Harolds Cross
Encyclopedia
Harold's Cross is an urban village
and inner suburb on the south side of Dublin, Ireland
.
and Rathgar
, west of Rathmines
, east of Crumlin
and Kimmage
, and directly south from the Grand Canal
at Clanbrassil Street
. It lies within the jurisdiction of Dublin City Council
, and straddles the boundary of Dublin 6W and Dublin 12 postal districts.
, which had been placed where the current Harold's Cross Park is situated. Harold's Cross was an execution ground for the city of Dublin during the 18th century and earlier. In the 14th century the gallows there was maintained by the Archbishop.
Harold's Cross stands on lands which formed, like those of Rathmines
, part of the Manor of St. Sepulchre
, and its name is said to have originated in a cross which marked the boundary of the lands of the Archbishop of Dublin
, and warned the Harolds, the wild guardians of the border of the Pale
near Whitechurch that they must not encroach.
Another explanation is that it is derived from a stone cross that marked the boundary
of lands held by the Danish
Viking Harold family of Rathfarnham
in early medieval times, reputedly located at what is now the five-road Kenilworth junction on Harold's Cross Road.
. Harold's Cross Park, a small well maintained city park, occupies the site of the original village green.
Historically a number of large houses were constructed, mostly with the appendage of ‘Mount’, reflecting the parish’s elevation, and their names are remembered today but no longer as houses: Mount Argus, (church and monastery) Mount Jerome (cemetery), Greenmount House
(the Hospice), Mount Harold (the Catholic Church) and Mount Drummond and Mount Tallant (Housing).
At one side of Harold's Cross is Mount Jerome Cemetery
, as mentioned in Joyce's
Ulysses
, originally the residence of a family named Shaw. It is considered Dublin's most gothic cemetery and there lie such lumunaries as Thomas Davis
, George Russell (AE)
, and Oscar Wilde
's father, William Wilde
, and mother, in addition to members of the Guinness family and deceased members of the Royal Irish Constabulary
. The remains of French Huguenots once buried in St. Peter's Churchyard, Peter's Row (now the location of the Dublin YMCA), which was demolished in the 1980s, are interred here. Other famous graves include those of mathematician William Rowan Hamilton
and playwright John Millington Synge
. The cemetery was operated from 1837 to 1984 by a private company and now belongs to the Massey family.
The suburb is also home to Dublin's first hospice
, Our Lady's Hospice, Harold's Cross
. This palliative care facility was founded in 1879 in a house called Our Lady's Mount (formerly Greenmount), which was previously the Mother House of the Religious Sisters of Charity
. Mary Aikenhead
, founder of the Sisters of Charity order, lived in Our Lady's Mount from 1845 onwards. She bought a large Georgian
house at Greenmount from a famous abolitionist family called Webb
who were members of the Society of Friends (Quakers), after she offered more than a rival bid from Mount Jerome cemetery. A new Hospice building was commenced in 1886, and many more buildings followed.
In 1804 the sisters of the order of St. Clare (San Damiano) moved to the village to run a female orphanage, founded the previous year, now the Saint Clare's Convent and Primary School. St. Clare's was founded in 1803 and as such is the oldest Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Dublin. Beside the convent is the national headquarters for the Secular Franciscan Order
.
who was a well known Passionist
priest in 19th-century Ireland, he was mentioned as a miracle worker in the book Ulysses
, Circe chapter. It also has long-established links with the Garda Síochána
and it was officially the church of the Dublin Metropolitan Police
.
The first Rector of Mount Argus was Fr. Paul Mary Pakenham who was the son of the Earl of Longford
and nephew of Kitty Pakenham (Duchess of Wellington). His first mass took place in a house at the time on 15 August 1856. Irish architect J. J. McCarthy was commissioned to design the new monastery.
The former Church of Ireland
parish church in Harold's Cross has been leased to the Moscow Patriarchate as Ss Peter and Paul Church, for the Russian Orthodox Church
. A substantial congregation made up of Orthodox immigrants to Ireland (mostly from the former Soviet Union
, Eastern Slovakia
and Poland
)) along with native (mostly convert) Irish Orthodox attend services here. Services are conducted both in Church Slavonic and English with a smattering of Irish
.
