Castleknock () is a

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 ...

and a

townland A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic origi ...

located in the south-western corner of the modern

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

Fingal Fingal ( ; ) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is one of three successor counties to County Dublin, which was disestablished for administrative purposes in 1994. ...

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 ...

. The civil parish is part of the ancient

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 ...

Castleknock Castleknock () is an affluent suburb located west of the centre of Dublin city, Ireland. It is centered on the village of the same name in Fingal. In addition to the suburb, the name "Castleknock" also refers to older units of land division: ...

. It is centred on the suburban village of

. The

of Castleknock itself is the location of the eponymous "Cnucha's Castle" – Castleknock Castle. The town with the biggest population in the parish is

Blanchardstown Blanchardstown () is a large outer suburb of Dublin in the modern Counties of Ireland, county of Fingal, Ireland. Located northwest of Dublin city centre, it has developed since the 1960s from a small village to a point where Greater Blanchards ...

. In geology, the parish rests on a substratum of limestone and comprises 2943 statute acres, the whole of which is arable land.

History

In 1831, there were 4251 inhabitants in the parish of whom 3409 were Catholics. Lewis' ''Topography of Ireland'' of 1837 reported the same number of inhabitants. Lewis recorded that Abbotstown demesne was the most notable

seat A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair (furniture), ...

in the parish. It was the residence of the

Falkiner baronets There have been two baronetcies created for persons with the surname Falkiner, one in the Baronetage of Ireland and one in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. As of 2014 one creation is believed to be extant. The Falkiner Baronetcy, of Anne ...

who later married into the neighbouring Hamilton family. In 1897, Ion Trant Hamilton was ennobled as Baron HolmPatrick

Ecclesiastical parishes

Like all civil parishes, this civil parish is derived from, and co-extensive with a pre-existing ecclesiastical parish of the same name, as used in the

Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland ( ga, Eaglais na hÉireann, ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Kirk o Airlann, ) is a Christian church in Ireland and an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the second ...

. Along with other civil parishes in Ireland, its use as a unit of the local administrative unit was gradually replaced by the creation of Electoral Divisions in the Local Government (Ireland) Act of 1898. The parish formerly belonged to the priory of Malvern, in

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see His ...

. In 1773, an Act of the

Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...

united the parish with the curacies of Clonsilla and Mulhuddart. The living (of the ecclesiastical parish) was a

vicarage A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage. Function A clergy house is typically ow ...

in the Diocese of Dublin which was: "... endowed with a portion of the great tithes, and united to the

prebend A prebendary is a member of the Roman Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of the ...

of Castleknock and the

rectory A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage. Function A clergy house is typically ow ...

of Clonsillagh and curacy of Mullahidart, with cure of souls: it is in the patronage of the Bishop." In 1837, the

tithe A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash or cheques or more r ...

s amounted to £560. In the Church of Ireland, the

Archdiocese 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 ...

unites Castleknock and Mulhuddart in the "Grouped Parishes of Castleknock and Mulhuddart with Clonsilla".Church of Ireland
- Grouped Parishes of Castleknock and Mulhuddart with Clonsilla There are three extant church buildings that are still in use by the grouped parish: * St. Brigid's, Castleknock, situated in the centre of Castleknock. The building – a listed

national monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a spec ...

– was completed in 1870.Saint Brigid's Church of Ireland Church, Castleknock Road, CASTLEKNOCK (WITHOUT PHOENIX PARK), Castleknock, Fingal
- Register number 11362003 It was rebuilt by a loan of £1000 from the Board of First Fruits and large subscriptions, in 1810. It features a three-stage tower to the west gable with a Gothic tympanum at the entrance and a stained glass window by

Harry Clarke Henry Patrick Clarke (17 March 1889 – 6 January 1931) was an Irish stained-glass artist and book illustrator. Born in Dublin, he was a leading figure in the Irish Arts and Crafts Movement. His work was influenced by both the Art Nouveau and ...

that is dedicated to

Saint Hubert Hubertus or Hubert ( 656 – 30 May 727 A.D.) was a Christian saint who became the first bishop of Liège in 708 A.D. He is the patron saint of hunters, mathematicians, opticians and metalworkers. Known as the "Apostle of the Ardennes", he w ...

. * St. Thomas', Mulhuddart, situated on the Kilbride Road near

Hollystown Hollystown ( ga, Baile an Alabhóidigh) is a townland in north-west Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south b ...

Golf Club. The building – a listed

– was constructed in 1870.Saint Thomas's Church of Ireland Church, Ratoath Road, HOLLYSTOWN, Fingal
- Register number 11346001 It features a polygonal bell tower in the south corner. * St. Mary's, Clonsilla, situated at the western end of the Clonsilla Road near

Clonsilla railway station Clonsilla railway station is a railway station that serves Clonsilla, in Fingal, Ireland. Description The station underwent an upgrade in 2000 that saw the platforms lengthened and a new station building being constructed. The ticket office ...

. The building – a listed

– was constructed in 1846.Saint Mary's Church of Ireland Church, CLONSILLA, Clonsilla, Fingal
- Register number 11353005 It features

stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

windows by

Evie Hone Eva Sydney Hone RHA (22 April 1894 – 13 March 1955), usually known as Evie, was an Irish painter and stained glass artist.Nicola Gordon Bowe (May 2009)Hone, Eva Sydney (1894–1955) ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', online editio ...

