south city, and Cabra
Cabra Castle
Cabra Castle is the name given to two castles, one now ruined, the other now used as an impressive hotel. They are near the village of Cabra near Kingscourt in County Cavan.- External links :...
, Finglas
Finglas
-See also:* List of towns and villages in Ireland* List of abbeys and priories in Ireland...
and Donnycarney
Donnycarney
Donnycarney or Donnycarny is a Northside suburb in the city of Dublin, Ireland. It is bordered by Beaumont, Artane, Killester and Marino, and lies in the postal districts of Dublin 9 and 5....
in the north city also provided modern accommodation to facilitate the Dublin City Council public housing programs. The first estate was built in the late 1940s at Ballyfermot Lower (East) to the south of Sarsfield Road and Ballyfermot Road, and was originally called the Sarsfield Estate. The street names reflect this historical theme. Gradually, the adjacent townlands to the south of Ballyfermot Road, and Grange Cross of Ballyfermot Upper (West), Blackditch, Cherry Orchard, Raheen, Gallanstown, along with the eastern part of Johnstown, a townland of Palmerstown
Palmerstown
Palmerstown , occasionally referred to as Palmerston, is a suburb of Dublin,Ireland. It is located about 8km west of the city centre, in the administrative county of South Dublin. The area is bordered to the north by the River Liffey, to the west by Lucan, to the south by Ballyfermot and to theeast...
, located to the north and west of Johnstown House, were developed and incorporated into postal area Dublin 10.
Commerce
The area is now a centre of national commercial distribution, with easy access to the national trunk roads. Ballyfermot is bordered to the north by the N4, to the south by the N7 and to the west by the M50M50 motorway (Ireland)
The M50 motorway is a motorway in Ireland running in a C-shaped ring around the north-eastern, northern, western and southern sides of the capital city, Dublin. The northern end of the route is located at the entrance to the Dublin Port Tunnel. Anti-clockwise it heads northwest through the tunnel...
. There is also relative ease of access to the city centre. Some of the major Irish motor distributors are based in Ballyfermot. They include Toyota, Nissan, General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
, J. C. Bamford
J. C. Bamford
JCB is a global construction, demolition and agricultural equipment company headquartered in Rocester, United Kingdom. It is the world's third-largest construction equipment manufacturer. It produces over 300 types of machines, including diggers , excavators, tractors and diesel engines...
(JCB), Harris Assembly and Hilux. They are centred around Kylemore Road, home to many large companies including Thornton's Recycling, C&C, FBD, and Royal Liver Insurance. The industrial estates include Park West and JFK.
There are several hotels in the area. Days Hotel at Park West and Sheldon Park on Kylemore and Bewleys at Newlands are popular.
A community based CCTV monitoring scheme for Ballyfermot was launched in early 2003. This is part of the Department of Justice Town Centre CCTV monitoring initiative.
Transport
Currently, 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...
(routes 78, 78A, 79, 79A, 76, 76A, 76B, 18, 26,28, 210) and Dualway(123) serve the area. An hourly commuter train service is offered by Irish Rail, to Heuston station at Kingsbridge. The local station is Cherry Orchard/Park West Station, which is located on the Park West Road on the western perimeter of Ballyfermot. A proposed Dublin Metro route passes to the south. The Luas
Luas
Luas , also promoted in the development stage as the Dublin Light Rail System, is a tram or light rail system serving Dublin, the first such system in the decades since the closure of the last of the Dublin tramways. In 2007, the system carried 28.4 million passengers, a growth of 10% since...
light rail system also serves Ballyfermot. The south side stop is near the Kylemore and Naas Road intersection.
Parks
The California Hills Park is the largest recreational park in the area. The name originated as a colloquialism - there were few designated play facilities in the very early days and the California Hills was the name used by local movie going kids who played 'Cowboys and Indians' there. The name later became official by popular public request.The park covers part of the great esker
Esker
An esker is a long winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel, examples of which occur in glaciated and formerly glaciated regions of Europe and North America...
and overlooks the Liffey Valley from the south. From Le Fanu and Kylemore Roads to the east, it falls away into the landscaped valley of a Liffey catchment. It runs west toward Glenaulin and Drumfin Roads which adjoin the park as it stretches in a crescent to Palmerstown. The Chapelizod Bypass runs North West alongside. Kylemore Road joins the motorway near the West County Hotel. California Hills Park has superb views north over the Strawberry Beds to the Phoenix Park. The Farmleigh clock tower at Castleknock is a prominent landmark. The park is used for football, golf practice, cross country runs and walks and includes a children's play area. Ballyfermot Leisure Co-Op is located near the G.A.A. Sports Park on Gurteen Road.
