HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Coolock () is a large suburban area, centred on a village, on
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
city's
Northside Northside or North Side may refer to: Music * Northside (band), a musical group from Manchester, England * NorthSide, an American record label * NorthSide Festival (Denmark), a music festival in Aarhus, Denmark * "Norf Norf", a 2015 song by Vinc ...
in
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. Coolock is crossed by the
Santry River Santry River ( ga, Abhainn na Culoige) (formerly ''Skillings Glas'') is a fairly small river on the north side of Dublin city, one of the forty or so watercourses monitored by Dublin City Council. Course The Santry River rises at an elevat ...
, a prominent feature in the middle of the district, with a linear park and ponds. The Coolock suburban area encompasses parts of three Dublin postal districts: Dublin 5, Dublin 13 and Dublin 17. The extensive
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
of Coolock takes in the land between the Tonlegee Road (as far as
Donaghmede Donaghmede () is a residential suburb on the northern side of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, formed from parts of Baldoyle, Coolock and Raheny in the 1970s. It contains a mid-size shopping centre and a ruined chapel, and lies within t ...
) and the Malahide Road, as well as the lands on either side of the Malahide Road between
Darndale Darndale ( meaning ''daffodil'') is an area on the Northside of Dublin, in Ireland, featuring a high concentration of social housing. It is located in the north of the sprawling suburb of Coolock. Darndale lies within the Dublin 17 postal distr ...
and Artane, and the lands either side of the Oscar Traynor Road on the approach to
Santry Santry () is a suburb on the northside of Dublin, Ireland, bordering Coolock, Glasnevin, Kilmore and Ballymun. It straddles the boundary of Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council jurisdictions. The character of the area has changed ...
.
Coolock Coolock () is a large suburban area, centred on a village, on Dublin city's Northside (Dublin), Northside in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Coolock is crossed by the Santry River, a prominent feature in the middle of the district, with a linear ...
is also the name of the
barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...
which accounts for most of north Dublin city, from the coast as far as Phoenix Park, and stretching north as far as Swords.


History

Coolock has a history dating back over 3,500 years – a
Bronze-Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...
burial site in the area dates back to 1500 BC. The settlement grew up around a small early-Christian church. A Catholic church, St. John's, was later built in the area (see
Parish of Coolock (Roman Catholic) St Brendan's is a parish in Coolock, Dublin in Republic of Ireland, Ireland that is served by the Church of St Brendan.Official webs ...
and
Coolock parish (Church of Ireland) Coolock is an ecclesiastical parish of the Church of Ireland located in Dublin, Ireland. It is one of two successors to the ancient parish of that name, the other being the ongoing Roman Catholic parish of St Brendan. Early years The parish ca ...
for more). The feudal barony of Coolock was granted in 1199 by Henry II to the
Archbishop of Dublin The Archbishop of Dublin is an archepiscopal title which takes its name after Dublin, Ireland. Since the Reformation, there have been parallel apostolic successions to the title: one in the Catholic Church and the other in the Church of Irelan ...
. Coolock remained a small village until the 1950s, with lands around the village being further developed over time, notably Bonnybrook and
Kilmore West Kilmore West () is a locality within Dublin 5, situated on Dublin's Northside, Ireland. Located in the Dublin 5 district, it borders Santry, Beaumont, Artane, and Coolock. It is part of the larger Kilmore area. Kilmore West has national sch ...
, between which a new centre to the area formed. At one time the old village was on the Malahide Road but that road was diverted and now passes slightly to the east of the village; in the meantime, a secondary hamlet, Newtown Coolock, developed further north. Later again, lands in the north of Coolock were developed to form the new districts of Darndale and Priorswood.


Nature

Coolock lies on either side of the valley of the Santry River and includes a diversion from the little
Naniken River The Naniken River ( ga, An Nainicín) is a minor river on the north side of Dublin city, Ireland, one of more than forty watercourses monitored by Dublin City Council. It is culverted for its upper course, visible in St Anne's Park for its ent ...
. It is a relatively flat area a little above sea level, with a linear park around the Santry, and small green areas scattered through residential developments.


