Lusk, County Dublin
Encyclopedia
Lusk is a village
in Ireland
located 23 km (14.3 mi) north of Dublin city centre. The name "Lusk" is said to date back to St. MacCullin, who founded a church there c.450. Oral tradition suggests MacCullin may have either lived in or been buried in a cave and that the name "Lusk" derives from an old Gaelic
word Lusca meaning 'cave' or 'underground chamber'. This is an untested theory however. The area was known as Bregia in pre-Christian times and is known to have been birthplace to CuChullain's wife, Emer. Thus we find a 20th century tradition among old Lusk families of naming daughters Emer.
In the 21st century, Lusk has an exploding population. The Central Statistical Office notes that 62% of all private dwellings in Lusk were built in the five years between 2001 and 2006. Census figures for the same period show a population explosion from c.2500 to over 5200. During most of the 20th century, the population remained fairly static. Census returns for 1901 and 1911 show a population 'boom' from about 300 to 600. In the early 50s, the Survey Gazetteer of The British Isles quotes a population of 513 for the village. Due to massive emigration in the 50s and 60s the later population actually declined. In the mid 50s for instance, the total number of children in the old NS, boys and girls, hovered around 120. The present NS opened in 1956 with about that number.
The railway station (Rush & Lusk) about 1ml East is shared with the coastal settlement of Rush.
, who nowadays connects with Rush (RosEo). The ruins of St. Maur's original church, or more likely its later replacement, are at the top of Whitestown hill, firmly in the parish of Rush. Lusk was plundered and burned several times in the 8th & 9th centuries by marauding Vikings, who eventually built a permanent settlement at Dubh Linn now Dublin.
The only tangible remnant of the early Christian foundation at Lusk is the Round Tower
. It stands 27m high (originally some 32m high) which retains its original conical cap or so it seems, as the modern trap-door onto the rooftop suggests otherwise. Inside are nine 'floors' including the basement, which are likely to be due to unrecorded 'improvements' in or after the Middle Ages
. The flat-headed doorway, which originally would have been some 15 ft (4.6 m) above the ground is now less than 1m above ground level. The tower either sunk or was buried some 4m over the centuries. The Round Tower is adjacent to a Norman square tower built against it in the 15th century. This building has three matching towers at its corners and is beautifully represented by an 18th cent. picture below. The square tower holds several medieval tombs including that of James Bermingham (1527) and the double-effigy tomb of Christopher Barnewall
and his wife Marion Sharl (1589).
Fingal
is the name given to that part of present day North County Dublin bounded by the Tolka River to the south and the Delvin River to the north. Fingal is considerably older than Dublin City, which was established by the Norsemen c.900 AD around the 'dubh linn' or black pool. Before Christendom and St. MacCullin, the area was the Celtic "Bregia", birthplace of CuChullain's wife, Emer whose clan (Gae. 'clann': family or tribe) resided in or near what we now know as Lusk.
The Round Tower at Lusk was built by 9th century Christians in an attempt to foil the Vikings, who were interested not only in the easy pickings but also the inhabitants themselves as a source of slave labour. As an interesting aside, a world-famous pipe band formed in 1910 and still as strong as ever is named the Black Raven Pipe Band. The black raven was very special to the Vikings. [See Iceland Daughter of Fire; Katharine Scherman 1976]. The entrance door to Lusk Round Tower, as with all such towers, was originally 4-5m above ground. Ladders were used to reach the entrance and then pulled up. (Refer to similar Round Towers at inter alia Glendalough
, Ardmore
, Clonmacnoise
On 26 May 2005 there was an attempted armed robbery of Lusk Post office, Main St. During this attempted robbery two gang members were shot dead by Gardai. The total incident lasted 21 seconds. In 2007 a third gang memeber was given a 10 year jail sentance for his role in the deadly raid www.independent.ie.
Lusk is a village and a parish
. The population of the village has quadrupled since the millennium and may continue to do so in spite of the current recession with new people from the EU, Africa, South America and many parts of Asia.
