Ballyfermot
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Ballyfermot
Baile Formaid | |
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Suburb | |
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Ballyfermot (
Ballyfermot is also a civil parish in the historical barony of Uppercross.[1]
Toponymy
The place name Ballyfermot—rendered in Irish Baile Formaid[2] and sometimes Baile Thormaid[3]—is derived from the Middle Irish baile ("farmstead"),[4] and the Old Norse personal name Þormundr.[5] It is also referred to colloquially by Dubliners as Ballyer for short.[6]
History
The 12th century saw the Cambro-Normans expand west across the Irish Sea from Pembroke in Wales into Leinster. After the Treaty of Windsor in 1175, through feudal land grants and intermarriage, the Cambro Norman knights came into possession of land in south and west Dublin, along with the local Irish chieftain who supported them, Mac Giolla Mocolmog.[7] Family names associated with the area at this time included Mac Giolla Mocolmog (FitzDermot), O'Cathasaidhe, Fitzwilliam, Le Gros (Grace), O'Dualainghe, Tyrrell, O'Hennessy, O'Morchain, Dillon, O'Kelly, De Barneval (Barnewall), and Newcomyn (Newcomen).
In 1307, the manor of Ballyfermot was held by William Fitzwilliam and his wife Avice, who leased part of it to Thomas Cantock, the Lord Chancellor of Ireland. The land passed from the Fitzwilliams to their relatives, the Clahulls from Dundrum, and later to the Barnawalls of Drimnagh Castle.[7]
Ballyfermot Castle was constructed on the site of a Norman
The castle was inherited by Robert Newcomen, who enhanced it and held it into the mid-seventeenth century. Its political importance subsequently declined with the Newcomens, culminating with the suicide of Thomas Gleadowe-Newcomen in 1825. It later housed a school. The castle defence wing to the south and east is reputed to have been destroyed by fire. Ballyfermot House, known locally as 'the tiled house', was built by the Verveer family.[7] In his A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, Samuel Lewis places a Captain Lampier and his wife Bridget (Cavanaugh of Goldenbridge) (Lieutenant Joseph Lamphier, 2nd Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers and Bridget Mary Cavanagh) as living there in 1834. It stood to the north of the castle's aquaculture pond. Built in the early eighteenth century, the house had a slated façade in the Dutch style.[citation needed]
The nineteenth century newspaper publisher and writer
A short distance from the castle site at the south-east end of Le Fanu Park is a mound which covers the ruins and churchyard of the rectory church of St Laurence. It is believed to have roots in
Other manor houses of note include Johnstown House (St John's College), Colepark House, Sarsfield House, Sevenoaks, Floraville, Auburn Villa and Gallanstown House. The Ballyfermot townlands were transferred from the Barony of Newcastle to the Barony of Uppercross in the late nineteenth century, under the Local Government Act of 1898.[citation needed]
The dairy and stud farms of Ballyfermot were acquired by the authorities in the 1930s. They were developed into suburban housing estates needed to alleviate the post war housing shortage. This development, along with estates at Drimnagh, Crumlin, Walkinstown and other pockets in the south city, and Cabra, Finglas and Donnycarney along with smaller pockets in the north city provided modern accommodation to facilitate the Dublin City Council public/private housing programs. Initially leased to waiting lists, these homes were sold to their residents, even prior to similar government initiatives in the United Kingdom. The first estate was built in the late 1940s at Ballyfermot Lower. South of Sarsfield House and Ballyfermot Road it was originally called the Sarsfield Estate. The street names reflect this historical theme. Gradually, the adjacent townlands to the south of Ballyfermot Road and north of Grange Cross - Ballyfermot Upper, Blackditch, Cherry Orchard, Raheen and Gallanstown were similarly developed. Johnstown, a townland of Palmerstown, located around Johnstown House (St John's College De La Salle) south of Chapelizod was developed for residential housing. Now divided along the Drumfin/Glenaulin/Sports Park perimeter, the west portion was retained by Palmerstown, while the east portion became the township/electoral district of Drumfin in Dublin City (Local Government Act 1993), and included in postal district Dublin 10.[citation needed]
During the 1970s Ballyfermot suffered from a lack of facilities and opportunities for its residents;[8] however, these conditions have improved over time.
Politics
In local government elections, Ballyfermot is part of the Ballyfermot-Drimnagh Ward. Since the local elections in 2019, the local elected representatives on Dublin City Council are:[citation needed]
- Vincent Jackson (Independent)
- Daithí de Róiste (Fianna Fáil)
- Hazel de Nortúin (People Before Profit)
- Sophie Nicoullaud (Green Party)
- Daithí Doolan (Sinn Féin)
Ballyfermot is part of the Dublin South-Central Dáil constituency.
