Inchicore is a suburb of
DublinDublin is the largest city and capital of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath or Áth Cliath ; the English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning "black pool". It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the...
,
IrelandIreland is a country in north-western Europe. The modern sovereign state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned on 3 May 1921. It is a parliamentary democracy and a republic...
.
Located five km due west of the city centre, Inchicore lies south of the
River LiffeyThe 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,...
, west of
KilmainhamKilmainham is a suburb of Dublin south of the River Liffey and west of the city centre, in the Dublin 8 postal district....
, north of
DrimnaghDrimnagh 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:...
and east of
BallyfermotBallyfermot is a suburb in the city of Dublin, 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...
. It is in the Dublin 8 postal district.
The townlands of Inchicore North and Inchicore South are located in the civil parish of St. James, Dublin, in the Barony of Uppercross.
The
Grand CanalThe Grand Canal is the southernmost of a pair of canals that connect Dublin, in the east of the country, with the River Shannon in the west, the two canals nearly encircling Dublin's inner city. Its sister canal on the Northside of Dublin is the Royal Canal...
, was developed by James Fitzgerald, the first
Duke of LeinsterThe Duke of Leinster is Ireland's premier peer.-Earls of Kildare:...
, a leading economic progressive, and his Grand Canal Company.
Inchicore is a suburb of
DublinDublin is the largest city and capital of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath or Áth Cliath ; the English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning "black pool". It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the...
,
IrelandIreland is a country in north-western Europe. The modern sovereign state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned on 3 May 1921. It is a parliamentary democracy and a republic...
.
Location and access
Located five km due west of the city centre, Inchicore lies south of the
River LiffeyThe 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,...
, west of
KilmainhamKilmainham is a suburb of Dublin south of the River Liffey and west of the city centre, in the Dublin 8 postal district....
, north of
DrimnaghDrimnagh 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:...
and east of
BallyfermotBallyfermot is a suburb in the city of Dublin, 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...
. It is in the Dublin 8 postal district.
The townlands of Inchicore North and Inchicore South are located in the civil parish of St. James, Dublin, in the Barony of Uppercross.
The
Grand CanalThe Grand Canal is the southernmost of a pair of canals that connect Dublin, in the east of the country, with the River Shannon in the west, the two canals nearly encircling Dublin's inner city. Its sister canal on the Northside of Dublin is the Royal Canal...
, was developed by James Fitzgerald, the first
Duke of LeinsterThe Duke of Leinster is Ireland's premier peer.-Earls of Kildare:...
, a leading economic progressive, and his Grand Canal Company. This major passenger and commercial trading route runs through the lush productive farmlands and peat bogs of the Irish midlands. It carried significant traffic in the great boom of the eighteenth century, but faded after the railways were introduced. It is now a recreational waterway. It runs along the southern peremeter of Inchicore, along with the recently implemented
LuasLuas , also promoted in the development stage as the Dublin Light Rail System, is a light rail or tram 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...
tramway system, which serves the area from Blackhorse to Suir Bridge. Inchicore is also served by a range of
Dublin BusDublin Bus is a public transport operator in Ireland. It operates an extensive bus network of 172 radial, cross-city and peripheral routes and 24 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.
History
Modern day Inchicore grew from a small village near the Camac River marsh at Inse Chaoire (Irish Gaelic for "Sheep Island") where sheep were herded and watered outside Dublin city prior to market.
The village developed into a significant industrial and residential suburb in the late nineteenth century, due primarily to its engineering works and west city tramway terminus. It was incorporated by the expanding city more than a century ago.
In 1889 both the
All Ireland HurlingThe All-Ireland Senior Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition in the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland. The series of games are organized by the Gaelic Athletic Association and are played during the summer months with the All-Ireland Football Final being played on the...
and the
All Ireland FootballThe All-Ireland Senior Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition in the game of Gaelic football played in Ireland. The series of games are organized by the Gaelic Athletic Association and are played during the summer months with the All-Ireland Football Final being played on the...
finals were played in Inchicore. It was the first time a venue in Dublin had hosted the finals.
