Clontarf, Dublin
Encyclopedia
Clontarf is a coastal suburb on the northside
of Dublin, in Ireland
. It is most famous for giving the name to the Battle of Clontarf
in 1014, in which Brian Boru
, High King of Ireland, defeated the Vikings of Dublin and their allies, the Irish of Leinster
. This battle, which extended to districts over several miles, is seen as marking an end to the Irish-Viking Wars. The Irish version of the suburb name (Cluain Tarbh) literally means "The meadow of the bull", this literal translation explains the prevalence of the word "bull" in a number of location names within the suburb.
Clontarf lacks a single "village centre" but has a range of commercial facilities in several locations, mainly centred around Vernon Avenue. Clontarf adjoins Fairview
, Marino
, Killester
, Artane
and Raheny
, and is in the postal district Dublin 3.
route, and the inland parts can be reached from buses on the Howth Road, such as the 29A, 31 series and 32 series. The area's historic railway station, on the Howth Road, closed many years ago, but a new railway station, Clontarf Road railway station
, a stop on the Dublin Area Rapid Transit
system, is located between Clontarf and Fairview.
, and the Naniken River
reaches the sea at the Raheny end of the district, its mouth marking a civil parish boundary.
One of Dublin's largest parks, St Anne's Park
, lies between Clontarf and Raheny
.
The Bull Island
, also shared with Raheny, is connected to Clontarf by an historic wooden bridge. While most of the island is city property, the (North) Bull Wall
and breakwater, related road and path, and Bull (Wooden) Bridge belong to the Dublin Port Company, and are closed for a day each year to assert this. At the end of the breakwater is a statue of Our Lady, Star of the Sea (Realt na Mara), to watch over mariners and dockworkers.
in 1753, with a single dwelling, and at some periods (notably in the 19th century), bathing facilities. The island was also used as a refuge from plague in 1650. Construction work on the Great South Wall
and Bull Wall
in Dublin Port
changed the flow of water in Dublin Bay
, threatening its existence, though it was in fact eventually destroyed by a large storm in 1844.
Following the defeat of the Vikings and the Leinstermen, Clontarf enjoyed relative peace for over 100 years until the arrival of the Normans
in 1172. Shortly afterwards, Clontarf was granted to Adam de Pheypo, a follower of Strongbow
. He built the first Clontarf Castle.
A settlement at Clontarf has been dated to at least the 12th century, and in the 19th century remains from earlier times were thought to have been found. Clontarf features on the 1598 map "A Modern Depiction of Ireland, One of the British Isles" by Abraham Ortelius
as "Clantarfe".
The manor and church of Clontarf were held by the Templars
and subsequently the Hospitallers, and there was a Holy Well in the area, near what is now The Stiles Road, until recent times (another spring, named for Brian Boroimhe, of uncertain age, still exists, on Castle Avenue near the sea).
A manor house and small associated village was located on the slight ridge overlooking the sea where the Clontarf Castle Hotel is now situated. The manor house was rebuilt many times, with the current hotel dating largely to the early 19th century. The tower house
on the site is a 19th-century replica of the original Templar structure on the site. The adjoining ruined church is the old Church of Ireland
parish church, dates to the mid-17th century and includes what may be the earliest use of red brick in Ireland.
Clontarf Castle
was burned in 1641 by Cromwell
's General, Charles Coote, apparently in revenge for the disloyalty of the then owner, George King. The castle, estate and district are then said to have been given by Cromwell to John Blackwell
, who assigned his interest to John Vernon
, Quartermaster-General of Cromwell's army in Ireland, although this is described in Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of 1837 as “conferred by the Crown on Admiral Vernon”. The Vernon family
subsequently occupied the Castle for nearly three hundred years. See the entry on Clontarf Castle
(After Cromwell) for further details.
In 1659, the population of Clontarf was 79.
Fishing, oyster-catching and farming remained the main occupations over the following centuries, with a major fish-curing industry at the Sheds, near the foot of Vernon Avenue (the Public House at the site still bears the name), around 1 km from the original village. In the 18th century, this developed into a secondary settlement, of fishermen and small farmers, living in basic cabins and with drying sheds for the fish. It is prominently marked on navigation maps for Dublin Bay dating to the 18th century. However, as with many such 'informal' settlements in Ireland, Clontarf Sheds became the site for a 19th-century Roman Catholic church - the Church of Ireland St. John's Church, and the Roman Catholic St. Anthony's are closer to the original settlement - and then outgrew the original village.
The 1837 Lewis report remarked that “ The land in this Parish is reported to be in the very highest state of cultivation...”
Clontarf had an important role in the career of the prominent Irish nationalist leader Daniel O'Connell
who sought to hold on this location, symbolic because of its association with the Battle of Clontarf
in 1014, a mass meeting calling for repeal of the Act of Union
. The meeting was banned by then-Prime Minister
, Sir Robert Peel
, and despite appeals from his supporters, O'Connell refused to defy the authorities and he called off the meeting, as he was unwilling to risk bloodshed.