The magnificent Irish National War Memorial, Memorial Gardens and Park, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, are accessible from the Sarsfield Road via East Timor Park.
Other parks located in the area include Le Fanu Park, Glenaulin Sports Park, Markievitz Park, East Timor Park, and Cherry Orchard Park. Cherry Orchard Park area is the proposed site for a new Village Centre. Le Fanu Park houses the Ballyfermot Leisure Centre and The Base.
The Grand Canal
The Grand Canal (Ireland) was conceived as a state-of-the-art facility for commercial and personal transportation. It was constructed in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The Grand Canal is now a recreational waterway. It passes along the south side of Ballyfermot. Verdant towpath walkways extend continuously to Hazelhatch, Co. Kildare. A historic bridge crosses the canal near the seventh lock at Killeen.Medical Facilities
Cherry Orchard Hospital houses the National Infections Monitoring Centre. The centre played a pivotal role in diagnostics and control during the Foot and Mouth Crisis. It also monitors the Bird Flu epidemic. The hospital also plays a major role in the analysis and diagnoses of MRSA. MRSA is a major health hazard for Irish hospitals. During April and May 2009 the hospital played a major role in the monitoring and control of the H1N1 virus (swine flu) outbreak of 2009.The Ballyfermot Medical Clinic is located on the main thoroughfare through Ballyfermot at the junction of Drumfinn Road, next to the Ballyfermot Civic Centre. This clinic facilitates Dental and General Practice and general nursing services to the public. Ballyfermot Medical Clinic is owned and operated by the HSE.
The Hermitage Medical Clinic is located in close proximity to the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, just off the N4 motorway. The Hermitage Hospital is a 101 bed private facility with specialised medical teams who provide medical, surgical and advanced radiotherapy care to patients.
The hospital is privately run. Its principal investors are Sean Mulryan, Larry Goodman, John Flynn and George Duffy M.D.
Public Institutions
Cloverhill Courthouse and Remand Centre are located between Clondalkin, Palmerstown, and Ballyfermot in Dublin 10. Wheatfield Prison is located on the same site adjacent to the Courthouse.Education
Primary Schools- De La Salle National School
- Mary Queen of Angels National Schools
- St. Louise's Junior & Senior National Schools
- Dominican Convent Primary School (The Dominican Primary School complex includes St Michael's, St Raphael's and St Gabriel's National Schools)
- St. Ultan's National School
Secondary Schools
- Kylemore College
- St. John's College De La SalleSt. John's College De La SalleSt. John's College De La Salle is an all-male secondary school in Ballyfermot, South Dublin in Ireland. The school is run by the De La Salle Christian Brothers. St. John's College is fully funded by the Department of Education and Skills. In this school, there are only five levels. 1st year and 2nd...
- Dominican Convent Secondary School
- Caritas College
Third Level Colleges
- Ballyfermot College of Further EducationBallyfermot College of Further EducationBallyfermot College of Further Education is an educational institution in Ballyfermot, Dublin, Ireland.BCFE is a college of further and higher education providing vocational education.MANAGEMENT...
A fictional Ballyfermot School was created for the children's television programme Roy
Roy (TV series)
Roy is an Irish TV Show, based in Dublin, which has been shown on TRTÉ in the Republic of Ireland, CBBC in the United Kingdom and ABC3 in Australia.. The show centres around the title character Roy O'Brien, the animated son of a real family, as he settles in to his new school...
and many of the episodes were set there.
Social and Cultural
The Ballyfermot Community Festival takes place annually. It has developed into a major event over the last few years.Pubs and restaurants in the area include Downeys, O'Sheas, Chasers, Tim Youngs, Decies County, and Fowlers County Bar.