DublinThe Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Dublin GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in the former County Dublin area. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
won the hurling final, while
TipperaryThe Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Tipperary GAA is one of the 34 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Tipperary...
won the football final.
Inchicore today
Inchicore's centre, at the junction of Emmet Road and Tyrconnel Road, still retains a village atmosphere. The area includes two banks, a variety of local stores including a butcher/deli, hardware, ethnic stores, and two mid size supermarkets. The village is served by several pubs, including the ancient Black Lion Inn, and several restaurants and take-aways.
Inchicore has a strong association with the national transportation system. A large tramyard terminus and coachworks and one of the major engineering works of the Irish railway network are located here. They are still a major employer among other significant industries and national distribution depots.
Inchicore is presently undergoing considerable public and privately funded development. It is currently experiencing strong growth in the density and diversity of its population.
Features
The Camac River, coming in from the Landsdowne Valley, flows east through Inchicore, by Kilmainham and Bow Bridge, and into the River Liffey near Heuston Station. Much of its course is now culverted and covered by buildings. During the eighteenth century small industries, primarily paper and textiles, developed along the Camac, which at the time was characterised by water mills, water wheels and weirs. In the 18th century, mills at Goldenbridge (Glydon Bridge) were producing paper and flour. Much of the industrial archaeology has disappeared but remanants still exist in the area.
The magnificent Irish National War Memorial set in the Memorial Gardens and Park, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, lies to the north of Inchicore. There is a nearby entrance on Con Colbert Road. It commemorates the fallen Irish of the Great War
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
. Official record books held in museum buildings there are inscribed with the names those who gave their lives.
The Phoenix Park can be accessed by the S.C.R over Islandbridge (Sarah Bridge).
Goldenbridge Cemetery Inchicore was the first dedicated Roman Catholic cemetery in Ireland after
Catholic EmancipationCatholic Emancipation or Catholic Relief, was a process in Great Britain and Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th century which involved reducing and removing many of the restrictions on Roman Catholics which had been introduced by the Act of Uniformity, the Test Acts and the Penal Laws...
. The
Catholic Relief Act 1829The Catholic Relief Act 1829 was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom on 24 March 1829, and received Royal Assent on 13 April. It was the culmination of the process of Catholic Emancipation in the United Kingdom, and in Ireland it repealed the last of the Penal Laws...
was passed by the Duke of Wellington's government. In 1830 Daniel O'Connell, the Liberator, was able to take his House of Commons seat as the first Roman Catholic M.P. in the U.K. Parliament.
Goldenbridge is the final resting place of modern Ireland's first head of government,
President of the Executive CouncilThe President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State was the head of government or prime minister of the Irish Free State which existed from 1922 to 1937...
W. T. Cosgrave who died in 1965.
Nearby Kilmainham Jail, now a national museum, was the scene of the execution of leaders of
Easter RisingThe Easter Rising , was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic...
of 1916. St. Michael's National School is built on the site of the former Richmond Barracks. Prisoners were taken here for processing after the surrender of the insurgents in 1916.
Timothy CoughlinTimothy Coughlin was a volunteer in the Irish Republican Army, mainly known for his part in assassinating Kevin O'Higgins in 1927 and for the controversy surrounding the circumstances of his death in 1928....
, one of the trio of Republican dissidents who assassinated
Kevin O'HigginsKevin Christopher O'Higgins was an Irish politician who served as Vice-President of the Executive Council and Minister for Justice.-Background:...
, Minister of Justice of the Irish Free State in 1927 lived here.
Industry
Inchicore Railway Works is the headquarters for mechanical engineering and rolling stock maintenance for Irish Rail/Iarnród Éireann. Established in 1844 by the Great Southern & Western Railway, it is the largest engineering complex of its kind in Ireland with a site area of 295,000 m² (73 acres). CIÉ also builds bus coaches for its fleets at the Spa Road coach works.