A key arrival at Clontarf was Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, son of Arthur Guinness II and his partner in running the brewery, who purchased various lands in Clontarf and Raheny, combining them to form St. Anne's Estate (the remnants of which form St Anne's Park
).
By the late 19th century Clontarf was becoming urbanised, initially as a holiday resort for wealthy Dubliners, but rapidly as a suburb of the city. A tram line was laid along the coast, increasing activity in the area.
For a time, Clontarf was an Urban District incorporated in its own right but lost this formal status at the start of the 20th century. By the mid-20th century it was fully absorbed into the city and would now be considered part of the inner suburbs.
), a Church of Ireland Parish of Clontarf
, a Presbyterian congregation and a Methodist parish.
Historically Clontarf has had a strong Protestant community for many years, with the Church of Ireland parish being one of the most populated Anglican parishes in the country up to the 1950s. In the 1911 census, 39% of the population of Clontarf were Protestant, 25% being Church of Ireland, 8.5% Presbyterian and 5.5% Methodist. Relations between all the faith communities have always been good in Clontarf and mixed marriages were part of life even in 1911.
Clontarf has many clubs whose members take part in sporting activities, including rugby
, football
, golf
, cricket
, sailing
and Gaelic games
.
Clontarf has a strong rugby club, their senior XV reaching two all Ireland league finals under former coach Phil Werahiko. The Clontarf Cricket Club Ground
, based at the same premises as the rugby club, was the host for the final of the 2005 ICC Trophy
cricket tournament. It has hosted various cricket internationals, most recently against the Australia in the summer of 2010, and is the home ground of the Ireland cricket team in the Republic of Ireland. Ireland are due to play another ODI against England in August 2011 at the ground.
The Clontarf Cricket Club senior 1st XI have won the Leinster Senior Cup in 2007 and 2008.
The area also has two tennis clubs - Clontarf Lawn Tennis Club on Oulton Road and Clontarf Parish Lawn Tennis Club on Seafield Road, recently re-developed and attached to the Church of Ireland parish. Tennis is also played at the private Westwood Club, on the border between Clontarf and Fairview.
Clontarf's privately-owned open-air seawater swimming pool, once a popular recreational destination with hot and cold baths, is now derelict, with various developments being considered.
The suburb also has numerous sporting facilities in St Anne's Park
(which it shares with Raheny
), as well as a range of non-sport amenities. These include an Arts Centre in the Red Stables, featuring artists' stores and studios, a coffee shop and markets on some weekends, along with a large rose garden which is located alongside the Gaelic Athletic Association
pitches.
Clontarf is also home to the Dublin City Council Traffic Training Facility.
The seafront along Clontarf remains a highly popular spot for runners, walkers and cyclists and features an Easter Island
Moai
replica statue, a diplomatic gift, which is located just across the road from a local pub.
The Clontarf Scout Troop was established in 1931. Clontarf also has two Boys Brigade companies - the 39th, attached to Clontarf Church of Ireland, and the 12th, attached to the Presbyterian parish, and a Girls Brigade company (5th Company Clontarf Presbyterian) attached to Clontarf & Scots Presbyterian Church. This company was 100 years old in 2008 and was the first active company in the world to reach this age.
There is no current local newspaper but past journals included "Clontarf's Eye."
At second level, the area is served by Mount Temple Comprehensive School
, Holy Faith School (for girls) and, on the border with Raheny, St. Paul's College, Raheny (for boys). St. Joseph's CBS. Secondary School , Fairview, is near by and close to the Dart.
Special education facilities exist at the premises of the Central Remedial Clinic and the Irish Wheelchair Association.
Clontarf is also home to the famous Central Remedial Clinic (whose swimming pool has some public access hours) and to the Incorporated Orthopaedic Hospital of Ireland (since 1876), as well as a major centre of the Irish Wheelchair Association.
. It is a civil parish
comprising many townlands.
Clontarf is in the Dublin North Central Dáil constituency
and is one of the main components of the Clontarf Local Electoral Area for City Council elections.
, formed in the 19th century, which gave its name to the beach on North Bull Island.
disco which ran from 1967 to 1997. It started in 1967 in Mount Prospect Avenue in Clontarf, Belgrove Football Club (from which the club got its name). It moved to St. Pauls College, Sybil Hill Road, Raheny, in 1975 when the old pavilion was burnt down.
Along the coastal promenade, there is a circular rain shelter, which forms a cap over a former lead mine, which ran out under the shallow waters of the bay, as recorded in Cosgrave's "North Dublin"; it was closed due to persistent flooding.
, author of Dracula
, was born at 15 Marino Crescent.
Arthur Edward Guinness, 1st Baron Ardilaun
, of Guinness brewing fame, was born in St. Anne's House (the house lies in the Clontarf part of the estate, while the majority of the park is in Raheny), as was his elder brother Edward Cecil Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh.