The Gala is the largest bingo venue in the area. It also houses a large snooker hall. The Gala has seen many recreational uses since its heyday as the major local cinema and concert venue. It opened in 1953. People who grew up here have fond and nostalgic memories of childhood Saturday matinees, complete with weekly episodes of Batman and Super Man. This serial movie was called 'The Follier Upper'. The De La Salle Boys Band under the baton of bandmaster Brother Cyprian played its annual Christmas 'Rocking Spotlight Concert' at the Gala.
The Ritz Ballroom was a very popular venue in the early rock and roll era. It featured the capital's top rated rock bands. Major attractions included John Hardy's Blue Clavons and The Melochords featuring Dickie Rock.
The Young Shadows featured aspiring talent from around Dublin. They rehearsed and played resident gigs here at the Ritz Ballroom. This very young band made its national debut on RTÉ's Showband Show live in black and white. Local stars Pat Long sang, Liam Campelli and Eamon Pollard played lead and rhythm guitars, with Jimmy O'Neill on trumpet. Crumlin's Paddy O'Keefe riffed on bass, tightly synchronized with Inchicore's Paddy Holgate on drums, while Phibsboro native Joe Geoghegan lead the band on sax and clarinet. This real life 'Joey De Lips' went on to feature in the chart topping Dreams with Eric Bell (Thin Lizzy) and Pendulum, Toronto Canada's hugely popular rock band. The Fureys, the internationally successful traditional Irish music family band grew up and began their career here in Ballyfermot. Their father Ted Furey was a highly rated traditional fiddler and a member of Comhaltas Ceoltori Eireann.
There are an impressive variety of seniors activities available. Many events and activities are sponsored by churches, pubs and clubs. Many very successful events are organised by the seniors themselves, with transportarion assistance Dublin Bus.
The Civic Centre shares space with the Ballyfermot Residents Association. A ground breaking Irish movement, B.R.A. has been a popular venue for local events since its inception in the seventies, and features a popular weekly disco.
Ballyfermot Public Library serves the area, which is has several reading clubs. Details of these can be found in the Public Library, The Civic Centre, and the various community centres. The Library also hosts the Nature Club.
St. Matthews Community Centre is located adjacent to St. Matthews Church in Ballyfermot Upper (west) http://www.stmatthewsballyfermot.com/.
The Base is a popular youth centre and child care facility. It is located at Blackditch Road in Le Fanu Park. The Base is a multifaceted community centre and the first facility of its kind in Ireland. A full description of its many activities, facilities, structure and scope are available at www.thebase.ie
Football
The Cherry Orchard Football Club takes part in the FAI Carlsberg Senior Cup soccer competition. A number of players who started with this team have gone on to play professional football in the English Premiership and its associated Divisions. Footballers Andy ReidAndy Reid (footballer)
Andrew Matthew "Andy" Reid is an Irish footballer who currently plays for Nottingham Forest in the Football League Championship. He plays as a midfielder and has also represented the Republic of Ireland.-Personal life:...
, William Flood
Willo Flood
William "Willo" Flood is an Irish footballer who currently plays as a right winger for Scottish Premier League club Dundee United. He has also won 15 caps for his country at under-20 and under-21 levels....
, Alan Quinn
Alan Quinn
Alan Quinn is a professional footballer from the Republic of Ireland. He is a midfielder and is currently a free agent....
and Glenn Whelan
Glenn Whelan
Glenn David Whelan is an Irish footballer who plays as a centre midfielder from Premier League club Stoke City and the Republic of Ireland national team....
all played for Cherry Orchard. John Wilkes has been credited with nurturing some of Cherry orchard FC's most notable successes. Ballyfermot United FC shares the origins of Cherry Orchard FC with Joe Kelly. The Ballyfermot United FC Social Club is located close to Le Fanu Park. Other clubs include the Black Diamonds, Drumfinn celtic, C.I.E. Ranch, O.L.V, Clifden Celtic and the newly formed Orchard Celtic.
Orchard Celtic are performing successfully with two senior teams formed. The under twelves team have won the double in their second year.
The under fourteens won The Hollywood Cup in 2011.
St Patrick's Athletic F.C. are located in nearby Inchicore, and Ballyfermot has a large number of Saints fans.
GAA
There are two vibrant and successful senior Gaelic Athletic AssociationGaelic 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...
clubs serving Ballyfermot.
