Sandymount () is an affluent coastal suburb in the

Dublin 4 Dublin 4, also rendered as D4 and D04, is a historic postal district of Dublin, Ireland including Baggot Street Upper, the southernmost fringes of the Dublin Docklands, and the suburbs of Ballsbridge, Donnybrook, Irishtown, Merrion, Ringsend ...

district on the Southside of

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 ...

in Ireland.

Etymology

An early name for the area was Scal'd Hill or Scald Hill.The Poolbeg Lighthouse and the South Wall Extension, Irishtown, Sandymount, Beggardbush and Baggotrath
Chapter II from Weston St. John Joyce's 1920 work The Neighbourhood of Dublin During the 18th century, there was a village called Brickfield Town on the site of Sandymount Green; this took its name from Lord Merrion's brickfields, which stretched from here to Merrion at the time. The Irish name ''Dumhach Thrá'' is more recent than the one in English and approximately translates as sandy ground or sand dune of a beach.

Geography

Sandymount is located between 3 and 4 km south-east of Dublin's city centre. At the northern end it begins where Newbridge Avenue meets Herbert Road, running to Church Avenue at the coast, west along the DART rail line, and south to

Merrion Gates The Merrion Gates () is a railway level crossing in Sandymount, Dublin, Ireland, where the DART and Dublin–Rosslare railway line crosses Strand Road near its junction with Merrion Road. There is pedestrian access to Sandymount Strand immed ...

. Sandymount Promenade runs along the coast road (Strand Road) from

Sandymount Strand Sandymount Strand ( ga, Dumhach Thrá) is a large strand on the east coast of Ireland, adjacent to the village and suburb of Sandymount in Dublin. It is part of South Bull - a major component of the south side of Dublin Bay, and part of the Dubli ...

, down to Merrion Gates. It lies a little south of the Great South Wall in

Dublin Bay Dublin Bay ( ga, Cuan Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a C-shaped inlet of the Irish Sea on the east coast of Ireland. The bay is about 10 kilometres wide along its north–south base, and 7 km in length to its apex at the centre of the city of Du ...

. The River Dodder passes nearby to the west, and three streams, the Elm Park, Nutley and Trimleston, come to the coast to the south, but any pollution of these affects Sandymount Strand. In the past, the Nutley Stream came to the coast in what is now Sandymount, and severe flooding occurred on the old course in 1963. Neighbouring suburbs are

Ballsbridge Ballsbridge () (from historic Ball's Bridge) is an affluent neighbourhood of the city of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. The area is largely north and west of a three-arch stone bridge across the River Dodder, on the south side of the city. Th ...

, Merrion and Irishtown.

Transport

The area is served by the (

DART Dart or DART may refer to: * Dart, the equipment in the game of darts Arts, entertainment and media * Dart (comics), an Image Comics superhero * Dart, a character from ''G.I. Joe'' * Dart, a ''Thomas & Friends'' railway engine character * Dar ...

) commuter rail system and two stops are located in the area,

Sandymount Sandymount () is an affluent coastal suburb in the Dublin 4 district on the Southside of Dublin in Ireland. Etymology An early name for the area was Scal'd Hill or Scald Hill.

and

Sydney Parade Sydney Parade is a cricket ground in Dublin, Ireland. The first recorded match on the ground was in 1897, when Pembroke played Leicester Ivanhoe. In 1965, the ground hosted a first-class match between Ireland and Scotland, which resulted in ...

. It is served by bus routes 1, 18 and 47. It was once served by routes 2, 3 which ceased operation and were replaced with routes 1 on 12 May 2012 and 52 which ceased operation in 1998. Both railway stations on the electrified (DART) suburban

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

system were originally opened in January 1835 by the

Dublin and Kingstown Railway The Dublin and Kingstown Railway (D&KR), which opened in 1834, was Ireland’s first passenger railway. It linked Westland Row in Dublin with Kingstown Harbour (Dún Laoghaire) in County Dublin. The D&KR was also notable for a number of other ...

and continue to this day.