Brian O'Driscoll
, the current Ireland Rugby captain.
Film Director Neil Jordan
(although he was born in Rosses Point, Co, Sligo).
Gerry Ryan
, RTE 2fm
DJ.
Joe Duffy
, also of RTÉ.
Ray Kennedy (journalist), RTÉ journalist & newscaster.
Cian Healy
, Irish Rugby International.
PJ Gallagher (comedian)
Actor Don Wycherley
Actress and comedienne Maureen Potter
lived in Fairview and Clontarf until her death in 2004. She is buried in St John the Baptist's cemetery on Castle Avenue. The inscription on her gravestone reads "In Loving Memory...Super Trouper".
Prionnsias O'Duinn Conductor for RTE
Concert Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra of Ecuador
Current Dublin Lord Mayor Gery Breen.
Actress Maria Doyle was born in Clontarf on 25 September 1964.
Bank of Ireland
's Chief Executive, Richie Boucher
.
Fiddler Paddy Glackin
When Erwin Schrödinger
moved to Dublin, he lived in Clontarf, on Castle Avenue.
Mezzo-Soprano
Bernadette Greevy
.
Academic Declan Kiberd
.
Actor, singer and television presenter Bryan Smyth
.
Hollywood actors Barry Fitzgerald
(real name William Shields) and his brother, Arthur Shields
, lived at no.13 Vernon Avenue.
Professional golfer Christy O'Connor Snr
.
Aid worker, Sharon Commins who was kidnapped in Sudan
in July 2009 was born and lived in Clontarf.
Northside (Dublin)
The 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 Dublin, in Ireland
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,...
. It is most famous for giving the name to the Battle of Clontarf
Battle of Clontarf
The Battle of Clontarf took place on 23 April 1014 between the forces of Brian Boru and the forces led by the King of Leinster, Máel Mórda mac Murchada: composed mainly of his own men, Viking mercenaries from Dublin and the Orkney Islands led by his cousin Sigtrygg, as well as the one rebellious...
in 1014, in which Brian Boru
Brian Boru
Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig, , , was an Irish king who ended the domination of the High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill. Building on the achievements of his father, Cennétig mac Lorcain, and especially his elder brother, Mathgamain, Brian first made himself King of Munster, then subjugated...
, High King of Ireland, defeated the Vikings of Dublin and their allies, the Irish of Leinster
Leinster
Leinster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the east of Ireland. It comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Mide, Osraige and Leinster. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the historic fifths of Leinster and Mide gradually merged, mainly due to the impact of the Pale, which straddled...
. This battle, which extended to districts over several miles, is seen as marking an end to the Irish-Viking Wars. The Irish version of the suburb name (Cluain Tarbh) literally means "The meadow of the bull", this literal translation explains the prevalence of the word "bull" in a number of location names within the suburb.
Clontarf lacks a single "village centre" but has a range of commercial facilities in several locations, mainly centred around Vernon Avenue. Clontarf adjoins Fairview
Fairview, Dublin
Fairview is a coastal district on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland, in the jurisdiction of Dublin City Council. Part of the area forms Fairview Park, on land reclaimed from the sea.-Location and access:...
, Marino
Marino, Dublin
Marino is a Northside suburb located in Dublin, Ireland.-Location and access:Marino encompasses the area within the boundaries of Sion Hill Road, Gracepark Road, Philipsburgh Avenue , Malahide Road and Shelmartin Terrace. Marino borders other Northside areas such as Fairview, Donnycarney and...
, Killester
Killester
Killester is a small, largely residential suburb of Dublin and lies on the Northside of the city.-Location and access:Killester is located between Clontarf, Donnycarney, Raheny and Artane, and it falls within the postal districts of Dublin 3 or 5. St. Anne's Park lies just beyond Killester on the...
, Artane
Artane, Dublin
Artane, sometimes spelled Artaine , historically Tartaine is a Northside suburb of Dublin, Ireland. Neighbouring districts include Coolock, Beaumont, Killester, Raheny and Clontarf; to the south is a small locality, Harmonstown, straddling the Raheny-Artane border.-History:Artaine, now usually...
and Raheny
Raheny
Raheny is a northern suburb of Dublin, the capital city of Ireland. It is an old area, centred around an old village, and is referenced back to 570 AD but after years of light settlement, with a main village and a coastal hamlet, grew rapidly in the 20th century, and is now a mid-density...
, and is in the postal district Dublin 3.
Access
Clontarf's sea front is served by the No. 130 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...
route, and the inland parts can be reached from buses on the Howth Road, such as the 29A, 31 series and 32 series. The area's historic railway station, on the Howth Road, closed many years ago, but a new railway station, Clontarf Road railway station
Clontarf Road railway station
Clontarf Road railway station is a railway station in Dublin, Ireland, on the DART commuter rail line.-Location:It is located at the south-western end of Clontarf Road on Dublin's Northside, on the border between Clontarf and Fairview, and serves people living and working in those areas, as well...