The Roman Catholic Parish Church in Harold's Cross is the Church of the Holy Rosary. The parish is an active one with many contributing to its attendant organisations. The church was built on top of the remains of an old stately house called Mount Harold house at the end of the 19th century. Original floor tiles of the house can still be seen on the chapel floor to this day.
which passes through the area, with part of its flow diverted into the "City Watercourse" culvert at "The Tongue" or "Stone Boat". A paper mill was located at Mount Argus where there was a small rural village at that time, and also a flour mill was near the gates of Mount Jerome cemetery. At Mount Jerome the Poddle goes underground for much of the rest of its journey to the Liffey. During the 20th century the old mill at Mount Argus, disused at this stage, was adopted by the local Boy Scout
troop the 45th Mount Argus as a boxing club, as a result of which the troop became commonly known as "the fighting 45th" troop in Dublin scouting circles. The troop was founded by Rev. Fr. Cronin C.P. of Mount Argus church.
Harold's Cross Green was a key meeting point for members of the Society of United Irishmen just before the 1798 Rebellion, rebels such as Thomas Cloney
and Myles Byrne
meet the commander Robert Emmet to discuss tactics for pending uprising.
Irish Nationalist leader Robert Emmet
was captured near Harold's Cross. He lived for a period in a house in Harold's Cross so he could be near his sweetheart Sarah Curran
of Rathfarnham
. He led an abortive rebellion against British rule in 1803 and was captured, tried and executed. The Grand Canal bridge linking Harold's Cross Road and Clanbrassil Street was named in his honour, where a plaque commemorates him (the bridge was formerly called Clanbrassil Bridge, and is known locally as Harold's Cross Bridge).
The father of Pádraig Pearse, James, was a stonemason for Mount Argus Church. The Pearse family had a long association with the Passionists and Mount Argus. Both Pádraig and Willie Pearse came for confessions on the day of the Easter Rising
. Mrs Pearse and Padraig himself also taught Irish language lessons in the community Scout hall next to the church. The 1916 Volunteers, who had a training ground in nearby Kimmage
, are said to have paid a visit to Mount Argus Church to pray just before taking part in the 1916 Easter Rising.
O'Connor's Jewellers on Harold's Cross Road is noted for being the victim of one of the two famous robberies carried out by the notorious Dublin criminal Martin Cahill
(who is also buried in Mount Jerome Cemetery).
Honour Bright, prostitute (real name Elizabeth (Lily) O'Neill), who lived in Harold's Cross, was murdered in June 1925, and her body found in the mountains. Dr Patrick Purcell, a medical doctor in County Wicklow, and Leopold J. Dillon, a Garda, were put on trial charged with the murder, but were acquitted. The murderer was never traced.
There was a well established community of Quakers in Harold's Cross that operated a number of industries in the locality including Cotton, paper and flour milling during the 19th century. They also ran a number of orphanages locally. Among these industries was the Greenmount Spinning manufacturing powered by the River Poddle
, owned by the well-known Pim family. James Pim was commonly known as the "Quaker father of Irish railways.
Quaker brothers Thomas Pim and Robert Goodbody decided to relocate Goodbody Tabacco manufacturing to Greenville near Harolds Cross after a disastrous fire in their Tullamore
premises in 1886; as a result most of their employees were also relocated to the area, where red brick terrace housing were built in the area by the Dublin Artizans' Dwellings Company
, in which the Pim family were prominent members.
Urban village
An urban village is an urban planning and urban design concept. It refers to an urban form typically characterized by:* Medium density development* Mixed use zoning* The provision of good public transit...
and inner suburb on the south side of Dublin, 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,...
.
Location
Harold's Cross is situated north of TerenureTerenure
Terenure is a mainly residential suburb of Dublin, Ireland, largely in the administrative area of Dublin City Council but with parts in the administrative county of South Dublin County .-Location and transport:...
and Rathgar
Rathgar
Rathgar is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland, lying about 3 kilometres south of the city centre.-Amenities:Rathgar is largely a quiet suburb with good amenities, including primary and secondary schools, nursing homes, child-care and sports facilities, and good public transport to the city centre...