Amenities

Baths

The ''Merrion Promenade Pier and Baths Co.'' built Sandymount swimming baths in 1883. The baths measured approximately 40 by 40 metres, with a 75-metre pier added in 1884. The pier featured a bandstand halfway along it and summer concerts were regularly held there for many years. By 1920, the pier had deteriorated so much that it had to be demolished. The concrete baths section, which resembles a small harbour out on the sands, remains; the baths still remain in Sandymount but they have fallen into disrepair mainly by storm damage.

Martello Tower

About halfway along the strand is the Sandymount Martello tower, part of a system of defences built to warn of an invasion by

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

. The Tower was a popular cafe in the 1960s. An attempt to turn the tower into a restaurant led to the installation of a large window with roller blinds on the seaward side of the tower. The restaurant never opened, leaving the tower with the modified window, and landscaped exterior abandoned on the strand. It is one of approximately 29 Martello Towers in the Greater Dublin Area and the closest to Dublin City and port.

Public Houses

A popular tavern existed close to Sandymount Green in the eighteenth century named The Conniving House. Opened in 1725, it became famous for its fish and ale and became a popular venue for music in the locality and wider city. Although the verb 'connive' has negative connotations in modern English, at the time of the tavern's establishment it was used to indicate "a subversive indulgence of that which one ought to oppose" as the venue allowed an opportunity for interaction between the 'high' (or elite) musical culture in the city and what was perceived as 'lower' vernacular musical culture. Such was its renown in the mid-eighteenth century, that it was depicted in

John Rocque John Rocque (originally Jean; c. 1704–1762) was a French-born British surveyor and cartographer, best known for his detailed map of London published in 1746. Life and career Rocque was born in France in about 1704, one of four children of a ...

's 1757 map entitled ''A Survey of the City, Harbour, Bay and Environs of Dublin on the same Scale as those of London, Paris & Rome''. The only verbal account of the venue comes from the book the ''Life of John Buncle, Esq.'' from 1766 by Thomas Amory, who heard the famous Larry Grogan playing the pipes there while Jack Lattin, "the most agreeable of companions", played "matchlessly" on the fiddle. Other writers of the period, such as Laurence Whyte and Charles Coffey, recorded an energetic native musical culture in the venue.

Sandymount Green

Took 10 months to solve! Sandymount Castle, Dublin

Sandymount Green is a triangular park located next to the village. The houses along the south side of the green are part of what once was Sandymount Castle and the roads behind this bear the name. There are shops, restaurants and cafés around the green.

Sandymount Strand

The extensive Sandymount Strand, which is part of the South Bull, (a mirror to the North Bull sandbank, which grew into

North Bull Island Bull Island (Irish: ''Oileán an Tairbh''), more properly North Bull Island (Irish: ''Oileán an Tairbh Thuaidh''), is an island located in Dublin Bay in Ireland, about 5 km long and 800 m wide, lying roughly parallel to the shore off Cl ...

), is a major component of the south side of

. The strand runs from the curve of the bay at Ringsend to Merrion Gates. Sandymount Strand is a popular place for locals to take a walk. People and cars have been occasionally trapped by the incoming tide. The promenade is a 2.5 km walkway along the coast from Gilford Avenue to Saint Alban's Park, however, there are plans to lengthen the promenade to connect with the S2S Sandycove to Sutton Cycleway.

Sport and leisure

The area of Sandymount has three cricket clubs - YMCA (the 2020 All-Ireland champions), Pembroke and Railway Union, and a number of internationals line out for these clubs. For example, when Ireland beat England in an ODI in Southampton in August 2020, six of the 11 players were members of these three clubs, including captain Andy Balbirnie, and Kevin O'Brien, who in 2011 (also in a win over England) scored the fastest ever century in a World Cup. The three clubs have 14 men's teams and a large (more variable) number of youth and women's teams. Kim Garth, who has played for Perth Scorchers in the WBBL and is currently seeking to qualify for Australia women, was a member of Pembroke before leaving for a contract in Australia. The