, a stop on the Dublin Area Rapid Transit
Dublin Area Rapid Transit
The Dublin Area Rapid Transit is part of the suburban railway network in Ireland, running mainly along the coastline of Dublin Bay on the Trans-Dublin route, from Greystones in County Wicklow, through Dublin to Howth and Malahide in County Dublin.Trains are powered via a 1500V DC overhead catenary...
system, is located between Clontarf and Fairview.
Natural features and amenities
Clontarf lies on one side of the estuary of one of Dublin's three main rivers, the River TolkaRiver Tolka
The River Tolka is one of Dublin's three main rivers, flowing from County Meath to Fingal, within the old County Dublin, and through the north of Dublin city, Ireland. It is one of Dublin's three main rivers, the others being the Liffey and the Dodder...
, and the Naniken River
Naniken River
The Naniken River is a minor river on the north side of Dublin city, Ireland, one of more than forty watercourses monitored by Dublin City Council...
reaches the sea at the Raheny end of the district, its mouth marking a civil parish boundary.
One of Dublin's largest parks, St Anne's Park
St Anne's Park
St. Anne's Park is a public park and recreational facility, shared between Raheny and Clontarf, both suburbs on the northside of Dublin, Ireland....
, lies between Clontarf and Raheny
Raheny
Raheny is a northern suburb of Dublin, the capital city of Ireland. It is an old area, centred around an old village, and is referenced back to 570 AD but after years of light settlement, with a main village and a coastal hamlet, grew rapidly in the 20th century, and is now a mid-density...
.
The Bull Island
Bull Island
Bull Island or more properly North Bull Island is an island located in Dublin Bay in Ireland, about 5 km long and 800 m wide, lying roughly parallel to the shore off Clontarf , Raheny, Kilbarrack, and facing Sutton...
, also shared with Raheny, is connected to Clontarf by an historic wooden bridge. While most of the island is city property, the (North) Bull Wall
Bull Wall
The Bull Wall, or North Bull Wall, at the Port of Dublin, extending from the estuary of the River Tolka and the district of Clontarf out nearly 3 km into Dublin Bay, is one of the two defining sea walls of the port, and faces the earlier-constructed Great South Wall...
and breakwater, related road and path, and Bull (Wooden) Bridge belong to the Dublin Port Company, and are closed for a day each year to assert this. At the end of the breakwater is a statue of Our Lady, Star of the Sea (Realt na Mara), to watch over mariners and dockworkers.
Clontarf Island
There used to be an island, called Clontarf Island, off the coast of Clontarf near the mouth of the Tolka, as shown on maps such as that of John RocqueJohn Rocque
John Rocque was a surveyor and cartographer.Rocque was born no later than 1709, since that was the year he moved to England with his parents, who were French Huguenot émigrés...
in 1753, with a single dwelling, and at some periods (notably in the 19th century), bathing facilities. The island was also used as a refuge from plague in 1650. Construction work on the Great South Wall
Great South Wall
The Great South Wall , at the Port of Dublin, extends from Ringsend nearly four miles out into Dublin Bay. It was the world's longest sea-wall at the time of its building, remaining one of the longest in Europe...
and Bull Wall
Bull Wall
The Bull Wall, or North Bull Wall, at the Port of Dublin, extending from the estuary of the River Tolka and the district of Clontarf out nearly 3 km into Dublin Bay, is one of the two defining sea walls of the port, and faces the earlier-constructed Great South Wall...
in Dublin Port
Dublin Port
Dublin Port is Ireland's biggest sea port. It has both historical and contemporary economic importance. Approximatively two-thirds of the Republic of Ireland's port traffic goes via Dublin Port...
changed the flow of water in Dublin Bay
Dublin Bay
Dublin Bay is a C-shaped inlet of the Irish Sea on the east coast of Ireland. The bay is about 10 kilometres wide along its north-south base, and 7 km in length to its apex at the centre of the city of Dublin; stretching from Howth Head in the north to Dalkey Point in the south...
, threatening its existence, though it was in fact eventually destroyed by a large storm in 1844.
History
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
in 1172. Shortly afterwards, Clontarf was granted to Adam de Pheypo, a follower of Strongbow
Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke , Lord of Leinster, Justiciar of Ireland . Like his father, he was also commonly known as Strongbow...
. He built the first Clontarf Castle.
A settlement at Clontarf has been dated to at least the 12th century, and in the 19th century remains from earlier times were thought to have been found. Clontarf features on the 1598 map "A Modern Depiction of Ireland, One of the British Isles" by Abraham Ortelius
Abraham Ortelius
thumb|250px|Abraham Ortelius by [[Peter Paul Rubens]]Abraham Ortelius thumb|250px|Abraham Ortelius by [[Peter Paul Rubens]]Abraham Ortelius (Abraham Ortels) thumb|250px|Abraham Ortelius by [[Peter Paul Rubens]]Abraham Ortelius (Abraham Ortels) (April 14, 1527 – June 28,exile in England to take...
as "Clantarfe".