, west of Rathmines
Rathmines
Rathmines is a suburb on the southside of Dublin, about 3 kilometres south of the city centre. It effectively begins at the south side of the Grand Canal and stretches along the Rathmines Road as far as Rathgar to the south, Ranelagh to the east and Harold's Cross to the west.Rathmines has...
, east of 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....
and Kimmage
Kimmage
Kimmage is a small suburb on the Southside of Dublin near Crumlin, Greenhills, Harold's Cross, Rathfarnham, Templeogue, and Terenure. The name "Kimmage" comes from the Irish cam uisce, which means "winding" river. The River Poddle flows through Kimmage, and flows on to join the River Liffey...
, and directly south from 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...
at Clanbrassil Street
Clanbrassil Street, Dublin
Clanbrassil Street is a street in Dublin south of the city centre. It runs from Robert Emmet Bridge on the Grand Canal to New Street. It is served by several bus routes.It is named after James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Clanbrassil.-History:...
. It lies within the jurisdiction of Dublin City Council
Dublin 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:...
, and straddles the boundary of Dublin 6W and Dublin 12 postal districts.
Name
One explanation of the origin of the name Harold's Cross is that it is derived from the name given to a gallowsGallows
A gallows is a frame, typically wooden, used for execution by hanging, or by means to torture before execution, as was used when being hanged, drawn and quartered...
, which had been placed where the current Harold's Cross Park is situated. Harold's Cross was an execution ground for the city of Dublin during the 18th century and earlier. In the 14th century the gallows there was maintained by the Archbishop.
Harold's Cross stands on lands which formed, like those of Rathmines
Rathmines
Rathmines is a suburb on the southside of Dublin, about 3 kilometres south of the city centre. It effectively begins at the south side of the Grand Canal and stretches along the Rathmines Road as far as Rathgar to the south, Ranelagh to the east and Harold's Cross to the west.Rathmines has...
, part of the Manor of St. Sepulchre
Manor of St. Sepulchre
The Manor of St. Sepulchre was one of several manors, or liberties, that existed in Dublin, Ireland since the arrival of the Anglo-Normans in the 12th century. They were town lands united to the city, but still preserving their own jurisdiction.St...
, and its name is said to have originated in a cross which marked the boundary of the lands of the Archbishop of Dublin
Archbishop of Dublin
The Archbishop of Dublin may refer to:* Archbishop of Dublin – an article which lists of pre- and post-Reformation archbishops.* Archbishop of Dublin – the title of the senior cleric who presides over the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin....
, and warned the Harolds, the wild guardians of the border of the Pale
The Pale
The Pale or the English Pale , was the part of Ireland that was directly under the control of the English government in the late Middle Ages. It had reduced by the late 15th century to an area along the east coast stretching from Dalkey, south of Dublin, to the garrison town of Dundalk...
near Whitechurch that they must not encroach.
Another explanation is that it is derived from a stone cross that marked the boundary
Boundary marker
A boundary marker, boundary stone or border stone is a robust physical marker that identifies the start of a land boundary or the change in a boundary, especially a change in a direction of a boundary...
of lands held by the Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
Viking Harold family of Rathfarnham
Rathfarnham
Rathfarnham or Rathfarnam is a Southside suburb of Dublin, Ireland. It is south of Terenure, east of Templeogue, and is in the postal districts of Dublin 14 and 16. It is within the administrative areas of both Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and South Dublin County Councils.The area of Rathfarnham...
in early medieval times, reputedly located at what is now the five-road Kenilworth junction on Harold's Cross Road.
Features
Harold's Cross has a number of shops and businesses and an active credit unionCredit union
A credit union is a cooperative financial institution that is owned and controlled by its members and operated for the purpose of promoting thrift, providing credit at competitive rates, and providing other financial services to its members...
. Harold's Cross Park, a small well maintained city park, occupies the site of the original village green.
Historically a number of large houses were constructed, mostly with the appendage of ‘Mount’, reflecting the parish’s elevation, and their names are remembered today but no longer as houses: Mount Argus, (church and monastery) Mount Jerome (cemetery), Greenmount House
Our Lady's Hospice
Our Lady's Hospice is a Hospice with its main centre in Harold's Cross, Dublin and a specialist palliative care unit in Blackrock, County Dublin in Ireland. The Hospice was founded and run by the Religious Sisters of Charity, a congregation themselves founded by Mary Aikenhead. They provide...