Commerce
The area is now a centre of national commercial distribution, with access to the national trunk roads.[citation needed] Ballyfermot is bordered to the north by the N4, to the south by the N7 and to the west by the M50.
A number of Irish motor distributors are based in Ballyfermot. They include
There are several hotels in the area, including Days Hotel at Park West and Sheldon Park on Kylemore and Bewleys at Newlands.[citation needed] A community based CCTV monitoring scheme for Ballyfermot was launched in early 2003. This is part of the Department of Justice Town Centre CCTV monitoring initiative.[citation needed]
Transport
Amenities
Parks
The California Hills Park (also known as Glenaulin Park) is the largest recreational space in the area. The name originated as a colloquialism - there were few designated play facilities in the very early days of suburban development and the California Hills was the name used by local movie-going kids who played 'Cowboys and Indians' there. The name later achieved official recognition due to popular usage.[citation needed] The park covers part of the great esker east of Dublin, and overlooks the Liffey Valley from the south. From Le Fanu and Kylemore Roads to the east, it falls to the landscaped valley of a Liffey tributary, the Glenaulin Stream. It runs west toward Glenaulin and Drumfin Roads which adjoin the park as it stretches in a crescent through Palmerstown. The Chapelizod Bypass runs northwest alongside and Kylemore Road joins the motorway near the West County Hotel. California Hills Park has views north over the Strawberry Beds to the Phoenix Park and the Farmleigh clock tower at Castleknock is a prominent landmark. California Hills include's Gales-Drumfinn Avenue Park, known locally as "The Gaels", used for football, golf practice, cross country runs and walks and includes a children's play area. There is an entrance to the park beside the Ballyfermot Leisure Co-Op, near the GAA Sports Park, on Gurteen Road.
The
Other parks located in the area include Le Fanu Park, Glenaulin Sports Park, Markievicz Park and Cherry Orchard Park. Le Fanu Park houses the Ballyfermot Leisure Centre and The Base.[citation needed]
Grand Canal
The Grand Canal was constructed in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. It is now a recreational waterway. It passes along the south side of Ballyfermot. Towpath walkways extend continuously to Hazelhatch, County Kildare. A historic bridge crosses the canal near the seventh lock at Killeen.[citation needed]
Medical facilities
Cherry Orchard Hospital is a public health facility which has a containment laboratory capable of testing for the deliberate release of Bacillus anthracis.[9]
The Ballyfermot Medical Clinic is closed but a new Primary Care and Mental Health Centre has been opened beside Cherry Orchard Hospital. Services include GP, Community Nursing, Physiotherapy, Dental, addiction and community welfare. Mental Health facilities include a day hospital, day centre and outpatients clinic. This is run by the HSE.
The Hermitage Medical Clinic is located in close proximity to the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, just off the N4 motorway. The Hermitage Hospital is a 101-bed private facility with specialised medical teams who provide medical, surgical and advanced radiotherapy care to patients. The hospital is privately run. Its principal investors are Sean Mulryan, Larry Goodman, John Flynn and George Duffy GP.[10]
Public institutions
Cloverhill Courthouse and Remand Centre is located between Clondalkin, Palmerstown, and Ballyfermot in Dublin 10. Wheatfield Prison is located on the same site adjacent to the Courthouse.
Education
National (primary) schools serving the area include Mary Queen of Angels National School, St Louise's Junior & Senior National Schools, Dominican School Campus (which includes St Michael's, St Raphael's and St Gabriel's N.S), and St Ultan's National School.[citation needed]
Due to the large amount of secondary schools in the area many merged into one which leaves Ballyfermot with two outstanding secondary schools being, St Setons Secondary School and Kylemore College.
The merge between the secondary schools was due to a shortage of students between the schools therefore the merge was seen as necessary.
Ballyfermot College of Further Education is a third-level institution based locally.