The manor and church of Clontarf were held by the Templars
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
and subsequently the Hospitallers, and there was a Holy Well in the area, near what is now The Stiles Road, until recent times (another spring, named for Brian Boroimhe, of uncertain age, still exists, on Castle Avenue near the sea).
A manor house and small associated village was located on the slight ridge overlooking the sea where the Clontarf Castle Hotel is now situated. The manor house was rebuilt many times, with the current hotel dating largely to the early 19th century. The tower house
Tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...
on the site is a 19th-century replica of the original Templar structure on the site. The adjoining ruined church is the old 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...
parish church, dates to the mid-17th century and includes what may be the earliest use of red brick in Ireland.
Clontarf Castle
Clontarf Castle
Clontarf Castle is a much-modernised castle, dating to 1837, in Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland, an area famous as a key location of the Battle of Clontarf in 1014. There has been a castle on the site since 1172...
was burned in 1641 by Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's General, Charles Coote, apparently in revenge for the disloyalty of the then owner, George King. The castle, estate and district are then said to have been given by Cromwell to John Blackwell
John Blackwell
John Blackwell may refer to:* John Blackwell , Welsh poet* John Blackwell , drummer in the New Power Generation* John Blackwell , deputy governor of Colonial Pennsylvania...
, who assigned his interest to John Vernon
John Vernon (of Clontarf)
John Vernon was Quartermaster-General of Oliver Cromwell’s army and third son of Sir Edward Vernon, of Houndshill, Staffordshire, England. John obtained title to Clontarf Castle near Dublin in 1649 through a financial arrangement with John Blackwall who had been granted the estate by Oliver Cromwell...
, Quartermaster-General of Cromwell's army in Ireland, although this is described in Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of 1837 as “conferred by the Crown on Admiral Vernon”. The Vernon family
Vernon family
The Vernon family was a wealthy, prolific and widespread English family with 11th century origins in Vernon, France.-Vernon of Shipbrook, Cheshire:...
subsequently occupied the Castle for nearly three hundred years. See the entry on Clontarf Castle
Clontarf Castle
Clontarf Castle is a much-modernised castle, dating to 1837, in Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland, an area famous as a key location of the Battle of Clontarf in 1014. There has been a castle on the site since 1172...
(After Cromwell) for further details.
In 1659, the population of Clontarf was 79.
Fishing, oyster-catching and farming remained the main occupations over the following centuries, with a major fish-curing industry at the Sheds, near the foot of Vernon Avenue (the Public House at the site still bears the name), around 1 km from the original village. In the 18th century, this developed into a secondary settlement, of fishermen and small farmers, living in basic cabins and with drying sheds for the fish. It is prominently marked on navigation maps for Dublin Bay dating to the 18th century. However, as with many such 'informal' settlements in Ireland, Clontarf Sheds became the site for a 19th-century Roman Catholic church - the Church of Ireland St. John's Church, and the Roman Catholic St. Anthony's are closer to the original settlement - and then outgrew the original village.
The 1837 Lewis report remarked that “ The land in this Parish is reported to be in the very highest state of cultivation...”
The 19th century
In the early 19th century, Clontarf had become a popular holiday resort for the citizens of Dublin, who came out from the city to enjoy bathing in the sea or in the hot and cold seawater baths erected by Mr. Brierly. A horse omnibus service from the city was started and Clontarf became a fashionable place to live - Samuel Lewis lists twenty-seven major houses, apart from Clontarf Castle, in which resided wealthy and important gentry. The Confirmation list for 1824 includes four titled ladies – Lady Charlemont, Lady Caroline Clements, Lady Maria Caulfield and Lady Emily Caulfield.Clontarf had an important role in the career of the prominent Irish nationalist leader Daniel O'Connell
Daniel O'Connell
Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell (6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847; often referred to as The Liberator, or The Emancipator, was an Irish political leader in the first half of the 19th century...
who sought to hold on this location, symbolic because of its association with the Battle of Clontarf
Battle of Clontarf
The Battle of Clontarf took place on 23 April 1014 between the forces of Brian Boru and the forces led by the King of Leinster, Máel Mórda mac Murchada: composed mainly of his own men, Viking mercenaries from Dublin and the Orkney Islands led by his cousin Sigtrygg, as well as the one rebellious...
in 1014, a mass meeting calling for repeal of the Act of Union
Act of Union 1800
The Acts of Union 1800 describe two complementary Acts, namely:* the Union with Ireland Act 1800 , an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain, and...
. The meeting was banned by then-Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
, Sir Robert Peel
Robert Peel
Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet was a British Conservative statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 December 1834 to 8 April 1835, and again from 30 August 1841 to 29 June 1846...