(the Hospice), Mount Harold (the Catholic Church) and Mount Drummond and Mount Tallant (Housing).
At one side of Harold's Cross is Mount Jerome Cemetery
Mount Jerome Cemetery
Mount Jerome Cemetery is situated in Harold's Cross on the south side of Dublin, Ireland. Since its foundation in 1836, it has witnessed over 300,000 burials...
, as mentioned in Joyce's
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
Ulysses
Ulysses (novel)
Ulysses is a novel by the Irish author James Joyce. It was first serialised in parts in the American journal The Little Review from March 1918 to December 1920, and then published in its entirety by Sylvia Beach on 2 February 1922, in Paris. One of the most important works of Modernist literature,...
, originally the residence of a family named Shaw. It is considered Dublin's most gothic cemetery and there lie such lumunaries as Thomas Davis
Thomas Osborne Davis (Irish politician)
Thomas Osborne Davis was a revolutionary Irish writer who was the chief organizer and poet of the Young Ireland movement.-Early life:...
, George Russell (AE)
George William Russell
George William Russell who wrote under the pseudonym Æ , was an Irish nationalist, writer, editor, critic, poet, and painter. He was also a mystical writer, and centre of a group of followers of theosophy in Dublin, for many years.-Organisor:Russell was born in Lurgan, County Armagh...
, and Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
's father, William Wilde
William Wilde
Sir William Robert Wills Wilde MD, FRCSI, was an Irish eye and ear surgeon, as well as an author of significant works on medicine, archaeology and folklore, particularly concerning his native Ireland...
, and mother, in addition to members of the Guinness family and deceased members of the Royal Irish Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary
The armed Royal Irish Constabulary was Ireland's major police force for most of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. A separate civic police force, the unarmed Dublin Metropolitan Police controlled the capital, and the cities of Derry and Belfast, originally with their own police...
. The remains of French Huguenots once buried in St. Peter's Churchyard, Peter's Row (now the location of the Dublin YMCA), which was demolished in the 1980s, are interred here. Other famous graves include those of mathematician William Rowan Hamilton
William Rowan Hamilton
Sir William Rowan Hamilton was an Irish physicist, astronomer, and mathematician, who made important contributions to classical mechanics, optics, and algebra. His studies of mechanical and optical systems led him to discover new mathematical concepts and techniques...
and playwright John Millington Synge
John Millington Synge
Edmund John Millington Synge was an Irish playwright, poet, prose writer, and collector of folklore. He was a key figure in the Irish Literary Revival and was one of the cofounders of the Abbey Theatre...
. The cemetery was operated from 1837 to 1984 by a private company and now belongs to the Massey family.
The suburb is also home to Dublin's first hospice
Hospice
Hospice is a type of care and a philosophy of care which focuses on the palliation of a terminally ill patient's symptoms.In the United States and Canada:*Gentiva Health Services, national provider of hospice and home health services...
, Our Lady's Hospice, Harold's Cross
Our Lady's Hospice
Our Lady's Hospice is a Hospice with its main centre in Harold's Cross, Dublin and a specialist palliative care unit in Blackrock, County Dublin in Ireland. The Hospice was founded and run by the Religious Sisters of Charity, a congregation themselves founded by Mary Aikenhead. They provide...
. This palliative care facility was founded in 1879 in a house called Our Lady's Mount (formerly Greenmount), which was previously the Mother House of the Religious Sisters of Charity
Religious Sisters of Charity
The Religious Sisters of Charity or Irish Sisters of Charity is a Roman Catholic religious order founded by Mary Aikenhead in Ireland in 1815.Its motto is "Caritas Christi urget nos" ....
. Mary Aikenhead
Mary Aikenhead
Mother Mary Frances Aikenhead was born in Daunt's Square off Grand Parade, Cork, Ireland. She was the founder of the Roman Catholic religious order the Religious Sisters of Charity and of St...
, founder of the Sisters of Charity order, lived in Our Lady's Mount from 1845 onwards. She bought a large Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
house at Greenmount from a famous abolitionist family called Webb
Richard D. Webb
Richard Davis Webb was an Irish publisher and abolitionist.Webb was born in 1805. In 1837, he was one of three founding members, with James Haughton and Richard Allen, of the Hibernian Antislavery Association. This was not the first antislavery association but it was acknowledged to be the most...
who were members of the Society of Friends (Quakers), after she offered more than a rival bid from Mount Jerome cemetery. A new Hospice building was commenced in 1886, and many more buildings followed.