Gaelic Athletic Association The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional ...

club Clanna Gael Fontenoy operates in the area, with grounds between Sandymount, Irishtown and Ringsend, and attracts some players from Sandymount, although a majority come from Irishtown and Ringsend.. Gaelic football, hurling and Camogie have become popular in the Sandymount area with over 350 families in the wider area (including Irishtown and Ringsend) being members of the club. This club has seen much success, at both club and county levels. In 2019 and 2021 the U16 Football teams became Champions of Dublin, and several players on both those teams are from Sandymount. The sport of rugby is also prominent in the area, with local clubs including Monkstown F.C. and Railway Union. There are also two gymnasia/fitness clubs. Hockey is also represented by Pembroke Wanderers H.C. on Serpentine Avenue, in the area since 1922. Epworth Badminton Club has club nights twice a week in the village and also runs a summer club.

parkrun

Poolbeg Poolbeg () is an artificial peninsula extending from Ringsend, Dublin, into Dublin Bay. History The Poolbeg peninsula was built between the mid 18th century and the present day, starting with the Ballast Office Wall, the first section of the G ...

parkrun takes place every Saturday at 9:30 at Sean Moore Park.

Religion

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 ...

Church of ''St John of the Evangelist'' is located at the top of St John's Road. The

Catholic 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 ...

church in Sandymount is dedicated to ''Our Lady Star of the Sea'' and is near the north end of Sandymount Road. ''Christ Church'', on Sandymount Green, is a united

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

and

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

church, which appoints a minister from either denomination alternately and Mount Tabor nursing home shares the grounds of the church. The area is also home to a house of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters for Africa.

Governance

Sandymount is within the jurisdiction of Dublin City Council. It is in the Dublin Bay South constituency and the Pembroke Ward.

History

Sandymount was once part of

Pembroke Township Pembroke Township was an area adjoining the city of Dublin, Ireland, formed for local government purposes by private Act of Parliament in 1863. The township took its name from the fact that most of the area was part of the estate of the Earl of ...

, which took its name from the fact that this area was part of the estate of the Earl of Pembroke.

People

The following people were born in Sandymount: *

John S. Beckett John Stewart Beckett (5 February 1927 – 5 February 2007) was an Irish musician, composer and conductor; cousin of the famous writer and playwright Samuel Beckett. Youth and education John and his twin sister Ann were born in Sandymount ...

(1927–2007), musician, composer and conductor *

Bryan Dobson Bryan David Dobson (born 10 February 1960) is an Irish journalist, newscaster and presenter with RTÉ in Ireland. He currently presents the RTÉ: News at One. He previously presented '' RTÉ News: Six One,'' '' RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock'', most r ...

(born 1960), newscaster *

Shay Healy Shay Healy (29 March 1943 – 9 April 2021) was an Irish songwriter, broadcaster and journalist. He is best known for his role as host of ''Nighthawks'', a RTÉ Television chat show of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and for composing "What's An ...

(1943–2021), writer and broadcaster *

Róisín Ingle Róisín Ingle (born 7 October 1971) is an Irish writer – a journalist, columnist and editor – as well as a podcast presenter and producer. She grew up in Sandymount, Dublin and, except for a brief stint in the UK, has lived and worke ...

(born 1971), journalist, columnist and podcaster *

Valentin Iremonger Valentin Iremonger (14 February 1918 – 22 May 1991) was an Irish diplomat and poet. He was born on Valentine's Day in Sandymount, Dublin and joined the diplomatic service. He served as Irish Ambassador to Sweden, Norway, Finland, India, Luxem ...

(1918–1991), poet and diplomat * Freda Kelly (born 1944), secretary and manager of

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

fan club *

Aengus Ó Snodaigh Aengus Ó Snodaigh (; born 31 July 1964) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician, author and historian who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin South-Central constituency since the 2002 general election. Early and personal life A Dubliner ...