, and despite appeals from his supporters, O'Connell refused to defy the authorities and he called off the meeting, as he was unwilling to risk bloodshed.
A key arrival at Clontarf was Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, son of Arthur Guinness II and his partner in running the brewery, who purchased various lands in Clontarf and Raheny, combining them to form St. Anne's Estate (the remnants of which form St Anne's Park
St Anne's Park
St. Anne's Park is a public park and recreational facility, shared between Raheny and Clontarf, both suburbs on the northside of Dublin, Ireland....
).
By the late 19th century Clontarf was becoming urbanised, initially as a holiday resort for wealthy Dubliners, but rapidly as a suburb of the city. A tram line was laid along the coast, increasing activity in the area.
For a time, Clontarf was an Urban District incorporated in its own right but lost this formal status at the start of the 20th century. By the mid-20th century it was fully absorbed into the city and would now be considered part of the inner suburbs.
Religion
Clontarf today has two Roman Catholic parishes (for more see Parish of Clontarf (Roman Catholic)Parish of Clontarf (Roman Catholic)
Founded in the early days of Irish Christian parish structures, the Parish of Clontarf assumed in 1829 the mantle of Union Parish for a large area of north Dublin, a role previously filled by the Parish of Coolock, into which Clontarf had been subsumed in 1614 - refer to that article for history...
), a Church of Ireland Parish of Clontarf
Church of Ireland Parish of Clontarf
The Parish of St. John the Baptist, the Church of Ireland Parish of Clontarf, Dublin is a religious community located on the north shore of Dublin Bay, bounded by the Parishes of North Strand to the west, Coolock to the north and Raheny to the east .The Parish Church is situated on , approximately...
, a Presbyterian congregation and a Methodist parish.
Historically Clontarf has had a strong Protestant community for many years, with the Church of Ireland parish being one of the most populated Anglican parishes in the country up to the 1950s. In the 1911 census, 39% of the population of Clontarf were Protestant, 25% being Church of Ireland, 8.5% Presbyterian and 5.5% Methodist. Relations between all the faith communities have always been good in Clontarf and mixed marriages were part of life even in 1911.
Sport and social organisations
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
, football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
and Gaelic games
Gaelic games
Gaelic games are sports played in Ireland under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The two main games are Gaelic football and hurling...
.
Clontarf has a strong rugby club, their senior XV reaching two all Ireland league finals under former coach Phil Werahiko. The Clontarf Cricket Club Ground
Clontarf Cricket Club Ground
Clontarf Cricket Club Ground, also known as Castle Avenue is a cricket ground in the suburb of Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland. It sits in the shadow of Clontarf Castle, and is home to Clontarf Cricket Club...
, based at the same premises as the rugby club, was the host for the final of the 2005 ICC Trophy
2005 ICC Trophy
Ireland beat Bermuda easily as Ed Joyce made 103 for the hosts in Stormont.----Denmark beat Uganda by 28 runs as Thomas Munkholt Hansen took 6 for 30 to carry Denmark to a 28-run win over Uganda in Muckamore. Denmark made 197 with Henrik Saxe Hansen making 71...
cricket tournament. It has hosted various cricket internationals, most recently against the Australia in the summer of 2010, and is the home ground of the Ireland cricket team in the Republic of Ireland. Ireland are due to play another ODI against England in August 2011 at the ground.
The Clontarf Cricket Club senior 1st XI have won the Leinster Senior Cup in 2007 and 2008.
The area also has two tennis clubs - Clontarf Lawn Tennis Club on Oulton Road and Clontarf Parish Lawn Tennis Club on Seafield Road, recently re-developed and attached to the Church of Ireland parish. Tennis is also played at the private Westwood Club, on the border between Clontarf and Fairview.
Clontarf's privately-owned open-air seawater swimming pool, once a popular recreational destination with hot and cold baths, is now derelict, with various developments being considered.
The suburb also has numerous sporting facilities in St Anne's Park
St Anne's Park
St. Anne's Park is a public park and recreational facility, shared between Raheny and Clontarf, both suburbs on the northside of Dublin, Ireland....
(which it shares with Raheny
Raheny
Raheny is a northern suburb of Dublin, the capital city of Ireland. It is an old area, centred around an old village, and is referenced back to 570 AD but after years of light settlement, with a main village and a coastal hamlet, grew rapidly in the 20th century, and is now a mid-density...
), as well as a range of non-sport amenities. These include an Arts Centre in the Red Stables, featuring artists' stores and studios, a coffee shop and markets on some weekends, along with a large rose garden which is located alongside the 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...
pitches.
Clontarf is also home to the Dublin City Council Traffic Training Facility.
Easter Island
Easter Island is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian triangle. A special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888, Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapanui people...
Moai
Moai
Moai , or mo‘ai, are monolithic human figures carved from rock on the Chilean Polynesian island of Easter Island between the years 1250 and 1500. Nearly half are still at Rano Raraku, the main moai quarry, but hundreds were transported from there and set on stone platforms called ahu around the...
replica statue, a diplomatic gift, which is located just across the road from a local pub.