Lusk has always been an active village and the tradition not only persists but has added to its activity opportunities with a vengeance. The village accommodates a Soccer club, a GAA club (The Round Towers), a judo club, a motorcycle club
, a pipe band (the Black Raven), a ladies club (I.C.A.), kick-boxing club and card players (i.e. whist, bridge, and poker). It goes on to include a Farmers club, a heritage group, a historical society, a Tidy Towns group, a number of golf societies. Those interested in vintage cars, chess, tractors, scouts, machinery, photography, darts, pool, ballet dancing, ballroom dancing, Irish dancing and amateur dramatics are all catered for. There is also a kennel club, huntsmen on horseback, a senior citizens group, horse and dog racing groups, St Vincent de Paul Society, Meals on Wheels. Lusk has something for everyone.
Lusk Community Council Ltd (LCC) was set up to look after the village (as it was then) and liaise with Local Government and Councillors. LCC is a voluntary organisation whose responsibility has been to manage the Carnegie Library hall and the Old Church hall by the Round Tower. They also run the St Patrick’s Day parade each year.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
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,...
located 23 km (14.3 mi) north of Dublin city centre. The name "Lusk" is said to date back to St. MacCullin, who founded a church there c.450. Oral tradition suggests MacCullin may have either lived in or been buried in a cave and that the name "Lusk" derives from an old Gaelic
Gaelic
Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels", including language and culture. As a noun, it may refer to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually.-Gaelic languages:...
word Lusca meaning 'cave' or 'underground chamber'. This is an untested theory however. The area was known as Bregia in pre-Christian times and is known to have been birthplace to CuChullain's wife, Emer. Thus we find a 20th century tradition among old Lusk families of naming daughters Emer.
In the 21st century, Lusk has an exploding population. The Central Statistical Office notes that 62% of all private dwellings in Lusk were built in the five years between 2001 and 2006. Census figures for the same period show a population explosion from c.2500 to over 5200. During most of the 20th century, the population remained fairly static. Census returns for 1901 and 1911 show a population 'boom' from about 300 to 600. In the early 50s, the Survey Gazetteer of The British Isles quotes a population of 513 for the village. Due to massive emigration in the 50s and 60s the later population actually declined. In the mid 50s for instance, the total number of children in the old NS, boys and girls, hovered around 120. The present NS opened in 1956 with about that number.
The railway station (Rush & Lusk) about 1ml East is shared with the coastal settlement of Rush.
History
As mentioned above the settlement has been associated with St. MacCullin since c.AD 450. The place also had associations with St. MaurSt. Maur
St. Maur may refer to:* The Seymour family* The Benedictine Congregation of St Maur* Saint MaurusSt. Maur International SchoolSee also:* Saint-Maur...
, who nowadays connects with Rush (RosEo). The ruins of St. Maur's original church, or more likely its later replacement, are at the top of Whitestown hill, firmly in the parish of Rush. Lusk was plundered and burned several times in the 8th & 9th centuries by marauding Vikings, who eventually built a permanent settlement at Dubh Linn now Dublin.
The only tangible remnant of the early Christian foundation at Lusk is the Round Tower
Irish round tower
Irish round towers , Cloigthithe – literally "bell house") are early medieval stone towers of a type found mainly in Ireland, with three in Scotland and one on the Isle of Man...
. It stands 27m high (originally some 32m high) which retains its original conical cap or so it seems, as the modern trap-door onto the rooftop suggests otherwise. Inside are nine 'floors' including the basement, which are likely to be due to unrecorded 'improvements' in or after the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. The flat-headed doorway, which originally would have been some 15 ft (4.6 m) above the ground is now less than 1m above ground level. The tower either sunk or was buried some 4m over the centuries. The Round Tower is adjacent to a Norman square tower built against it in the 15th century. This building has three matching towers at its corners and is beautifully represented by an 18th cent. picture below. The square tower holds several medieval tombs including that of James Bermingham (1527) and the double-effigy tomb of Christopher Barnewall
Christopher Barnewall
Sir Christopher Barnewall was a leading Anglo-Irish statesman of the Pale in the 1560s and 1570s,and was effective Leader of the Opposition in the Irish House of Commons in the Parliament of 1568-71...
and his wife Marion Sharl (1589).