Arts
Inchicore has been home to a number of distinguished Irish poets. Michael Hartnett, lived on Tyrconnell Road from 1984 until about 1986. A plaque marks the house where he wrote some of Inchicore Haiku near Richmond Park, home to St. Patrick's Athlectic Football Club. 'Inchicore Haiku' recounts the hard times in his life after his separation from his family.
Another Irish poet
Thomas KinsellaThomas Kinsella is an Irish poet, translator, editor, and publisher.-Early life and work:Kinsella was born in Inchicore, County Dublin. He spent much of his childhood with relatives in rural Ireland. He was educated through the medium of Irish at the Model School, Inchicore and the O'Connell...
was born near Sarsfield House at the Ranch and attended the Model School. He is winner of the UCD Ulysses Medal.
Francis LedwidgeFrancis Ledwidge was an Irish war poet from County Meath. Sometimes known as the "poet of the blackbirds", he was killed in action at the Battle of Passchendaele during World War I.-Early life:...
has associations with St. Michael's CBS, formerly Richmond Barracks. This is where he enlisted and trained before shipping out to the trenches in Flanders during The Great War. The Inchicore Ledwidge Society runs events to raise awareness of the life and works of the poet-soldier.
The nationalist poet and teacher Padraig Pearse was imprisoned here before his execution in
Kilmainham GaolKilmainham Gaol is a former prison, located in Kilmainham in Dublin, which is now a museum. It has been run since the mid-1980s by the Office of Public Works , an Irish Government agency....
on the Inchicore Road.
The tramp writer
Jim Phelan (Irish writer)James Leo Phelan was an Irish tramp who wrote several books on tramp life and prison life.-Childhood:Phelan was born in Ireland in 1895 and spent his early years in the village of Inchicore in Dublin...
was born in Inchicore in 1896. On completing 15 years in prison for his part in the murder of a post mistress's son in a robbery in Liverpool in 1923, Phelan roamed the byways of England and wrote of his prison experience in books such as "Lifer" and "Jail Journey" and of his vagabond days in "Tramping the Toby" and "We Follow the Roads." Jim died in 1966 leaving a wealth of novels, biography and articles that truly portray the society in which he lived.
Inchicore is also home to members of Ireland's theatre and music community, with a number of established playwrights, actors and musicians connected with the area.
Education
Inchicore College of Further EducationInchicore College of Further Education is part of the CDVEC and is located in the heart of Inchicore, Dublin, Ireland.It was formerly known as Inchicore Vocational School when established in 1957....
is located at Emmet Road in Inchicore. Local primary schools include the Oblates National School, St. Michael's National School, Goldenbridge, and the Irish speaking Gaelscoil Inse Chor.
The recently restored Model School (Inchicore National School) built in 1853 was a prototype facility for government funded non-denominational primary school education in Ireland.
Religion
The
Roman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church. With more than a billion members, over half of all Christians and more than one-sixth of the world's population, the Catholic Church is a communion of the Western, or Latin Rite Church, and...
is served by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, and St. Michael's Church. There are two community centres, St Michael's and BERA.
The Oblates' Church features a full size replica of the Grotto of
LourdesLourdes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.Lourdes is a small market town lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees, famous for the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes that are reported to have occurred in 1858 to Bernadette Soubirous...
, which was opened in 1930. The grotto is 15 m (50 ft) high, 40 m (130 ft) wide and 12 m (40 ft) deep, and is built of reinforced concrete. Pilgrims visit the shrine all the year round. It is especially popular during the Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes (February 2 - February 11). The grotto houses the famous Inchicore Christmas
CribA crib is an infant bed in American English .Crib may also refer to:*A box crib, a wooden frame used to stabilise an object during a rescue*A slang used to describe a person's home; pad...
.
Arus Mhuire was for many years the location of a popular Sunday night dance for teenagers. It has great nostaliic for local couples who met and found lifelong partners there.
The Church of St. James serves the Church of Ireland.