The Clontarf Scout Troop was established in 1931. Clontarf also has two Boys Brigade companies - the 39th, attached to Clontarf Church of Ireland, and the 12th, attached to the Presbyterian parish, and a Girls Brigade company (5th Company Clontarf Presbyterian) attached to Clontarf & Scots Presbyterian Church. This company was 100 years old in 2008 and was the first active company in the world to reach this age.
There is no current local newspaper but past journals included "Clontarf's Eye."
Schools
Local primary schools are Belgrove National School (NS), Greenlanes NS (Church of Ireland) and Howth Road Mixed NS (Presbyterian).At second level, the area is served by Mount Temple Comprehensive School
Mount Temple Comprehensive School
Mount Temple Comprehensive School is a secondary school located in Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland, originally notable as the first multi-denominational public school under Protestant management to open in Dublin....
, Holy Faith School (for girls) and, on the border with Raheny, St. Paul's College, Raheny (for boys). St. Joseph's CBS. Secondary School , Fairview, is near by and close to the Dart.
Special education facilities exist at the premises of the Central Remedial Clinic and the Irish Wheelchair Association.
Amenities
Clontarf is home to a wide range of businesses, many of which are members of the local Chamber of Commerce. There is a supermarket on Vernon Avenue, and there are, for example, a number of public houses, restaurants, convenience stores, bank branches, pharmacies and medical practitioners.Clontarf is also home to the famous Central Remedial Clinic (whose swimming pool has some public access hours) and to the Incorporated Orthopaedic Hospital of Ireland (since 1876), as well as a major centre of the Irish Wheelchair Association.
Governance and Representation
Clontarf is in the jurisdiction of Dublin City CouncilDublin City Council
Dublin City Council is the local authority for the city of Dublin in Ireland. It has 52 members and is the largest local authority in Ireland. Until 2001, it was known as Dublin Corporation.-Legal status:...
. It is a civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
comprising many townlands.
Clontarf is in the Dublin North Central Dáil constituency
Dublin North Central (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Dublin North–Central is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 3 deputies...
and is one of the main components of the Clontarf Local Electoral Area for City Council elections.
Locality
Within Clontarf is the area known as DollymountDollymount
Dollymount is a coastal suburban area on the north coast of Dublin Bay, within Clontarf, on the northside of Dublin, Ireland, just East of St Anne's Park.-Dollymount Strand:...
, formed in the 19th century, which gave its name to the beach on North Bull Island.
Points of note
Clontarf was the original home of the Grove Social ClubGrove Social Club
The Grove Social Club was an Irish alternative discothèque social club started in Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland. It opened in 1967 on Mount Prospect Avenue in Clontarf, in Belgrove Football Club . It moved to St...
disco which ran from 1967 to 1997. It started in 1967 in Mount Prospect Avenue in Clontarf, Belgrove Football Club (from which the club got its name). It moved to St. Pauls College, Sybil Hill Road, Raheny, in 1975 when the old pavilion was burnt down.
Along the coastal promenade, there is a circular rain shelter, which forms a cap over a former lead mine, which ran out under the shallow waters of the bay, as recorded in Cosgrave's "North Dublin"; it was closed due to persistent flooding.
Famous People
Bram StokerBram 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...
, was born at 15 Marino Crescent.
Arthur Edward Guinness, 1st Baron Ardilaun
Arthur Guinness, 1st Baron Ardilaun
Arthur Edward Guinness, 1st Baron Ardilaun, 2nd Baronet , known as Sir Arthur Guinness, Bt, between 1868 and 1880, was an Irish businessman, politician, and philanthropist, best known for giving St Stephen's Green to the people of Dublin.-Background and education:Guinness was born at St Anne's,...
, of Guinness brewing fame, was born in St. Anne's House (the house lies in the Clontarf part of the estate, while the majority of the park is in Raheny), as was his elder brother Edward Cecil Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh.
Brian O'Driscoll
Brian O'Driscoll
Brian O'Driscoll is an Irish professional rugby union player. He is the current captain of the Ireland Rugby team and captained Leinster Rugby until the start of 2008 season. He also captained the British and Irish Lions for their 2005 tour of New Zealand...
, the current Ireland Rugby captain.
Film Director Neil Jordan
Neil Jordan
Neil Patrick Jordan is an Irish filmmaker and novelist. He won an Academy Award for The Crying Game.- Early life :...
(although he was born in Rosses Point, Co, Sligo).
Gerry Ryan
Gerry Ryan
Gerard "Gerry" Ryan was an Irish presenter of radio and television employed by Raidió Teilifís Éireann...
, RTE 2fm
RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is more commonly referred to, is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's second national radio station. It broadcasts popular music programming aimed at a young Irish audience.- History :...
DJ.