Location / character

Coolock lies at the centre of the majority working-class
Northside Northside or North Side may refer to: Music * Northside (band), a musical group from Manchester, England * NorthSide, an American record label * NorthSide Festival (Denmark), a music festival in Aarhus, Denmark * "Norf Norf", a 2015 song by Vinc ...
suburbs such as
Kilbarrack Kilbarrack ( - ''Church of St. Berach'' or ''of young Barra'') is a residential suburb of Dublin, Ireland, running inwards from the coast, about from the city's centre. It is also a civil parish in the ancient barony of Coolock. Modern-day Kilb ...
, Donaghmede and the
Edenmore Edenmore () is a locality and townland within Raheny on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland, with several housing developments and a mid-size municipal park. It lies within the Dublin 5 postal district. History Edenmore was developed by Dublin ...
part of Raheny, and itself includes localities such as Ayrfield, Bonnybrook, Darndale, Priorswood, Greencastle and Kilmore West. As with other large suburban areas, such as
Tallaght ) , image_skyline = TallaghtDublinD24.jpg , image_caption = Tallaght, Dublin , image_flag = , flag_size = , pushpin_map = Dublin#Ireland , pushpin_label_position = left , ...
or
Swords A sword is a cutting and/or thrusting weapon. Sword, Swords, or The Sword may also refer to: Places * Swords, Dublin, a large suburban town in the Irish capital * Swords, Georgia, a community in the United States * Sword Beach, code name for ...
, there is no legal definition for Coolock, and so no definitive population figures, but it is one of Dublin's largest residential areas. It is crossed by the Oscar Traynor Road, running from the Malahide Road to Santry, and named for the War of Independence politician, later long-serving minister,
Oscar Traynor Oscar Traynor (21 March 1886 – 14 December 1963) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and republican who served as Minister for Justice from 1957 to 1961, Minister for Defence from 1939 to 1948 and 1951 to 1954, Minister for Posts and Telegrap ...
. The majority of Coolock, excluding Ayrfield, was built-up by the then city authority,
Dublin Corporation Dublin Corporation (), known by generations of Dubliners simply as ''The Corpo'', is the former name of the city government and its administrative organisation in Dublin since the 1100s. Significantly re-structured in 1660-1661, even more sign ...
, as part of a programme of the phased inner-city
slum clearance Slum clearance, slum eviction or slum removal is an urban renewal strategy used to transform low income settlements with poor reputation into another type of development or housing. This has long been a strategy for redeveloping urban communities; ...
(between, roughly, 1952 and 1987). Dublin City Council calculates that addresses containing "Coolock" comprise the largest stock of local authority houses within its jurisdiction and the area is central to the linear range of local authority building that took place between the 1960s and the 1980s across Dublin's Northside - i.e.
Ballymun Ballymun () is an outer suburb of Dublin, Ireland, at the northern edge of the Northside, the green-field development of which began in the 1960s to accommodate a housing crisis in inner city areas of Dublin. While the newly built housing was ...
including Poppintree, Kilmore, Coolock, Edenmore,
Kilbarrack Kilbarrack ( - ''Church of St. Berach'' or ''of young Barra'') is a residential suburb of Dublin, Ireland, running inwards from the coast, about from the city's centre. It is also a civil parish in the ancient barony of Coolock. Modern-day Kilb ...
and
Donaghmede Donaghmede () is a residential suburb on the northern side of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, formed from parts of Baldoyle, Coolock and Raheny in the 1970s. It contains a mid-size shopping centre and a ruined chapel, and lies within t ...
. The permanent Traveller
halting site A halting site (or a halting bay site) is purpose-built residential accommodation for Irish Travellers, Travellers provided by a county council, local municipal authority. The halting site has an individual bay for each family unit with a full ...
estates (which differ in layout to traditional halting sites) of Cara Park and Dominick Park, found in the Belcamp area (along the N32) are among the largest halting site facilities provided by local authorities in Ireland. They contain an adult education centre and pre-school facilities for the local Traveller population, both located beside Dominick Park. At least one smaller, more traditional, Traveller settlement is found in the area, close to the Clare Hall Shopping Centre. King of the Travellers, Jim Watt, is a resident of this settlement.