. In the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, the

divides the civil parish between the following ecclesiastical parishes: * "Our Lady, Mother of the Church", Castleknock. Parish of
Our Lady, Mother of the Church, CastleknockCatholic Church
- Our Lady, Mother of the Church parish * "St. Brigid's",

. Parish of
St. Brigid, BlanchardstownCatholic Church
- St. Brigid's parish * " St. Thomas, the Apostle", Laurel Lodge / Carpenterstown. Parish of
St. Thomas the Apostle, Laurel Lodge / CarpenterstownCatholic Church
- St. Thomas the Apostle parish

Gallery of church buildings

St Bridgets Castleknock 2012.jpg, Church of St. Bridget
in the Church of Ireland, Castleknock St Mary's Church Clonsilla - geograph.org.uk - 546391.jpg, Church of St. Mary
in the Church of Ireland, Clonsilla Castleknock Catholic Church.jpg, Our Lady Mother of the Church
in the Catholic Church, Castleknock ST Brigit Spire.jpg, Church of St. Brigit
in the Catholic Church, Blanchardstown St Thomas the Apostle.jpg, Church of St. Thomas, the Apostle
in the Catholic Church, Laurel Lodge

Location and composition

The whole parish is within the

Dublin 15 Dublin 15, also rendered as D15, is a postal district in the suburbs of Dublin in Fingal, Ireland. It is west of the GPO in Dublin city. Geography and political subdivisions Dublin 15 covers a large area, rising from the River Liffey to at t ...

postal district A postal code (also known locally in various English-speaking countries throughout the world as a postcode, post code, PIN or ZIP Code) is a series of letters or digits or both, sometimes including spaces or punctuation, included in a postal a ...

. Most of the territory of the parish is within the county of

and administered by

Fingal County Council Fingal County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae Fhine Gall) is the authority responsible for local government in the county of Fingal, Ireland. It is one of three local authorities that comprised the former Dublin County Council before its abolit ...

with the exception of three townlands that are in the city proper and administered by

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 ...

. The core of the parish is centred on the townland and village of the same name. To the north of the parish, the Huntstown Power Station and Corduff subsupply station are located. The townland at this northern extremity of the parish is Huntstown, not to be confused with

Huntstown and Littlepace Huntstown and Littlepace ( ga, Baile an Huntaigh agus An Bealach Beag) is a set of modern housing developments that forms a remote suburb of Dublin city in the county of Fingal in Ireland. It was built in the townlands of Littlepace (westerly) ...

in the neighbouring parish of

Clonsilla Clonsilla () is an outer suburb of Dublin in Fingal, Ireland. Clonsilla is also a civil parish in the barony of Castleknock in the historic County Dublin. Location and access Clonsilla used to be a small village in the inner western part o ...

. To the south, it is bounded by the

River Liffey The River Liffey (Irish: ''An Life'', historically ''An Ruirthe(a)ch'') is a river in eastern Ireland that ultimately flows through the centre of Dublin to its mouth within Dublin Bay. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the River ...

and

Chapelizod Chapelizod () is a village preserved within the city of Dublin, Ireland. It lies in the wooded valley of the River Liffey, near the Strawberry Beds and the Phoenix Park. The village is associated with Iseult of Ireland and the location of Is ...

. To the west, it is bounded by the civil parish of

which is the location of

Blanchardstown Shopping Centre The Blanchardstown Centre is one of Ireland's largest shopping centres, located in Blanchardstown, Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It opened in October 1996 and was extended in 2004 to create extra retail space. It lies in the administra ...

. To the east lies the 8th lock of the

Royal Canal The Royal Canal ( ga, An Chanáil Ríoga) is a canal originally built for freight and passenger transportation from Dublin to Longford in Ireland. It is one of two canals from Dublin to the River Shannon and was built in direct competition ...

in the townland of Pelletstown and the Cabra Gate of the

Phoenix Park The Phoenix Park ( ga, Páirc an Fhionnuisce) is a large urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its perimeter wall encloses of recreational space. It includes large areas of grassland and tre ...

Populated places

Populated places in the civil parish include: Blanchardstown,

, Ashtown, Cabra,

Corduff Corduff (Irish language, Irish: ''An Chorr Dhubh'') is a northwestern suburb of Dublin, in Fingal, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is a part of the wider Blanchardstown area and is part of the Dublin 15 postal district. As of 2016, the electoral ...

, Laurel Lodge.

Townlands

Within the civil parish of Castleknock, there are 22

townlands A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic origi ...

per the table below. For convenience, the table groups the townlands by their location in one of the modern

local authority Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...

areas.

Gallery

Castleknock Castle Nov2018.jpg, Castleknock Castle Castleknock Railway Station, Midsummers's Day 2014.jpg, Castleknock Railway Station Royal Canal at Castleknock - geograph.org.uk - 347930.jpg, Royal Canal at Castleknock Corduff Fort1.jpg, Ringfort or mound at Corduff Ragwell at Diswellstown 2020.jpg, Ragwell at Diswellstown

References

From From official parish websites From From Other sources {{commons category Civil parishes of the barony of Castleknock Castleknock