In 1804 the sisters of the order of St. Clare (San Damiano) moved to the village to run a female orphanage, founded the previous year, now the Saint Clare's Convent and Primary School. St. Clare's was founded in 1803 and as such is the oldest Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Dublin. Beside the convent is the national headquarters for the Secular Franciscan Order
Secular Franciscan Order
thumb|rigth|Lapel pin of Secular Franciscan Order.The Secular Franciscan Order is a community of Catholic men and women, of any of the Rites in communion with Rome , in the world who seek to pattern their lives after Christ in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi. Secular Franciscans are...
.
Transport
Harolds cross is well served by public transport; Dublin Bus routes 15N, 16, 16a, 19a, 18, 83, 49, 49a and 54a pass through it.Religion
The area holds Saint Clare's Convent and Primary School, as well as Mount Argus Monastery and its church. Mount Argus was the official home of Saint Charles of Mount ArgusCharles of Mount Argus
Saint Charles of Mount Argus was a well known Passionist priest in 19th century Ireland. He was born Joannes Andreas Houben on the 11 December 1821 in the village of Munstergeleen in the Province of Limburg in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. He joined the Passionists in 1845 at Ere in Belgium...
who was a well known Passionist
Passionist
The Passionists are a Roman Catholic religious order founded by Saint Paul of the Cross . Professed members use the initials C.P. after their names.-History:St...
priest in 19th-century Ireland, he was mentioned as a miracle worker in the book Ulysses
Ulysses (novel)
Ulysses is a novel by the Irish author James Joyce. It was first serialised in parts in the American journal The Little Review from March 1918 to December 1920, and then published in its entirety by Sylvia Beach on 2 February 1922, in Paris. One of the most important works of Modernist literature,...
, Circe chapter. It also has long-established links with the Garda Síochána
Garda Síochána
, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
and it was officially the church of the Dublin Metropolitan Police
Dublin Metropolitan Police
The Dublin Metropolitan Police was the police force of Dublin, Ireland, from 1836 to 1925, when it amalgamated into the new Garda Síochána.-19th century:...
.
The first Rector of Mount Argus was Fr. Paul Mary Pakenham who was the son of the Earl of Longford
Earl of Longford
Earl of Longford is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Ireland. It was first bestowed upon Francis Aungier, 3rd Baron Aungier of Longford, in 1677, with remainder to his younger brother Ambrose. He had previously represented Surrey in the House of Commons and had already been...
and nephew of Kitty Pakenham (Duchess of Wellington). His first mass took place in a house at the time on 15 August 1856. Irish architect J. J. McCarthy was commissioned to design the new monastery.
The former 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 in Harold's Cross has been leased to the Moscow Patriarchate as Ss Peter and Paul Church, for the Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
. A substantial congregation made up of Orthodox immigrants to Ireland (mostly from the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, Eastern Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
)) along with native (mostly convert) Irish Orthodox attend services here. Services are conducted both in Church Slavonic and English with a smattering of Irish
Irish language
Irish , 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...
.
The Roman Catholic Parish Church in Harold's Cross is the Church of the Holy Rosary. The parish is an active one with many contributing to its attendant organisations. The church was built on top of the remains of an old stately house called Mount Harold house at the end of the 19th century. Original floor tiles of the house can still be seen on the chapel floor to this day.
History
Much of the local industry during the 19th century revolved around the old mills which were located on the River PoddleRiver Poddle
The River Poddle , is one of the best known of the more than a hundred watercourses of Dublin. It is the source of the name "Dublin", the city being named after a pool that was once on its course...
which passes through the area, with part of its flow diverted into the "City Watercourse" culvert at "The Tongue" or "Stone Boat". A paper mill was located at Mount Argus where there was a small rural village at that time, and also a flour mill was near the gates of Mount Jerome cemetery. At Mount Jerome the Poddle goes underground for much of the rest of its journey to the Liffey. During the 20th century the old mill at Mount Argus, disused at this stage, was adopted by the local Boy Scout
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
troop the 45th Mount Argus as a boxing club, as a result of which the troop became commonly known as "the fighting 45th" troop in Dublin scouting circles. The troop was founded by Rev. Fr. Cronin C.P. of Mount Argus church.