Amenities

Public parks in the area include the
Santry River Santry River ( ga, Abhainn na Culoige) (formerly ''Skillings Glas'') is a fairly small river on the north side of Dublin city, one of the forty or so watercourses monitored by Dublin City Council. Course The Santry River rises at an elevat ...
Linear Park and in Bonnybrook the Stardust Memorial Garden which is dedicated to the 48 people who lost their lives in the Stardust nightclub.
Parnells GAA Parnells GAA or Parnells Gaelic Athletic Association club Gaelic football club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Coolock, Dublin, Ireland. It was founded in 1893, named after the recently deceased Charles Stewart Parnell, and at ...
club is based in Coolock village. Coolock is also a centre of local government activity, with a
Dublin City Council Dublin City Council ( ga, Comhairle Cathrach Bhaile Átha Cliath) is the authority responsible for local government in the city of Dublin in Ireland. As a city council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. Until 2001, the council wa ...
major centre, NEAR FM community radio station, a Health Services Executive centre and a recycling centre.


Localities

* Ayrfield, an area beginning on the north side of the Tonlegee Road, predominantly within the Dublin 13 postal code, opposite Edenmore, and near Donaghmede and Darndale, containing several estates such as Rathvale, Limewood (part of Dublin 5), Millbrook, Slademore, Foxhill, Greenwood and Ard na Greine. Ayrfield has one
primary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...
, St. Pauls Junior and Senior National School. The main access road, Blunden Drive, is the home of Ayrfield Credit Union, Ayrfield Community Centre and
O'Tooles GAC O'Tooles GAC (Irish: ''Cumann Uí Thuathail'') is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Ayrfield, Dublin, Ireland, formed in 1901. History Early years O'Tooles GAC was formed in 1901 at 100 Seville Place in the north inner city of Dubli ...
clubhouse and playing pitches. Ayrfield is also a
parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...
in the Howth deanery of the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin The Archdiocese of Dublin ( ga, Ard-Deoise Bhaile Átha Cliath) is an ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church ( particularly the Roman Catholic or Latin Church) located in the eastern part of Ireland. Its archepiscopal ...
. It is served by the Church of St Paul. It is also home to Ayrfield United F.C. which has pitches beside the credit union. *Belcamp, today comprising some housing between Darndale and Priorswood but historically referring to a broader rural area. It is situated near the site of the former Belcamp Cottage and included cottages demolished to make way for the N32 road. Belcamp Hall, designed by architect
James Hoban James Hoban (1755 – December 8, 1831) was an Irish-American architect, best known for designing the White House. Life James Hoban was a Roman Catholic raised on Desart Court estate belonging to the Earl of Desart near Callan, County Kilkenny ...
is a feature. *Bonnybrook, a locality within the core of Coolock, above the original village, site of the main shopping centre, and with its own Catholic church and primary school. *Clonshaugh (), (now in Dublin 17) stretching from the large Clonshaugh Industrial Estate opposite Kilmore all the way to the AUL, close to Baskin Lane. This includes Riverside, a housing estate at the side of the Santry River, with over 500 residents, first described as being in Santry, but with the postal district changed from Dublin 5 (old main Coolock code) to Dublin 17, and Newbury, situated behind Riverside, accessed from the Clonshaugh Road. *Darndale, built as a range of social housing estates, east of Clonshaugh and west of Clare Hall. It comprises Buttercup Park, Marigold Court, Primrose Grove, Snowdrop Walk and Tulip Court. *Greencastle, a locality within the core of Coolock, above the original village. *Kilmore as a whole is a large area west of the Malahide Road and east of the M1, where Coolock meets Artane and Beaumont; of this, Kilmore West is entirely within Coolock and includes the sub-locality of Cromcastle, which features numerous multi-storey council flat blocks in the same style as blocks in Kilbarrack. *Priorswood, a small, densely populated locality found between Belcamp and Clonshaugh, comprising the housing estates of Moatview, Fairfield and Ferrycarrig. *St. Brendan's Estate, located across the Malahide Road from Coolock village proper, and comprises St. Brendan's Drive, Avenue and Park, Moatfield and Dunree Park. Located between Donaghmede and Coolock is Clare Hall, a later housing estate, which includes a small shopping precinct, and the large
Clarehall Shopping Centre Clarehall Shopping Centre is a mid-size shopping centre located in the northern part of Coolock, north Dublin, adjacent to Ayrfield and near the housing estate of Clare Hall. The centre is owned by Tesco Ireland and anchored by one of Ireland ...
which is anchored by Tesco Extra. There are a number of roads named after the
1969 Moon landing Apollo 11 (July 16–24, 1969) was the American spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module ''Eagle'' on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC, and ...
, including Tranquility Grove (after
Tranquility Base Tranquility Base ( la, Statio Tranquillitatis) is the site on the Moon where, in July 1969, humans landed and walked on a celestial body other than Earth for the first time. On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 crewmembers Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin ...
), Eagle Park (
Lunar Module Eagle Lunar Module ''Eagle'' (LM-5) is the spacecraft that served as the crewed lunar lander of Apollo 11, which was the first mission to land humans on the Moon. It was named after the bald eagle, which was featured prominently on the mission i ...
), Apollo Way (
Apollo 11 Apollo 11 (July 16–24, 1969) was the American spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module ''Eagle'' on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC, an ...
), Armstrong Walk (
Neil Armstrong Neil Alden Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012) was an American astronaut and aeronautical engineer who became the first person to walk on the Moon in 1969. He was also a naval aviator, test pilot, and university professor. ...
) and Aldrin Walk (
Buzz Aldrin Buzz Aldrin (; born Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr.; January 20, 1930) is an American former astronaut, engineer and fighter pilot. He made three spacewalks as pilot of the 1966 Gemini 12 mission. As the Lunar Module ''Eagle'' pilot on the 1969 A ...
).