A fictional "Ballyfermot School" was created for the children's television programme Roy and many of the episodes were set there.[11]
Social and cultural
The Ballyfermot Community Festival takes place annually.[citation needed]
The local civic centre shares space with the Ballyfermot Residents Association (BRA).[citation needed] St Matthew's Community Centre is located adjacent to St Matthew's Church in Ballyfermot Upper (west).[12] The is also a public library in Ballyfermot.[13]
Ballyfermot Youth Service (BYS) is a youth service that has been running since 1985.[14] It provides services to young people of the area including outdoor education programmes, drop-in information centres, and music and arts programmes.[citation needed] St Mary's Youth Club has also based in the area since 1958.[citation needed]
The Gala was a local auditorium until its closure in the 2010s.[15] It was opened in 1953 and was used for several recreational uses, including as a local cinema, snooker and bingo hall.[15]
Demographics
Ballyfermot has a relatively high
Sport
Association football (soccer)
Cherry Orchard F.C. takes part in the FAI Cup soccer competition.[citation needed] Former players with the club include Andy Reid, William Flood, Alan Quinn and Glenn Whelan. Ballyfermot United FC[18] shares the origins of Cherry Orchard FC.[19] The Ballyfermot United FC Social Club is located close to Le Fanu Park. Other clubs include the Black Diamonds, Drummfin Celtic, C.I.E. Ranch, O.L.V, Clifden Celtic and Orchard Celtic.[citation needed] Professional football club, St Patrick's Athletic who play in the League of Ireland, are located in nearby Inchicore, and Ballyfermot has a large number of Saints fans.[20]
GAA
There are two senior Gaelic Athletic Association clubs serving Ballyfermot. Ballyfermot De la Salle GAA Club is active primarily in Ballyfermot, while the Liffey Gaels GAA clubhouse is on the border between Ballyfermot and Inchicore and also serves the parish of Inchicore.[citation needed]
Ballyfermot De La Salle[21] is the largest Gaelic football club in the area. The club, which originated in 1953 as Ballyfermot Gaels, play their senior home games in the Drumfin/Glenaulin Sports Park, located on the west side of California Hills Park. The club plays in the California Hills and Markievicz Park areas as well as in Glenaulin Park.[citation needed] The club's colours are similar to that of Kerry, as a tribute to the first parish priest, Kerryman Charles Canon Troy, who sponsored the club.[citation needed]
Another club, Liffey Gaels, was founded in 1951. It was known as Rialto Gaels for over twenty years. In the 1970s, it changed its name to SS. Michael and James's to reflect the association with these schools.[citation needed] In 1984, a local juvenile club, Donore Iosagain, amalgamated with SS. Michael and James's and the club was renamed the Liffey Gaels. Today their immediate catchment area is Inchicore and the parishes of St Michael's, St James', St Catherine's, Rialto and Donore Avenue. The Gaels play their home games Liffeyside at East Timor Park on Sarsfield Road in Inchicore.[citation needed]
Boxing
St Matthew's Boxing Club[22] is located on Drumfinn Road adjacent to the grounds of Mary Queen of Angels National School, close to Ballyfermot Garda Station.[22] Cherry Orchard Boxing Club was founded by volunteers in 2012 to cope with the demand for the sport in the area after the summer Olympics. The club used facilities in the Orchard Community Center, Cherry Orchard Grove until a permanent home for the club was built with the help of Dublin City Council on the site.
Equestrian
Cherry Orchard Equine Centre[23] is an equine, education and training centre that offers a number of services to the local area located at Cherry Orchard Green, Ballyfermot. One of the main services it provides is horse riding lessons for children and adults in the community. It was established in 2001 in response to children not attending school in order to tend to the horses kept in Ballyfermot.[24] The problem of horses being kept in the Dublin suburb has spanned generations despite lack of proper facilities and horsemanship knowledge.[25] This centre was established in order to combat this issue and provide people with the skills required to care for a horse.
Leisure centres
Ballyfermot Leisure Centre is located on Le Fanu Road. Ballyfermot Leisure Co-Op (BLCO) is located on Gurteen Road adjacent to Mary Queen of Angels National School. Liffey Valley Fitness is located on the Colcut Road. Sheldon Park Fitness Centre[26] is located on the Kylemore Road. SanoVitae Health and Fitness Club[27] is located in the Clarion Hotel complex close to the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre. The Little Gym[28] is also located in the Clarion Hotel complex.
Religion
Religious institutions serving the area include the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Assumption (sometimes shorted to 'Church of the Assumption') and the Church of St Matthew, St Laurence's Church, Chapelizod (Church of Ireland), and a number of Christian Evangelist denominations.