Football Association of Ireland
St. Patrick's Athletic (founded in 1929 and commonly known as
St. Pat's) play in
Richmond ParkRichmond Park is a football stadium in Dublin, Ireland. It is the home ground for Irish football team St. Patricks Athletic of the League of Ireland. It is situated in the Dublin suburb of Inchicore. The area where the ground now stands was formerly used as a recreational area by the British...
. St. Pat's have played in Inchicore since 1930 (save for time spent exiled due to ground redevelopment). They are strongly associated Inchicore. The club have won the
League of IrelandThe FAI League of Ireland is the national football league system of Ireland. From 1921 to 2006 the league was governed by the clubs themselves but is currently under a five year stewardship of the FAI. The league contains a total of 22 clubs split into the 10-teamed League of Ireland Premier...
Championship on 7 occasions. Famous St. Pat's players include
Paul McGrathPaul McGrath is a former football defender, a long-time member of the Republic of Ireland national team. He was one of the first Irish celebrities of mixed-race background.-Childhood:...
(affectionately nicknamed
The Black Pearl of Inchicore),
Ronnie Whelan Snr.Ronnie Whelan, Sr. was an Irish international footballer chiefly associated with St. Patricks Athletic FC...
,
Shay GibbonsShay Gibbons is a former Irish international footballer who was regarded as one of the top players in the Football League of Ireland in the 1950s. He is still the holder of match, season and all time scoring records with St Patrick's Athletic.-Early career:As a youth Gibbons played both soccer...
,
Gordon BanksGordon Banks, OBE is a retired English footballer, elected in a poll by the IFFHS as the second best goalkeeper of the 20th Century - after Lev Yashin and before Dino Zoff ....
,
Curtis FlemingCurtis Fleming is a former Irish international footballer. Fleming played right back and won international honours for the Republic of Ireland at under-21, under-23 , and senior level. He started his career with St. Patrick's Athletic in the League of Ireland and spent the majority of his career...
,
Paul OsamPaul Osam is a former professional football player. He currently coaches with Bray Wanderers F.C. and works as a football pundit with TV3. His father is from Ghana....
,
Eddie GormleyEddie Gormley is a former Irish football player and current Manager of Bray Wanderers.Gormley was a midfielder and played league football in England, Scotland and Ireland...
and
Charles Livingstone MbabaziCharles Livingstone Mbabazi is a footballer from Uganda who achieved fame at St Patrick's Athletic Football Club in Ireland. Mbabazi is a versatile player with the ability to play on either wing or as a forward. During his time at the club he used the name Mbabazi on the back of his...
. St Patrick's Athletic support many junior and intermediate sides based at Inchicore. Chief among these are Lansdowne Rangers, Inchicore Athletic and West Park Albion.
GAA
Liffey Gaels is Inchicore's local GAA club. The Gaels field teams of all ages in
FootballGaelic football , commonly referred to as "Football" , "Gaelic" or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
,
HurlingHurling is an outdoor team sport of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. The game, played primarily in Ireland, has prehistoric origins and is thought to be the world's fastest field team sport...
and
CamógieCamogie is an Irish team sport. Played with a stick and ball, it is the women's variant of hurling, and is organised by the Camogie Association of Ireland...
. They are located on Sarsfield Road.
The club was founded in 1951 and was known as Rialto Gaels for over twenty years. In the 1970s it changed its name to SS. Michaels and James' to reflect the parts played by 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.
Rugby
Guinness Rugby Football Club (
Guinness R.F.C.Guinness Rugby Football Club is based in the Iveagh Grounds on Crumlin Road, Dublin 12. They play in the Dublin Metropolitan league – J2 – Section B league.Guinness RFC was founded in 1943...
) is the nearest rugby union club. It is based in the Iveagh Sports Grounds on the Crumlin Road.
Other organisations
Order of Malta - Inchicore is closeby, with a junior group meeting in the BERA Hall, and a senior group in the Mother McAuley Centre in
DrimnaghDrimnagh 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:...
.