Harold's Cross Green was a key meeting point for members of the Society of United Irishmen just before the 1798 Rebellion, rebels such as Thomas Cloney
Thomas Cloney
Thomas Cloney was a County Wexford leader in the Irish Rebellion of 1798.He was the only son of Denis Cloney, a prosperous middleman, of Moneyhore, Wexford, and his wife, Mary Kavanagh , a native of Ballybeg, County Carlow, both Roman Catholics...
and Myles Byrne
Myles Byrne
Myles Byrne was a leader in the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and chef de bataillon in Napoleon’s Irish Legion.-Early life:Myles Byrne was born in the townland of Ballylusk near Monaseed, County Wexford, Ireland, 20 March 1780, into a Catholic family.-1798 Rebellion & Aftermath:Byrne participated in...
meet the commander Robert Emmet to discuss tactics for pending uprising.
Irish Nationalist leader Robert Emmet
Robert Emmet
Robert Emmet was an Irish nationalist and Republican, orator and rebel leader born in Dublin, Ireland...
was captured near Harold's Cross. He lived for a period in a house in Harold's Cross so he could be near his sweetheart Sarah Curran
Sarah Curran
Sarah Curran was the youngest daughter of John Philpot Curran, an eminent Irish lawyer. She lived in the priory in Rathfarnham and was the great love of Irish nationalist Robert Emmet.-Biography:...
of Rathfarnham
Rathfarnham
Rathfarnham or Rathfarnam is a Southside suburb of Dublin, Ireland. It is south of Terenure, east of Templeogue, and is in the postal districts of Dublin 14 and 16. It is within the administrative areas of both Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and South Dublin County Councils.The area of Rathfarnham...
. He led an abortive rebellion against British rule in 1803 and was captured, tried and executed. The Grand Canal bridge linking Harold's Cross Road and Clanbrassil Street was named in his honour, where a plaque commemorates him (the bridge was formerly called Clanbrassil Bridge, and is known locally as Harold's Cross Bridge).
The father of Pádraig Pearse, James, was a stonemason for Mount Argus Church. The Pearse family had a long association with the Passionists and Mount Argus. Both Pádraig and Willie Pearse came for confessions on the day of the Easter Rising
Easter Rising
The 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 at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...
. Mrs Pearse and Padraig himself also taught Irish language lessons in the community Scout hall next to the church. The 1916 Volunteers, who had a training ground in nearby Kimmage
Kimmage
Kimmage is a small suburb on the Southside of Dublin near Crumlin, Greenhills, Harold's Cross, Rathfarnham, Templeogue, and Terenure. The name "Kimmage" comes from the Irish cam uisce, which means "winding" river. The River Poddle flows through Kimmage, and flows on to join the River Liffey...
, are said to have paid a visit to Mount Argus Church to pray just before taking part in the 1916 Easter Rising.
O'Connor's Jewellers on Harold's Cross Road is noted for being the victim of one of the two famous robberies carried out by the notorious Dublin criminal Martin Cahill
Martin Cahill
Martin "The General" Cahill was a prominent Irish criminal from Dublin.Cahill generated a certain notoriety in the media, which referred to him by the sobriquet "The General". The name was also used by the media in order to discuss Cahill's activities while avoiding legal problems with libel...
(who is also buried in Mount Jerome Cemetery).
Honour Bright, prostitute (real name Elizabeth (Lily) O'Neill), who lived in Harold's Cross, was murdered in June 1925, and her body found in the mountains. Dr Patrick Purcell, a medical doctor in County Wicklow, and Leopold J. Dillon, a Garda, were put on trial charged with the murder, but were acquitted. The murderer was never traced.
There was a well established community of Quakers in Harold's Cross that operated a number of industries in the locality including Cotton, paper and flour milling during the 19th century. They also ran a number of orphanages locally. Among these industries was the Greenmount Spinning manufacturing powered by the River Poddle
River Poddle
The River Poddle , is one of the best known of the more than a hundred watercourses of Dublin. It is the source of the name "Dublin", the city being named after a pool that was once on its course...
