Stoneybatter, historically known as
Bohernaglogh , is a suburb of
Dublin,
IrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, situated on the
NorthsideThe 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 :...
of the city between 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,...
, the North Circular Road,
Smithfield MarketSmithfield is an area on the northside of Dublin. Its focal point is a public square, formerly an open market, now officially called Smithfield Plaza, but known locally as Smithfield Square or Smithfield Market....
, and
GrangegormanGrangegorman Development Agency is an agency of the Government of Ireland charged with redevelopment of the Grangegorman Campus, formerly within the curtilage of St. Brendan's Hospital...
. It is located in the Dublin 7 postal district.
James Collins' 1913 book, 'Life in Old Dublin', notes that 'Centuries ago (Stoneybatter) was called Bothar-na-gCloch. In Joyce's
IrishIrish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
names of places we find the following interesting information as to the original name of the place: "Long before the city had extended so far, and while Stoneybatter was nothing more than a country road, it was -- as it still continues to be -- the great thoroughfare to Dublin from the districts lying west and north-west of the city; and it was known by the name of
Bothar-na-gCloch (
Bohernaglogh), i.e., the road of the stones, which was changed to the English equivalent, Stoneybatter or stony road."'
There was an ancient royal highway passing through the area. It ran from the
Hill of TaraThe Hill of Tara , located near the River Boyne, is an archaeological complex that runs between Navan and Dunshaughlin in County Meath, Leinster, Ireland...
to
GlendaloughGlendalough or Glendaloch is a glacial valley in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is renowned for its Early Medieval monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by St Kevin, a hermit priest, and partly destroyed in 1398 by English troops....
. It was paved with stones, much like Roman roads had been. So the Irish for it was Bothar na Gloch or Stoney Road. From this we got Stoney Bothar which was later to become
Stoneybatter.
The Irish folk song "The Spanish Lady" mentions Stoney Batter in the 5th verse.
Viking names
Apart from the striking artisan dwellings, the area is also known for the prominent
VikingThe 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...
street names. For example, there is Viking Road, Olaf Road, Thor Place, Sitric Road, Norseman Place, Ard Ri Road, Malachi Road, Ostman Place, Sigurd Road and Harold Road. In the twelfth century when Viking Dublin was well established. At the time of the Norman invasion, the Vikings or Ostmen (men of the East), as they called themselves were exiled to the north of the Liffey where they founded the hamlet of Ostmenstown later to become
OxmantownOxmantown or Oxmanstown is an area of Dublin, Ireland, situated on the Northside of the city between the River Liffey, the North Circular Road, and Smithfield Market...
.
Other street names
The northern end of Stoneybatter derives its name of Manor Street, bestowed in 1780, from the Manor of
GrangegormanGrangegorman Development Agency is an agency of the Government of Ireland charged with redevelopment of the Grangegorman Campus, formerly within the curtilage of St. Brendan's Hospital...
in which it was located. The Manor itself was later transformed into a police barracks. During the reign of
Charles IICharles 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...
(1660-1680), the Manor was held by Sir Thomas Stanley, a knight of
Henry CromwellHenry Cromwell was the fourth son of Oliver Cromwell and Elizabeth Bourchier, and an important figure in the Parliamentarian regime in Ireland.-Life:...
and a staunch supporter of the
RestorationThe term Restoration in reference to the year 1660 refers to the restoration of Charles II to his realms across the British Empire at that time.-England:...
. The short thoroughfare in Stoneybatter called Stanley Strett is named after him.
Filming location
The streets and surrounding areas of Stoneybatter have been used as a filming location for both TV and film:
Film
- Michael Collins
Michael Collins is a 1996 historical biopic written and directed by Neil Jordan and starring Liam Neeson as General Michael Collins, the Irish patriot and revolutionary who died in the Irish Civil War. It won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival....
(1996)
- Angela's Ashes
Angela's Ashes is a 1999 Irish-American drama film based on the memoir of the same title by Frank McCourt. It was directed by Alan Parker and starred Emily Watson, Robert Carlyle, Joe Breen, Ciaran Owens, and Michael Legge .-Plot:Angela's Ashes tells the story of Frank McCourt and his childhood...
(1999)
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland
External links