Ballyfermot De La Salle is the largest football club in the area. They originated in 1953 as Ballyfermot Gaels. They currently play their senior home games in the Drumfin/Glenaulin Sports Park, located on the west side of California Hills Park. They train and play junior fixtures at the facilities located behind the De La Salle Primary Schools on Ballyfermot Road.
Another club, Liffey Gaels, was founded in 1951. It was known as Rialto Gaels for over twenty years. In the 1970s it changed its name to SS. Michaels and James' to reflect the efforts of the teachers and students of these schools in the development of the club. In 1984, a local juvenile club Donore Iosagain amalgamated with SS Michaels and James' and the club was renamed the Liffey Gaels. Today their immediate catchment area runs from Ballyfermot through Inchicore and the parishes of St. Michael’s, St. James’, St. Catherine’s, Rialto and Donore Avenue. The Gaels play their home games Liffeyside at East Timor Park on Sarsfield Road in Inchicore.
Jimmy Keating of Le Fanu Rd Ballyfermot, a trojan worker for the club was eventually elected life president. He died in Sep, 1996, leaving a fine sports successful club behind. He was the manager of the senior teams in both football and hurling with Jack Whitney & Bob Weathman. The club plays in the Kerry colours as a tribute to the first parish priest, Kerryman Charles Canon Troy who sponsored the club. Jimmy led the club to many successes on his watch, reaching Croke Park on a number of occasions.
Boxing
St. Matthews Boxing Club is located on Drumfinn Road adjacent to the grounds of Mary Queen of Angels National School, close to Ballyfermot Garda Station.Other Sports
The Pigeon Club near Sarsfield Park reflects a local tradition.Badminton, martial arts, snooker, pool, bowling, squash, handball, racquetball, indoor go-karting, tennis, pitch and putt, fishing, boules, rock-climbing, River Liffey rowing, and table tennis are all represented by local clubs.
Leisure Centres
Ballyfermot Leisure Centre is located on Le Fanu Road. The centre is the largest in the area. The facilities include:- 25 metre six lane pool with moveable floor
- Six 5-a-side all weather football pitches
- Fully equipped gymnasium
- Sauna
- Steam Room
- Large aerobic studio
- Fully Marked Sportshall
Ballyfermot Leisure Co-Op (BLCO) is located on Gurteen Road adjacent to Mary Queen of Angels National School. The facilities include:
- Handball Alley
- Raquetball Court
- 2 Squash Courts
- Indoor Hardfloor Football Pitch
- Badminton
- Boules
- Basketball
- Gymnasium
- Bar
- Sports Tuition
Liffey Valley Fitnesshttp://www.liffeyvalleyfitness.ie/ is located on the Colcut Road
Sheldon Park Fitness Centre is located on the Kylemore Road,
SanoVitae Health and Fitness Club is located in the Clarion Hotel complex close to the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre.
The Little Gym is also located in the Clarion Hotel complex.
Religion
Religious institutions serving the area include the Roman Catholic Church of the Assumption and the Church of St. Matthew, St. Laurence's Church, Chapelizod in the Church of Ireland, and a number of Christian Evangelist denominations. There are also centres of spirituality and life awareness serving non traditional believers in the community.B.C.F.E.
Ballyfermot College of Further EducationBallyfermot College of Further Education
Ballyfermot College of Further Education is an educational institution in Ballyfermot, Dublin, Ireland.BCFE is a college of further and higher education providing vocational education.MANAGEMENT...
is a third level radio, film and television arts college. It is home to the Irish School Of Animation. Often referred to as the Rock School. Many current media personalities have studied here. Tomm Moore
Tomm Moore
Tomm Moore is an Irish illustrator, comics artist and filmmaker. He is co-founder of Cartoon Saloon, an animation studio and production company, based in Kilkenny, Ireland...
who co-directed with Nora Twomey on the award winning animated movie The Secret of Kells was a graduate of ISA class of '98. Multi-award achiever and recent Oscar winning animator Richie Baneham is a graduate of the Irish School Of Animation at BCFE.
Books
- A History of the County of Dublin Part IV (1906, F. Erlington Ball);
- A Topographical Dictionary Of Ireland (1837 Samuel Lewis).