Religion

Coolock has given its name to religious divisions over a long period, and the primary historical ones are discussed at
Parish of Coolock (Roman Catholic) St Brendan's is a parish in Coolock, Dublin in Republic of Ireland, Ireland that is served by the Church of St Brendan.Official webs ...
, and (from the Act of Supremacy), Parish of Coolock (Church of Ireland). Both Catholic (multiple) and Church of Ireland buildings stand within the area today. In the Catholic divisions, additional parishes today include Bonnybrook and Ayrfield (encompassing the Greenwood estate).


Education

* Chanel College, a large boys
secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...
and adult education source, founded in 1955 * The Donahies Community School, a large
secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...
and adult education source, founded in 1977 * Coláiste Dhúlaigh Post Primary, Co-ed secondary school in Coolock, located beside Northside Shopping Centre. * Coláiste Dhúlaigh College of Further Education provides third-level courses (QQI, BTEC and FETAC) * Mercy College is a voluntary, Catholic girls secondary school * St. Pauls Junior and Senior National School, Ayrfield * St. Francis, Priorswood * The now-defunct Catholic
Belcamp College Belcamp House (sometimes Belcamp Hall) is a Georgian house and former school, situated within a substantial estate off the Malahide Road in Balgriffin in the northern suburbs of Dublin, Ireland. The house was designed by the noted architect Ja ...
secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...
in the nearby area of Balgriffin, which operated from 1893–2004


Businesses and retail facilities

The outskirts of Coolock host several factories and industrial estates.
Cadbury Ireland Cadbury Ireland is a confectionery company in Ireland based in Coolock in Dublin. It is a subsidiary of Cadbury, currently owned by Mondelēz International. Cadbury Ireland exports over 200 of its products to 30 countries worldwide, making a con ...
has been manufacturing chocolate products since 1957, for both the Irish market and for export. The nearby
Tayto Crisps Tayto Crisps is a Potato chip, crisps and popcorn manufacturer in Ireland, founded by Joe Murphy in May 1954Northside Shopping Centre Northside Shopping Centre is a shopping centre located in Coolock, a suburban area in Dublin's Northside. One of the earliest shopping centres in Ireland, it was built in 1970 and is the only one with a swimming pool. It has been expanded and r ...
, Ireland's first covered shopping centre, situated near accesses to the M1 and M50, with more than 70 outlets and a city council swimming pool.


Popular culture

Famous historical figures linked to the area included
Henry Grattan Henry Grattan (3 July 1746 – 4 June 1820) was an Irish politician and lawyer who campaigned for legislative freedom for the Irish Parliament in the late 18th century from Britain. He was a Member of the Irish Parliament (MP) from 1775 to 18 ...
of Belcamp Park, and the novelist
Charles Lever Charles James Lever (31 August 1806 – 1 June 1872) was an Irish novelist and raconteur, whose novels, according to Anthony Trollope, were just like his conversation. Biography Early life Lever was born in Amiens Street, Dublin, the second s ...
.