Notable people
- Ian Bermingham, footballer with the all-time record appearances for St Patrick's Athletic.[29]
- Dancing with the Stars (Irish TV Series)[30]
- Mary Byrne is a local singer who, in 2010, appeared on the British version of The X Factor.[citation needed]
- Joe Duffy, an Irish broadcaster, was raised in Ballyfermot[31]
- Willo Flood, former professional footballer who played for Manchester City and Celtic.[32]
- The Fureys, a traditional Irish music family, grew up locally and began their professional career while living in Ballyfermot. Their father Ted Furey was a traditional fiddler, a music teacher, and a member of Comhaltas Ceoltori Éireann.[citation needed]
- Jonny Hayes, Republic of Ireland international footballer that also played for Celtic.[33]
- Lorraine Keane, Irish broadcaster and journalist studied broadcasting and journalism at Ballyfermot College.[34]
- Fiach Moriarty; the singer-songwriter grew up in the area[citation needed]
- Declan O'Rourke, the Irish/Australian singer-songwriter, has family connections with Ballyfermot.[citation needed]
- Liam Weldon, sean-nós singer and songwriter, born and grew up in the Liberties but lived for most of his life in Ballyfermot.[citation needed]
References
- ^ "Baile Formaid / Ballyfermot (civil parish)". logainm.ie. Placenames Database of Ireland. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
- ^ Baile Formaid, Placenames Database of Ireland, retrieved 26 October 2012.
- ISBN 9789027248954.
- ^ Hudson, Benjamin T. (2005), Viking pirates and Christian princes: dynasty, religion, and empire in the north Atlantic, Oxford University Press, p. 93.
- ^ Oftedal, Magne (1976), "Scandinavian place-names in Ireland", in Almqvist, Bo; David, Greene (eds.), Proceedings of the Seventh Viking Congress. Dublin 15-21 August 1973, Royal Irish Academy, pp. 125–133.
- ^ "Life in Ballyfermot 1971". RTE Archives.
- ^ a b c d e Wrenn, Jimmy (1982). The Villages of Dublin. Dublin: Tomar Publishing Enterprises. pp. 6–7.
- ^ "Ballyfermot or Ballyer". RTÉ Archives. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
- ^ "Report by Ireland in accordance with the Final Declaration of the Third Review Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction". 2015. p. 2. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^ [1] Archived 18 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Roy - Episode 1.13. School Inspection - British Comedy Guide". Comedy.co.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
- ^ "St. Matthew's Ballyfermot".
- ^ "Ballyfermot Library". Dublin City Council. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
- ^ "BYS - About Us". ballyfermotyouthservice.ie. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
- ^ a b "Iconic Gala building back in business after five years". The Echo. 11 January 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
- ^ "'I don't want anyone tormenting me, I want peace' – life in Ireland's oldest Traveller site". 21 May 2023.
- ^ "Interactive Data Visualisations | CSO Ireland".
- ^ Cherry Orchard FC Information Archived 2010-01-13 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Ballyfermot United Football Club, Coldcut Road, Dublin - Soccer Pitch Directions : Fixtures Secretary, Contact Details". www.soccer-ireland.com. 5 January 2023.
- ^ "Lecture on St Pat's unique place in fabric of Inchicore". 11 June 2021.
- ^ "Ballyfermot DLS GAA". Ballyfermotdls.altervista.org. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
- ^ a b "Ballyfermot Community - Ballyfermot Directory - Leisure - St. Matthew's Amateur Boxing Club". Archived from the original on 31 May 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
- ^ "Cherry Orchard Equine Centre - About | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
- ^ IrishNationalLottery (4 March 2013), National Lottery Good Causes: Cherry Orchard Equine Centre, retrieved 17 November 2016
- ^ "Urban Cowboys". RTÉ Archives. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
- ^ "Best Western Sheldon Park Hotel, Conference and Leisure Centre, Dublin 12, Naas Road, Ireland". Sheldonpark.ie. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
- ^ "Gym Cork City | Gyms in Cork City Centre | Club Vitae Gym". Club Vitae Clayton Hotel Cork. Archived from the original on 21 November 2008.
- ^ "Fun Activities and Kids Gym Classes for Toddlers, Kids and Children". The Little Gym. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
- ^ "Bermo in Ballyer: A morning with the St Pat's captain back at his old primary school". 19 December 2019.
- ^ "Professional Dancers". RTÉ.ie. 18 December 2017.
- ^ Murphy, Eoin (11 April 2020). "Joe Duffy tells of his biggest concern in his life at the moment". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ "WATCH: Irish midfielder tells bizarre story about being robbed in his house by a fan of the club he played for".
- ^ "Dublin star relishing chance to take on the world's best". 31 August 2017.
- ^ Power, Bairbre (20 February 2021). "Lorraine Keane: 'I'm finding it hard to accept that I'm nearing the end of my forties. In my head, I'm still 25'". Irish Independent. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
Further reading
- A history of the County of Dublin Part IV (1906, F. Elrington Ball)
- A Topographical Dictionary Of Ireland (1837 Samuel Lewis)
External links
Media related to Ballyfermot at Wikimedia Commons