Fingal
Fingal
Fingal is a county in Ireland. It is one of three smaller counties into which County Dublin was divided in 1994. With its county seat located in Swords, it has a population of 239,992 according to the 2006 census...
is the name given to that part of present day North County Dublin bounded by the Tolka River to the south and the Delvin River to the north. Fingal is considerably older than Dublin City, which was established by the Norsemen c.900 AD around the 'dubh linn' or black pool. Before Christendom and St. MacCullin, the area was the Celtic "Bregia", birthplace of CuChullain's wife, Emer whose clan (Gae. 'clann': family or tribe) resided in or near what we now know as Lusk.
The Round Tower at Lusk was built by 9th century Christians in an attempt to foil the Vikings, who were interested not only in the easy pickings but also the inhabitants themselves as a source of slave labour. As an interesting aside, a world-famous pipe band formed in 1910 and still as strong as ever is named the Black Raven Pipe Band. The black raven was very special to the Vikings. [See Iceland Daughter of Fire; Katharine Scherman 1976]. The entrance door to Lusk Round Tower, as with all such towers, was originally 4-5m above ground. Ladders were used to reach the entrance and then pulled up. (Refer to similar Round Towers at inter alia Glendalough
Glendalough
Glendalough 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....
, Ardmore
Ardmore
Ardmore comes from the or the , meaning "great height", and may refer to:-Places:Canada:*Ardmore, Alberta*Ardmore Beach, a community in Tiny, OntarioIreland:*Ardmore, County Waterford, Republic of Ireland*Ardmore, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland...
, Clonmacnoise
Clonmacnoise
The monastery of Clonmacnoise is situated in County Offaly, Ireland on the River Shannon south of Athlone....
On 26 May 2005 there was an attempted armed robbery of Lusk Post office, Main St. During this attempted robbery two gang members were shot dead by Gardai. The total incident lasted 21 seconds. In 2007 a third gang memeber was given a 10 year jail sentance for his role in the deadly raid www.independent.ie.
Civic elements
There are four national schools in the area: Lusk NS, Hedgestown NS, Corduff NS and Rush & Lusk "Educate Together".Lusk is a village and a parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
. The population of the village has quadrupled since the millennium and may continue to do so in spite of the current recession with new people from the EU, Africa, South America and many parts of Asia.
Lusk has always been an active village and the tradition not only persists but has added to its activity opportunities with a vengeance. The village accommodates a Soccer club, a GAA club (The Round Towers), a judo club, a motorcycle club
Motorcycle club
A motorcycle club is a group of individuals whose primary interest and activities involve motorcycles.In the U.S. the abbreviation, MC or MCC, can have a special social meaning from the point of view of the outlaw subcultures, and is usually reserved by them for those clubs that are mutually...
, a pipe band (the Black Raven), a ladies club (I.C.A.), kick-boxing club and card players (i.e. whist, bridge, and poker). It goes on to include a Farmers club, a heritage group, a historical society, a Tidy Towns group, a number of golf societies. Those interested in vintage cars, chess, tractors, scouts, machinery, photography, darts, pool, ballet dancing, ballroom dancing, Irish dancing and amateur dramatics are all catered for. There is also a kennel club, huntsmen on horseback, a senior citizens group, horse and dog racing groups, St Vincent de Paul Society, Meals on Wheels. Lusk has something for everyone.
Lusk Community Council Ltd (LCC) was set up to look after the village (as it was then) and liaise with Local Government and Councillors. LCC is a voluntary organisation whose responsibility has been to manage the Carnegie Library hall and the Old Church hall by the Round Tower. They also run the St Patrick’s Day parade each year.
See also
- List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Dublin)
- List of towns and villages in Ireland