, owned by the well-known Pim family. James Pim was commonly known as the "Quaker father of Irish railways.
Quaker brothers Thomas Pim and Robert Goodbody decided to relocate Goodbody Tabacco manufacturing to Greenville near Harolds Cross after a disastrous fire in their Tullamore
Tullamore
Tullamore is a town in County Offaly, in the midlands of Ireland. It is Offaly's county town and the centre of the district.Tullamore is an important commercial and industrial centre in the region. Major international employers in the town include 'Tyco Healthcare' and 'Boston Scientific'. In...
premises in 1886; as a result most of their employees were also relocated to the area, where red brick terrace housing were built in the area by the Dublin Artizans' Dwellings Company
Iveagh Trust
The Iveagh Trust is a provider of affordable housing in and around Dublin, Ireland. It was initially a component of the Guinness Trust, founded in 1890 by Edward Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh, great-grandson of the founder of the Guinness Brewery, to help homeless people in Dublin and London...
, in which the Pim family were prominent members.
People
- John KeoghJohn Keogh-Biography:Keogh was a leading Irish campaigner who struggled to get Irish Roman Catholics the right to vote and the repeal of the Penal Laws. He was of an obscure family and made his considerable fortune in land speculation, brewing, and silk trading...
(1740–1817) was a leading Irish campaigner who struggled to get Irish Roman Catholics the right to vote and the repeal of the Penal Laws. He had a large mansion in the Mount Jerome area of Harold's Cross which was often visited by leading members of the Society of United Irishmen. He died in 1817 and was buried in St. Kevin's Church, Camden Row, where his grave can be seen. - John Charles D'Arcy, father of a famous Church of Ireland clergyman Charles D'ArcyCharles D'ArcyCharles Frederick D'Arcy was a Church of Ireland clergyman, from 1903 Bishop of Clogher, in 1907 translated to become Bishop of Ossory, Ferns and Leighlin and then Bishop of Down, Connor and Dromore, briefly Archbishop of Dublin, and finally from 1920 until his death Archbishop of Armagh...
, had a family home in the Mount Tallant area of Harold's Cross. - Gerald MolloyGerald MolloyGerald Molloy was an Irish Roman Catholic priest, theologian and scientist.-Life:He was educated at Castleknock College, and subsequently went to Maynooth College...
(1834–1906) born at Mount Tallant House, near Dublin, was an Irish Roman Catholic priest, theologian and scientist. He served as a member of the first senate of the Royal University of IrelandRoyal University of IrelandThe Royal University of Ireland was founded in accordance with the University Education Act 1879 as an examining and degree-awarding university based on the model of the University of London. A Royal Charter was issued on April 27, 1880 and examinations were opened to candidates irrespective of... - Edward O'ReillyEdward O'ReillyEdward O'Reilly was an Irish scholar in the first half of the 19th century.His grandfather was Eoghan O'Reilly of Corstown, County Meath. Edward's father moved to Harold's Cross, Dublin, where he practised as an apothecary. Edward was born on 6 December 1765...
(1765–1830) was an Irish scholar in the first half of the 19th century. - Brian D'ArcyBrian D'ArcyFather Brian D'Arcy C.P. is a Passionist priest based in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. A noted author, newspaper columnist, broadcaster and preacher, he serves as Rector of St. Gabriel's Retreat, the Graan...
born 1945, is a Passionist priest who resided and preached in the Mount Argus Monastery. - Richard Allen (abolitionist)Richard Allen (abolitionist)Richard Allen was a draper, a philanthropist and abolitionist in Dublin. Allen raised £20,000 to help the Irish famine by writing letters to America.-Life:Allen was born to Edward and Ellen Allen at Harold's Cross near Dublin...
(1803–1886), born at No. 201 Harold's Cross Road, a large red brick building dating from 1750; he was a well known Quaker. - Adam Loftus (1533–1605), Archbishop of DublinArchbishop of DublinThe Archbishop of Dublin may refer to:* Archbishop of Dublin – an article which lists of pre- and post-Reformation archbishops.* Archbishop of Dublin – the title of the senior cleric who presides over the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin....
during the Middle ages owned land in the Mount Jerome area west of the borough . - Isaac WeldIsaac WeldIsaac Weld was an Irish topographical writer, explorer, and artist.He was born on 15 March 1774 on Fleet Street, Dublin, Ireland....