(born 1964), TD, (Teachta Dála) * Kevin O'Brien (born 1984), Irish international cricketer *

Ruairi Quinn Ruairi Quinn (born 2 April 1946) is an Irish former Labour Party politician who served as Minister for Education and Skills from 2011 to 2014, Leader of the Labour Party from 1997 to 2002, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1989 to 1997, ...

(born 1946), former TD, (Teachta Dála) and former Cabinet Minister *

Annie P. Smithson Annie Mary Patricia Smithson (26 September 1873 – 21 February 1948) was an Irish novelist, poet and Nationalist. Smithson was born into a Protestant family in Sandymount, Dublin. She was christened Margaret Anne Jane, but took the names Anne Ma ...

(1873–1948), novelist *

Hilary Weston Hilary Mary Weston ( Frayne; born January 12, 1942) is an Irish–Canadian businesswoman and writer who served as the 26th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 1997 to 2002. During her five-year tenure, Weston focused on issues related to wome ...

(born 1942), model and entrepreneur *

W. B. Yeats William Butler Yeats (13 June 186528 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish liter ...

(1865–1939), poet The following live or have lived in Sandymount: *

Gay Byrne Gabriel Mary "Gay" Byrne (5 August 1934 – 4 November 2019) was an Irish presenter and host of radio and television. His most notable role was first host of '' The Late Late Show'' over a 37-year period spanning 1962 until 1999. ''The Late Lat ...

, presenter and host of radio and television, including ''

The Late Late Show ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in E ...

''. * Fionnbar Callanan, sports photographer and journalist * Christopher Casson (1912–1996), actor * Risteárd Cooper, actor and comedian *

Pat Cox Patrick Cox (born 28 November 1952) is a former Irish Fine Gael politician, journalist and television current affairs presenter who served as President of the European Parliament from 2002 to 2004 and Leader of the European Liberal Democrat an ...

, former MEP and broadcaster * Lucinda Creighton (born 1980), former TD, (Teachta Dála) and former Leader of Renua Ireland * Declan Darcy, former Leitrim and Dublin Gaelic footballer *

Ron Delany Ronald Michael Delany (born 6 March 1935) is an Irish former athlete who specialised in middle-distance running. He won a gold medal in the 1500 metres event at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. He later earned a bronze medal in the 1500 ...

(born 1935), Olympic 1500m Gold medal winner * Elizabeth Dunne (born 1956), Supreme Court Judge *

Mary Harney Mary Harney (born 11 March 1953) is an Irish former politician and the current Chancellor of the University of Limerick. She was leader of the Progressive Democrats party between 1993 and 2006 and again from 2007 to 2008, resuming the role aft ...

(born 1953), former TD, (Teachta Dála), former Cabinet Minister and member of the Progressive Democrats *

Seamus Heaney Seamus Justin Heaney (; 13 April 1939 – 30 August 2013) was an Irish poet, playwright and translator. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature.

(1939–2013), poet * Kevin Humphreys (born 1958), former TD, (Teachta Dála) *

Brendan Kennelly Timothy Brendan Kennelly (17 April 1936 – 17 October 2021), usually known as Brendan Kennelly, was an Irish poet and novelist. He was Professor of Modern Literature at Trinity College Dublin until 2005. Following his retirement he was a Pr ...

(born 1936), poet, novelist, playwright and professor emeritus of Trinity College Dublin *

Enda Kenny Enda Kenny (born 24 April 1951) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as Taoiseach from 2011 to 2017, Leader of Fine Gael from 2002 to 2017, Minister for Defence from May to July 2014 and 2016 to 2017, Leader of the Opposition from ...

(born 1951), Taoiseach lived here (1994–1997) * Charles Lysaght, author and journalist *

Donagh MacDonagh Donagh MacDonagh (22 November 1912 – 1 January 1968) was an Irish writer, judge, presenter, broadcaster, and playwright. Personal life MacDonagh was born in Dublin on St Cecilia's Day in 1912. He was still a young child when his father Th ...