Film & television

The Coolock area was featured extensively during location shooting for the 1991 film '' The Commitments'', directed by Alan Parker and starring a mainly unknown cast at the time.


Transport

Coolock, which is not crossed by any rail systems, is serviced by main roads, including the N32 and Oscar Traynor Roads which link to the M1, and by the following
Dublin Bus Dublin Bus ( ga, Bus Átha Cliath) is a State-owned bus operator providing services in Dublin. By far the largest bus operator in the city, it carried 138 million passengers in 2019. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann. ...
routes: * 17A -
Kilbarrack Kilbarrack ( - ''Church of St. Berach'' or ''of young Barra'') is a residential suburb of Dublin, Ireland, running inwards from the coast, about from the city's centre. It is also a civil parish in the ancient barony of Coolock. Modern-day Kilb ...
to
Blanchardstown Centre The Blanchardstown Centre is one of Ireland's largest shopping centres, located in Blanchardstown, Dublin, Ireland. It opened in October 1996 and was extended in 2004 to create extra retail space. It lies in the administration of Fingal County ...
* 27 -
Jobstown Jobstown (; ) is a suburb of Tallaght, and so an outer suburb of Dublin, in the administrative county of South Dublin, Ireland. History Jobstown takes its name from Henry Jope, who held land here in the 1250s. Jobstown was historically a small r ...
to Coolock (Clare Hall Avenue) * 27A - Coolock (Blunden Drive) to
Eden Quay Eden Quay () is one of the Dublin quays on the northern bank of the River Liffey in Dublin. The quay runs the bank between O'Connell Bridge and Butt Bridge. The quay is bisected by Marlborough Street and Rosie Hackett Bridge, roughly halfway ...
* 27B -
Eden Quay Eden Quay () is one of the Dublin quays on the northern bank of the River Liffey in Dublin. The quay runs the bank between O'Connell Bridge and Butt Bridge. The quay is bisected by Marlborough Street and Rosie Hackett Bridge, roughly halfway ...
to Harristown * 27X - Belfield (U.C.D) to Clare Hall Avenue * 42 - Lower
Abbey Street Abbey Street () is located on Dublin's Northside, running from the Customs House and Store Street in the east to Capel Street in the west. The street is served by two Luas light rail stops, one at the Jervis shopping centre and the other near ...
to
Malahide Malahide ( ; ) is an affluent coastal settlement in Fingal, County Dublin, Ireland, situated north of Dublin city. It has a village centre surrounded by suburban housing estates, with a population of over 17,000. Malahide Castle dates from th ...
or
Portmarnock Portmarnock () is a coastal suburban settlement in Fingal, Ireland, with significant beaches, a modest commercial core and inland residential estates, and two golf courses, including one of Ireland's best-known golf clubs. , the population was ...
* 43 - Lower
Abbey Street Abbey Street () is located on Dublin's Northside, running from the Customs House and Store Street in the east to Capel Street in the west. The street is served by two Luas light rail stops, one at the Jervis shopping centre and the other near ...
to
Swords A sword is a cutting and/or thrusting weapon. Sword, Swords, or The Sword may also refer to: Places * Swords, Dublin, a large suburban town in the Irish capital * Swords, Georgia, a community in the United States * Sword Beach, code name for ...
* 15 -
Ballycullen Ballycullen (Irish: ''Baile Uí Chuillinn'') is a townland and suburb of Dublin, Ireland. Ballycullen is a townland in the civil parish of Tallaght, located in Dublin 16 and Dublin 24. The Ballycullen Road is the historical divide between Dubli ...
Road to
Clongriffin Clongriffin ( ga, Cluain Ghrífín) is a community in northern Donaghmede,Dublin: Dublin City Council, Minutes of full Meeting of Council, April 2009, Q. 36 - City Manager's answer. on the northern fringe of Dublin, Ireland. The settlement w ...


See also

*
List of subdivisions of County Dublin County Dublin refers to a subdivision of Ireland occasioned by the Norman invasion of Ireland. This shire or county underwent further subdivisions as the territory was subinfeudated by the great barons among their vassals; these smaller areas we ...
* List of towns and villages in Ireland


References

{{Dublin residential areas Towns and villages in Dublin (city)