(1774–1856), was an Irish topographical writer, explorer, and artist, he was part of the famous Weld familyWeld familyThe Weld family is an extended family of Boston Brahmins most remembered for the philanthropy of its members. The Welds have many connections to Harvard University, the Golden Age of Sail, the Far East , the history of Massachusetts, and American history in general.William Weld, former Governor of...
, the Irish descendents of the family were also residents for a period of time of the mansion at Mount Jerome. - Leo RowsomeLeo RowsomeLeo Rowsome was the third generation of an unbroken line of uilleann pipers. He was performer, manufacturer and teacher of the uilleann pipes - the complete master of his instrument...
(1903–1970), born in Harold's Cross, was the third generation of an unbroken line of uilleann pipers. He was performer, manufacturer and teacher of the uilleann pipes and devoted his entire life to them. - John Francis Moore (bishop) (1942–2010), born in Harold's Cross, ordained as the first bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bauchi, Nigeria
- Richard MoynanRichard MoynanRichard Thomas Moynan was an Irish painter. Moynan was born in Dublin and studied there at the Metropolitan School....
(1856–1906), was an Irish painter and unionist propagandist who had his studio based in Harold's Cross. - Thomas CaffreyThomas CaffreyThomas Andrew Caffrey was an Irish chocolatier and founder of Caffrey's Confectionery, which today sells products in Ireland, Europe, Australia and the United States and is the oldest remaining family-owned, family-named chocolate company in Ireland...
(1917–2010), Irish chocolatierChocolatierA chocolatier is someone who makes confectionery from chocolate. Chocolatiers are distinct from chocolate makers, who create chocolate from cacao beans and other ingredients.Professional chocolatiers study topics including the following:...
started his first venture by opening a business in Harold's Cross, Dublin in 1930 - Joseph "Spud" Murphy, (1923–2001), who invented the "Cheese & Onion" crispCRISPCRISP may refer to:*C-language Reduced Instruction Set Processor*Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients*Complementary Randomized Integrated Sensing and Processing...
, set up his Tayto crisp production plant in Mount Tallant in the 1960s - Father Cuthbert Dunne C.P., (1869–1950), was a Passionist priest from Mount Argus, who carried out the deathbed conversionDeathbed conversionA deathbed conversion is the adoption of a particular religious faith shortly before dying. Making a conversion on one's deathbed may reflect an immediate change of belief, a desire to formalize longer-term beliefs, a desire to complete a process of conversion already underway, or a subconscious...
of Oscar WildeOscar WildeOscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
to the catholic faith in Paris.
Sport
- Harold's Cross StadiumHarold's Cross StadiumHarold's Cross Stadium is a greyhound racing stadium in the south Dublin city district of Harold's Cross, owned and operated by the Irish Greyhound Board. In the late 1990s, major redevelopment work saw the venue transformed from a basic gambling driven venue to a fairly well known social event...
is one of two main greyhound racing stadia south Dublin city, the other being Shelbourne ParkShelbourne ParkShelbourne Park is a greyhound racing stadium in the south Dublin inner city suburb of Ringsend.The stadium also played host to the home matches of Shelbourne FC, who play in the League of Ireland, from 1913/14 up until 1948/49. The first match was a 1-1 draw against Bohemians and their last match...
in RingsendRingsendRingsend is a southside inner suburb of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. It is located on the south bank of the River Liffey, about two kilometres east of the city centre, and is the southern terminus of the East Link Toll Bridge....
, both owned and operated by the Irish Greyhound Board - Shelbourne FC, the League of Ireland side, played at the Greyhound Stadium during the period 1975-77 and again from 1983 to 1989 before moving to the refurbished Home ground of Tolka park.
- St Patrick's Athletic were the last League of Ireland club to play regularly at the Greyhound Stadium from 1989/90 up to November 1993, while work was being done to its Richmond Park home. Due to the upgrade of facilities in Harold's Cross, it is highly unlikely that football will be played there again. Brian Kerr managed the team during this period at the Greyhound Stadium.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland
- "Harold's Cross" (3rd edition, 2004), by local historian, Joe Curtis.