(1912–1968) Poet, playwright, broadcaster, folklorist, district justice *

Brinsley MacNamara John Weldon (6 September 1890 – 4 February 1963; alternatively "A. E. Weldon"), known by his pen- and stage-name Brinsley MacNamara, was an Irish writer, playwright, and the registrar of the National Gallery of Ireland. He is the author of ...

(1890–1963), author *

T. P. McKenna Thomas Patrick McKenna (7 September 1929 – 13 February 2011) was an Irish actor, born in Mullagh, County Cavan. He had an extensive stage and screen career. Career Early years Thomas Patrick McKenna was born at Mullagh, County Cavan, Ireland, ...

(1929–2011), actor * Dermot Morgan (born 1952), Irish comedian, actor * Peter Murphy (1923–2011), radio and television broadcaster * Sinead O'Connor (born 1966), musician and actress * Geoffrey Molyneux Palmer (1882–1957), composer * Noel Purcell (1900–1985), actor *

Eoin Ryan Snr Eoin David Ryan (12 June 1920 – 14 December 2001) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician, and a Senator for thirty years. Ryan was born in Dublin. When Ryan was born, his father and mother were actively engaged in the War of Independence. His m ...

(1920–2001), member of Seanad Éireann *

Ivan Yates Ivan Yates (born 23 October 1959) is an Irish broadcaster, businessman and former politician. He was elected as a Fine Gael Teachta Dála (TD) for the Wexford constituency at the 1981 general election and at each election until his retirement fr ...

(born 1959), broadcaster, former TD, (Teachta Dála) and former Cabinet Minister

Popular culture

Literary references

Sandymount Strand is the most famous beach in Irish fiction,

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of ...

based two episodes of his epic novel ''

Ulysses Ulysses is one form of the Roman name for Odysseus, a hero in ancient Greek literature. Ulysses may also refer to: People * Ulysses (given name), including a list of people with this name Places in the United States * Ulysses, Kansas * Ulysse ...

'' here:
On the morning of Bloomsday, in the

Proteus In Greek mythology, Proteus (; Ancient Greek: Πρωτεύς, ''Prōteus'') is an early prophetic sea-god or god of rivers and oceanic bodies of water, one of several deities whom Homer calls the "Old Man of the Sea" ''(hálios gérôn)''. ...

episode,

Stephen Dedalus Stephen Dedalus is James Joyce's literary alter ego, appearing as the protagonist and antihero of his first, semi-autobiographic novel of artistic existence ''A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man'' (1916) and an important character in Joyce' ...

wanders "into eternity" on the strand; later the same day,

Leopold Bloom Leopold Bloom is the fictional protagonist and hero of James Joyce's 1922 novel ''Ulysses''. His peregrinations and encounters in Dublin on 16 June 1904 mirror, on a more mundane and intimate scale, those of Ulysses/Odysseus in Homer's epic poe ...

sits on a rock and watches while young Gertie lifts her skirt as Bloom pleasures himself. It was this incident in the

Nausicaa Nausicaa (; grc, Ναυσικάα, Nausikáa, or , ) also spelled Nausicaä or Nausikaa, is a character in Homer's ''Odyssey''. She is the daughter of King Alcinous and Queen Arete of Phaeacia. Her name means "burner of ships" ( 'ship'; 'to b ...

episode which led to the

ban Ban, or BAN, may refer to: Law * Ban (law), a decree that prohibits something, sometimes a form of censorship, being denied from entering or using the place/item ** Imperial ban (''Reichsacht''), a form of outlawry in the medieval Holy Roman ...

ning of the book in the

USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

for alleged

obscenity An obscenity is any utterance or act that strongly offends the prevalent morality of the time. It is derived from the Latin ''obscēnus'', ''obscaenus'', "boding ill; disgusting; indecent", of uncertain etymology. Such loaded language can be use ...

External links

History of Sandymount baths' pier

Sandymount railway station

* http://sandymountpost.com * http://www.news4.ie/

References

{{Dublin residential areas Towns and villages in Dublin (city) Townlands of County Dublin Dublin (barony)