Joe Duffy
Joe Duffy
Joseph "Joe" Duffy is an Irish broadcaster employed by Raidió Teilifís Éireann . A Jacob's Award winner, he is the current presenter of Liveline, which is broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1, Monday - Fridays between 13:45 and 15:00.Duffy has a history as a student activist; he was President of the Union of...
, also of RTÉ.
Ray Kennedy (journalist), RTÉ journalist & newscaster.
Cian Healy
Cian Healy
Cian Healy born 7 October 1987 in Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland, is an Irish rugby union footballer. He plays for Leinster and for the Ireland national team. He is registered to Clontarf RFC who play in AIB League Division 1...
, Irish Rugby International.
PJ Gallagher (comedian)
Actor Don Wycherley
Don Wycherley
Don Wycherley is an Irish actor who is well known for the portrayal of Father Cyril McDuff in the comedy Father Ted. Don is the brother of Gordon Wycherley. Other roles include Raymond in Bachelors Walk and Fr...
Actress and comedienne Maureen Potter
Maureen Potter
Maria Philomena Potter , known as Maureen Potter, was an acclaimed Irish singer, actor, comedian and performer.-Life:...
lived in Fairview and Clontarf until her death in 2004. She is buried in St John the Baptist's cemetery on Castle Avenue. The inscription on her gravestone reads "In Loving Memory...Super Trouper".
Prionnsias O'Duinn Conductor for RTE
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
Concert Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra of Ecuador
Current Dublin Lord Mayor Gery Breen.
Actress Maria Doyle was born in Clontarf on 25 September 1964.
Bank of Ireland
Bank of Ireland
The Bank of Ireland is a commercial bank operation in Ireland, which is one of the 'Big Four' in both parts of the island.Historically the premier banking organisation in Ireland, the Bank occupies a unique position in Irish banking history...
's Chief Executive, Richie Boucher
Richie Boucher
Richie Boucher, aged 51 , is the current Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of Ireland, Ireland's largest bank. He took over from Brian Goggin on 25 February 2009 who resigned following the injection of Irish Government funds and the guarantee of deposits.-Career and Education:Richie Boucher was...
.
Fiddler Paddy Glackin
Paddy Glackin
Paddy Glackin is an Irish fiddler from Clontarf, Dublin. His father Tom Glackin was from Donegal and Paddy's fiddle style reflects his family's Donegal roots. Glackin is considered one of the leading Irish fiddlers in the late 20th/early 21st centuries. He became fiddle champion at the All-Ireland...
When Erwin Schrödinger
Erwin Schrödinger
Erwin Rudolf Josef Alexander Schrödinger was an Austrian physicist and theoretical biologist who was one of the fathers of quantum mechanics, and is famed for a number of important contributions to physics, especially the Schrödinger equation, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1933...
moved to Dublin, he lived in Clontarf, on Castle Avenue.
Mezzo-Soprano
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
Bernadette Greevy
Bernadette Greevy
Bernadette Greevy was an Irish mezzo-soprano. She was founder and artistic director of the Anna Livia Dublin International Opera Festival. She was the first artist-in-residence at the Dublin Institute of Technology's Faculty of Applied Arts.-Biography:Bernadette Greevy was born in Clontarf, Dublin...
.
Academic Declan Kiberd
Declan Kiberd
Declan Kiberd is an Irish writer and scholar. He is known for his literary criticism of Irish literature in Irish and English, and his contributions to public cultural life....
.
Actor, singer and television presenter Bryan Smyth
Bryan Smyth
Bryan Smyth is an Irish singer, television presenter, and actor and Artist. He was born in Dublin, Ireland.- Biography :Smyth came to light as a singer at a young age; as a boy soprano he found himself in demand in many churches in Dublin. He studied singing at the Leinster School of Music &...
.
Hollywood actors Barry Fitzgerald
Barry Fitzgerald
Barry Fitzgerald was an Irish stage, film and television actor.-Life:He was born William Joseph Shields in Walworth Road, Portobello, Dublin, Ireland. He is the older brother of Irish actor Arthur Shields. He went to Skerry's College, Dublin, before going on to work in the civil service, while...
(real name William Shields) and his brother, Arthur Shields
Arthur Shields
Arthur Shields was an Irish stage and film actor.Born into an Irish Protestant family in Portobello, Dublin, he started acting in the Abbey Theatre when still a young man. He was the younger brother of Oscar-winning actor Barry Fitzgerald. An Irish nationalist, he fought in the Easter Rising of...
, lived at no.13 Vernon Avenue.
Professional golfer Christy O'Connor Snr
Christy O'Connor Snr
Christy O'Connor is a former Irish professional golferO'Connor was born in Knocknacarra, Galway. He turned professional in 1946. Throughout the 1960s he won at least one professional event during each year on the British Tour, a level of consistent success matched by very few other players...
.
Aid worker, Sharon Commins who was kidnapped in Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
in July 2009 was born and lived in Clontarf.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland