Swords (
or ), the
county town of
Fingal, is a large suburban town on the east coast of
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 ...
, situated ten kilometres north of
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 by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
city centre. The town was reputedly founded . Located on the
Ward River, Swords features
Swords Castle, a restored medieval castle, a holy well from which it takes its name, a round tower and a Norman tower. Facilities in the area include the
Pavilions
In architecture, ''pavilion'' has several meanings:
* It may be a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to a main building. Often it is associated with pleasure. In palaces and traditional mansions of Asia ...
shopping centre, one of the largest in the Dublin region, a range of civic offices, some light industries, the main storage facility and archive of the
National Museum of Ireland and several parks.
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport (Irish: ''Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath'') is an international airport serving Dublin, Ireland. It is operated by DAA (formerly Dublin Airport Authority). The airport is located in Collinstown, north of Dublin, and south of ...
is located nearby.
The name "Swords" is also given to 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 orig ...
,
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 authorit ...
within the old
County Dublin
"Action to match our speech"
, image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Dublin.svg
, map_alt = map showing County Dublin as a small area of darker green on the east coast within the lighter green background of ...
, and to the
local electoral area
A local electoral area (LEA; ga, Toghlimistéir Áitiúil) is an electoral area for elections to local authorities in Ireland. All elections use the single transferable vote. The Republic of Ireland is divided into 166 LEAs, with an average p ...
.
History
Origins and etymology
The town's origins date back to 560 AD when it was reputedly founded by
Saint Colmcille
Columba or Colmcille; gd, Calum Cille; gv, Colum Keeilley; non, Kolban or at least partly reinterpreted as (7 December 521 – 9 June 597 AD) was an Irish abbot and missionary evangelist credited with spreading Christianity in what is tod ...
(521–567).
Legend has it that the saint blessed a local well, giving the settlement its name, ''Sord'', meaning "clear" or "pure". However, ''An Sord'' also means "the water source" and could indicate a large communal drinking well that existed in antiquity. St. Colmcille's Well is located on Well Road off Main Street. ''Sord'' may also refer to a "sward", an 'expanse of grass'. The most common landscape indicators of early Christian settlement are the ecclesiastical enclosures, and in the case of Swords, the street pattern has been influenced by the circular alignment of the settlement.
Development
The medieval town developed in a linear pattern along Main Street, in a roughly north–south direction. The
round tower
A fortified tower (also defensive tower or castle tower or, in context, just tower) is one of the defensive structures used in fortifications, such as castles, along with curtain walls. Castle towers can have a variety of different shapes and fu ...
, 26m in height, is also an indicator of early Christian settlement. The
Irish high king Brian Boru
Brian Boru ( mga, Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig; modern ga, Brian Bóramha; 23 April 1014) was an Irish king who ended the domination of the High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill and probably ended Viking invasion/domination of Ireland. Br ...
is said to have had his funeral at the church on Spittal Hill after he was killed at the Battle of Clontarf; this was of course before the hospital and even the Church of Ireland when there would have been a small chapel there along with the round tower.
The parliamentary borough of
Swords elected two MPs to the
Irish House of Commons
The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, but on a highly restrictive fran ...
. It was disenfranchised in 1801 by the
Acts of Union 1800
The Acts of Union 1800 (sometimes incorrectly referred to as a single 'Act of Union 1801') were parallel acts of the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of Ireland which united the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ir ...
.
At the northern end of the street stands Swords Castle, 200m northeast of the ecclesiastical site, which was built in the early 13th century. A short distance north of the castle is the elevation known as Spittal Hill, where a hospital once stood.
In 1994, Swords became the
county town of the new county of
Fingal after the abolition of the former
County Dublin
"Action to match our speech"
, image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Dublin.svg
, map_alt = map showing County Dublin as a small area of darker green on the east coast within the lighter green background of ...
as an administrative county. In 2001, upon the completion of the County Hall, senior executive offices moved there from Parnell Square in Dublin city centre.
In June 2006, the
RNLI Ireland officially opened a new all-Ireland headquarters at
Airside Business Park, within greater Swords. The National Museum of Ireland operates its Collections Resource Centre (CRC) at a former Motorola factory site on the northern edge of the town. The size of two football fields, the CRC includes storage, archive, library and research facilities serving all branches of the museum.
Strategic vision
Fingal County Council's "Strategic Vision" for Swords is reputedly to create a sustainable "new city". The council has referred to Swords as an "emerging city" and has projected that the population of Swords would rise towards 100,000 by the year 2035. The town is the seventh-largest urban area in the country, and the third-largest in
County Dublin
"Action to match our speech"
, image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Dublin.svg
, map_alt = map showing County Dublin as a small area of darker green on the east coast within the lighter green background of ...
, after Dublin City and
Tallaght
)
, image_skyline = TallaghtDublinD24.jpg
, image_caption = Tallaght, Dublin
, image_flag =
, flag_size =
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, pushpin_label_position = left
, ...
.
The ''Swords Cultural Quarter Masterplan'', by Fingal County Council, proposed to redevelop the centre of Swords surrounding the castle.
Quality of life
![Highfields2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Highfields2.jpg)
In 2012, Swords was named the third-best town in Ireland to live in. The survey conducted by Retail Excellence Ireland took into account safety, retail, dining, entertainment, events, car parking and the overall attractiveness of the town. Swords has seen steady regeneration of shop fronts, public buildings, and footpaths and the restoration of
Swords Castle since the mid-1990s. Households in Swords have the seventh-highest median incomes in the state, among distinct towns (a comparison excluding most other suburbs of the city).
A 2011 Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) survey declared Swords to be the second cleanest town in Ireland.
This came just eight years after an IBAL survey had scored the town as the worst "litter blackspot" in the country. In the 2019 survey,
An Taisce
An Taisce – The National Trust for Ireland (; meaning "the store" or "the treasury"), established in June 1948, is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) active in the areas of the environment and built heritage in Ireland. It considers itself t ...
, who carry out the surveys on behalf of IBAL, stated: "A stellar showing for this large urban area. Swords is a model for others to follow."
Geography
Landscape
![Swords in Dublin K67](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Swords_in_Dublin_K67.jpg)
Swords is situated roughly in the centre of the modern county of Fingal and 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 ...
of
Nethercross
Nethercross ( ga, An Chrois Íochtarach ) is a feudal title of one of the baronies of Ireland. Originally part of the Lordship of Meath, it was then constituted as part of the old county of Dublin. Today, it lies in the modern county of Fingal.
...
. The
Ward River, coming from County Meath, runs west to east to near the centre of the town, and then turns to run north, before flowing into the Broad Meadow Water or
Broadmeadow River to the east of the town, across the former northern road. A small stream joins the Ward near the town centre and the holy well. The Broadmeadow, also flowing from Meath, borders the north of the town. It runs from
Dunshaughlin
Dunshaughlin ( or locally ) is a town in County Meath, Ireland. A commuter town for nearby Dublin, Dunshaughlin more than tripled in population (from 1,275 to 4,035 inhabitants) between the 1991 and 2016 censuses.
History Foundation
Dunshaugh ...
in the west and across the north of Swords, before receiving the Ward and flowing into the wide Broadmeadow Estuary, then into the Irish Sea past Malahide. The estuary is crossed by a railway embankment and bridge from Malahide.
Swords is surrounded by a protected green belt. Dublin Airport has prevented the town from expanding further south and the large Broadmeadow Estuary and Malahide beyond limit expansion further east. To the north and west of Swords, there is sparsely-populated, relatively flat, farmland.
Townlands and baronies
The civil parish of Swords mainly lies in 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 ...
of
Nethercross
Nethercross ( ga, An Chrois Íochtarach ) is a feudal title of one of the baronies of Ireland. Originally part of the Lordship of Meath, it was then constituted as part of the old county of Dublin. Today, it lies in the modern county of Fingal.
...
.
Swords Demesne is the name of the
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 orig ...
in the heart of the urban town of Swords.
It is one of 58 such geographic units in the civil parish. However, a single parcel of land, 5 acres in extent, is situated in the barony of
Coolock
Coolock () is a large suburban area, centred on a village, on Dublin city's Northside in Ireland. Coolock is crossed by the Santry River, a prominent feature in the middle of the district, with a linear park and ponds. The Coolock suburban are ...
as an
exclave of the civil parish proper.
There are 10 townlands in the
electoral division
An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other poli ...
of Swords, which is not coterminous with the civil parish.
Urban layout
![St](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/St._Columcille%27s_Court%2C_Swords.jpg)
The main retail area is located in the centre of the town and includes the town's wide, tree-lined
Main Street, and the
Pavilions
In architecture, ''pavilion'' has several meanings:
* It may be a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to a main building. Often it is associated with pleasure. In palaces and traditional mansions of Asia ...
and Swords Central combined shopping centres. There are also two smaller retail developments, Swords Plaza and Swords Town Mall. Most civic facilities are also in this central area, with some subsidiary shopping and civic centres in surrounding housing areas.
The west of the urban area is mainly residential, with the neighbourhoods of
Applewood,
Rathbeale and
Brackenstown
Brackenstown is a neighbourhood in the north Dublin suburb of Swords in Ireland. It developed in west Swords on the north side of the Ward River. It developed along the Brackenstown Road, which runs from Swords to the townland of Knocksedan. I ...
to the north of the Ward River and
Knocksedan, River Valley, Rathingle, Highfields, and Boroimhe to the south side of the river.
The main business and industrial areas are located to the east of the town centre, along the R132 dual carriageway. These include Balheary Industrial Park, Swords Business Campus, Swords Business Park, and the Airside campus (Business Park, Retail Park and Motor Park). The neighbourhoods of Seatown, Lissenhall,
Holywell
Holywell may refer to:
* Holywell, Flintshire, Wales
* Holywell, Swords, Ireland
* Holywell, Bedfordshire, England
* Holywell, Cambridgeshire, England
* Holywell, Cornwall, England
* Holywell, Dorset, England
* Holywell, Eastbourne, East Susse ...
and Drynam are also to the east of the town core.
Postal designation
Swords has a postal address of County Dublin, and an
eircode "routing key" of K67.
Climate
The climate of Swords is, like the rest of Ireland, classified as a
maritime temperate climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring ...
(''Cfb'') according to the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
system. It is mild and changeable with abundant rainfall and a lack of temperature extremes. The hottest months of the year are June, July and August with temperatures of around 17 – 20 degrees. Swords gets rainfall all year round and the wettest months are October to January.
Demographics
Swords has developed into one of the largest urban areas in Ireland. The town's population boom began in the 1970s with the construction of the sprawling Rivervalley Estate, then Ireland's largest private housing development, ahead of Kilnamanagh Estate in Tallaght North. It continued during the 1990s and 2000s, with many new residents moving to the area due to its proximity to work at
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport (Irish: ''Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath'') is an international airport serving Dublin, Ireland. It is operated by DAA (formerly Dublin Airport Authority). The airport is located in Collinstown, north of Dublin, and south of ...
and various industrial estates.
At the 2011 census, the total urban population of greater Swords was 42,738. This wider area of Swords had a population density in 2011 of 3765/km
2, making it the most densely populated urban area in Ireland.
Fingal County Council has referred to Swords as an "Emerging City", and has suggested that the overall area's population may reach 100,000 by 2035.
Transport
Roads
![MonumentSwords](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/MonumentSwords.jpg)
Swords has good road links due to its proximity to Dublin city, which is the main focus of the Irish road network. The
M1 Dublin-Belfast motorway passes along the eastern edge of the town and is the main route to/from Dublin City, Drogheda, Dundalk, Newry and Belfast. The
M50 Dublin semi-orbital motorway passes to the south of the town and provides connections with all of the other main roads out of Dublin (N2, N3, N4, N7, N81 and M11). The
R132 dual-carriageway bypasses the centre of Swords, and runs south to Dublin Airport and north to Balbriggan. The proposed Swords Western Ring Road dual carriageway is due to run from the M1 at Lissenhall, north of Swords, along the western edge of Swords to the M2 motorway at Cherryhound. Other main roads from Swords include the
R106 to Malahide and Portmarnock,
R108 to Ballyboughal and Naul,
R125 to Ashbourne and the M2 motorway,
R126 to Donabate and Portrane and
R127 to Lusk and Skerries.
Bus
The town's Main Street is served by
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.
...
(and
Go-Ahead Ireland
Go-Ahead Transport Services (Dublin) Limited, known as Go-Ahead Ireland is a bus operator in Dublin that commenced trading in September 2018. It is a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group.
History
With the aim of improving efficiency, in 2015 the ...
) routes 33, 33A, 33B, 33N, 41, 41B, 41C, 41X, 43, 102 and 142 as well as
Bus Éireann routes
101 and 101n, and Swords Express routes 500, 500x, 501, 501x and 502. Buses operate between Swords and Dublin city centre approximately every 5 minutes throughout the day, through a combination of Dublin Bus routes 33, 41, 41B, 41C, 41X & 43, with a journey time of about an hour. Swords Express operate express services through the
Dublin Port Tunnel
The Dublin Tunnel (Irish: ''Tollán Bhaile Átha Cliath''), originally and still commonly known as the Port Tunnel, is a road traffic tunnel in Dublin, Ireland, that forms part of the M50 motorway.
The twin tunnels form a two-lane dual carri ...
which take about 35 minutes. Other bus routes serving Swords include the 102 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 ...
,
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 ...
and
Sutton
Sutton (''south settlement'' or ''south town'' in Old English) may refer to:
Places
United Kingdom
England
In alphabetical order by county:
* Sutton, Bedfordshire
* Sutton, Berkshire, a location
* Sutton-in-the-Isle, Ely, Cambridgeshire
* ...
, route 33b to
Donabate
Donabate () is a small coastal town in Fingal, Ireland, about north-northeast of Dublin. The town is on a peninsula on Ireland's east coast, between the Rogerstown Estuary to the north and Broadmeadow Estuary to the south. Donabate is a civil ...
and
Portrane, routes 33 and 33a to
Lusk,
Rush,
Skerries, and
Balbriggan and
Bus Éireann route 101 to
Balbriggan,
Julianstown
Julianstown () is a village in County Meath, Ireland. It is located near Drogheda on the R132 regional road. In 1641, the Battle of Julianstown was fought here during the Irish Rebellion of 1641.
Julianstown is situated on the River Nanny ...
and
Drogheda. Connect Bus and Coach operate route H1 every 20 minutes between Dublin Airport and the Travelodge Hotel in Swords.
There are a number of long-distance bus services from the Atrium Road and coach park in Dublin Airport to various locations throughout the country operated by Bus Éireann and other private companies, including 50 daily services to
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...
(route 1/X2 & Aircoach), 12 to
Derry (route 33 & John Mc Ginley), 11 to
Letterkenny
Letterkenny ( ga, Leitir Ceanainn , meaning 'hillside of the O'Cannons'), nicknamed 'the Cathedral Town', is the largest and most populous town in County Donegal, a county in Ulster, the northern province in Ireland. Letterkenny lies on the R ...
(route 32 & John Mc Ginley), 9 to
Donegal (route 30), 3 to
Sligo (route 23), 1 to
Ballina (route 22), 52 to
Galway
Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a city in the West of Ireland, in the province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay, and is the sixth most populous city on ...
(route 20, Citylink & gobus), 14 to
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
(route 12 & JJ Kavanagh), 24 to
Cork
Cork or CORK may refer to:
Materials
* Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product
** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container
***Wine cork
Places Ireland
* Cork (city)
** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
(GoBé & Aircoach), 6 to Clonmel (JJ Kavanagh), 21 to
Waterford
"Waterford remains the untaken city"
, mapsize = 220px
, pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe
, pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe
, pushpin_relief = 1
, coordinates ...
(route 4/X4 & JJ Kavanagh) and 31 to
Wexford
Wexford () is the county town of County Wexford, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the island of Ireland. The town is linked to Dublin by the M11/N11 ...
(route 2, Ardcavan & Wexford Bus).
Rail
Swords has no railway services. The nearest railway stations are at
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 ...
and
Donabate
Donabate () is a small coastal town in Fingal, Ireland, about north-northeast of Dublin. The town is on a peninsula on Ireland's east coast, between the Rogerstown Estuary to the north and Broadmeadow Estuary to the south. Donabate is a civil ...
. Malahide is served by the frequent Dublin area rapid transit service to
Bray, through the city centre. Both Malahide and Donabate are served by Dublin –
Drogheda commuter services.
Swords is the only Dublin county town not to be served by rail, as
Tallaght
)
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, ...
in
South Dublin is served by the
Luas
Luas (pronounced ; Irish for "speed") is a tram/ light rail system in Dublin, Ireland. There are two main lines: the Green Line, which began operating on 30 June 2004, and the Red Line which opened on 26 September 2004. Since then, both li ...
light rail system, and
Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire ( , ) is a suburban coastal town in Dublin in Ireland. It is the administrative centre of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown.
The town was built following the 1816 legislation that allowed the building of a major port to serve Dubli ...
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 ...
and
Irish Rail
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
services.
Metro
![ThePlazaSwords](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/ThePlazaSwords.jpg)
There are proposals for a light rapid transit line,
MetroLink, to run from
St Stephen's Green
St Stephen's Green () is a garden square and public park located in the city centre of Dublin, Ireland. The current landscape of the park was designed by William Sheppard. It was officially re-opened to the public on Tuesday, 27 July 1880 by ...
to Swords via the Mater Hospital, Drumcondra Railway Station,
Dublin City University
Dublin City University (abbreviated as DCU) ( ga, Ollscoil Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath) is a university based on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland. Created as the ''National Institute for Higher Education, Dublin'' in 1975, it enrolled its ...
,
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 ...
and Dublin Airport. In 2015, the Government announced that Metro North would be redesigned to a cheaper cost. Construction of the line was proposed to begin in 2021 and be completed by 2026.
Three stops have been proposed within or near Swords (at Estuary, Swords Central, Fosterstown) with another at the airport (between Terminals 1 and 2). A further three stops were originally proposed but were refused planning permission.
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport (Irish: ''Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath'') is an international airport serving Dublin, Ireland. It is operated by DAA (formerly Dublin Airport Authority). The airport is located in Collinstown, north of Dublin, and south of ...
, the busiest airport in Ireland, is located at Collinstown, several kilometres to the south of Swords. The airport has direct flights to Britain, Europe, North America, North Africa and the Middle East. In 2019, 32.9 million passenger journeys were recorded,
and it is by far the busiest of the
airports by total passenger traffic in Ireland. As of 2014, Dublin–London was the world's second-busiest international air route, behind Hong Kong–Taipei.
Knocksedan Heliport
Knocksedan Heliport is a private heliport on the western side of Swords, run by Celtic Helicopters. The heliport has four hangars and they provide a helicopter wash facility and Jet A1 Fuel. Irish Helicopters also use the heliport. They provide aerial crane, filming and survey services, helicopter charter and maintenance, spraying and special project services.
Features and historical attractions
Some historical attractions are listed below. Many of these are promoted by Swords Historical Society.
Swords Castle
Swords Castle was built as the manorial residence of the 1st
Archbishop of Dublin, John Comyn, around 1200 or a little later in Swords, just north of Dublin. It was never strong in the military sense, but covers a large pentagonal walled area of nearly 1.5 acres (6,000 m
2) with a tower on the north and a gateway complex on the south. The adjoining chapel, built in the late thirteenth century, was probably used as the Archbishop's private oratory.
Other buildings, recorded in an inquisition in 1326, have now vanished, including the great hall on the east side of the enclosure. The Archbishop abandoned Swords once a new palace was built at
Tallaght
)
, image_skyline = TallaghtDublinD24.jpg
, image_caption = Tallaght, Dublin
, image_flag =
, flag_size =
, pushpin_map = Dublin#Ireland
, pushpin_label_position = left
, ...
in 1324. The stepped battlements suggest some form of occupancy during the fifteenth century, but by 1583, when briefly occupied by
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
Protestants, it was described as "the quite spoiled old castle". It was used as a garden in the nineteenth century and sold after 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 secon ...
was disestablished.
Swords Castle has undergone restoration and is open as a tourist attraction. The castle was used as a film location for the production of TV series ''
The Tudors
''The Tudors'' is a historical fiction television series set primarily in 16th-century England, created and written by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime. The series was a collaboration among ...
'' in spring 2010.
St. Colmcille's Well
![County Dublin - Townparks Holy Well-St Colmcilles Well - 20170925132515](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/County_Dublin_-_Townparks_Holy_Well-St_Colmcilles_Well_-_20170925132515.jpg)
On Well Road, also known as St. Columb's Well. In a locked chamber. Reputed to be where Swords got its name when St. Colmcille blessed the well of clear water, 'Sord' being the Irish for 'clear or pure'.
St. Columba's Church, Belfry & Round Tower
![StColmcillesTower](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/StColmcillesTower.jpg)
The round tower is the surviving remnant of St. Colmcille's monastic settlement. The only remaining relic of the medieval church is its belfry, from c. 1300, which is open to the public in the summertime. The original church is said to have fallen into ruin sometime in the seventeenth century. The new church of early Gothic style was built in 1811 on the foundations of the old. The Sexton's Lodge was built in 1870. The body of
Brian Boru
Brian Boru ( mga, Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig; modern ga, Brian Bóramha; 23 April 1014) was an Irish king who ended the domination of the High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill and probably ended Viking invasion/domination of Ireland. Br ...
was said to have been brought there in 1014 to be waked after the
Battle of Clontarf
The Battle of Clontarf ( ga, Cath Chluain Tarbh) took place on 23 April 1014 at Clontarf, near Dublin, on the east coast of Ireland. It pitted an army led by Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, against a Norse-Irish alliance comprising the for ...
, while on the way to be buried in
Armagh.
Old Borough School
Located on Main Street, the building was designed by the architect Francis Johnston. In 2015,
Wetherspoon
J D Wetherspoon plc (branded variously as Wetherspoon or Wetherspoons, and colloquially known as Spoons) is a pub company operating in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company was founded in 1979 by Tim Martin and is based in Watford. It o ...
bought the premises, and now operates The Old Borough as a public house.
St. Colmcille’s RC Church
On Chapel Lane, a pre-Catholic Emancipation church built in 1827 on a site donated by James Taylor of Swords House. The graveyard contains the headstones of nationalist politician
Andrew Kettle, who was known as "Parnell’s Righthand Man."
Courthouse
![CourtHouseSwords](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/CourtHouseSwords.jpg)
Designed by Alexander Tate, Swords Courthouse is located on North Street and was built in 1845 in Classical style.
Lord Mayors
Founded in 1668, the 350-year-old Lord Mayors is a Swords landmark. The thatched-roof pub is the oldest structure in the village.
The Lord mayors closed for business in April 2019 leaving the premises vacant, with some locals questioning the plan to build 172 apartments on the site of the historic structure.
Fingal County Hall
![Fingal County Hall](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Fingal_County_Hall.jpg)
The modern
Fingal County Hall, by Bucholz McEvoy Architects, is located at the northern end of Main Street. It is built on the site of Swords House, the home of the Norman family, the Taylors of Swords. Records show the family arrived there in the 13th century and built a 'Mansion House' in 1403.
Leisure and cultural facilities
Swords library
Swords library, located on Rathbeale Road, offers typical library services and runs cultural activities for children and adults.
Historical society
Swords Historical Society, founded in 1982, is supported by volunteers who have worked to record, promote and preserve the heritage of the greater Swords area. The society's Museum and Heritage Centre at the Carnegie Library on North Street is run by volunteers and is open on weekday afternoons. The society's oral history project has produced an annual 'Swords Voices' publication, which chronicles the memories of local people.
Ward River Valley Park
The Ward River Valley Park is a linear park on the banks of the Ward River approaching town. It covers an area of 89 ha. (220 acres) between Swords town centre and Knocksedan Bridge. Features include some 12th-century fortifications, woodland habitats, wetlands and rolling grassland. There are viewing points, picnic sites, sports pitches and tennis courts. The park is known locally as "The Jacko", which is a nickname that is thought to have originated in the 1960s.
Swords Town Park (with Swords Castle)
![TownParkNorth](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/TownParkNorth.jpg)
Swords Town Park is a small park situated in the centre of the town of Swords, along the Ward River. It has tennis courts and a playground. Swords Castle lies within the park. It is the former residence of the Archbishop of Dublin and it is the only fortified residence of the Archbishop to survive in a reasonable state today (see above).
Balheary Park
Balheary Park is north of the town centre near the confluence of the Broadmeadow River and the Ward River, which flow to the northern and southern edges of the park. It meets Swords Business Campus / Balheary Business Park on three sides and has some playing pitches which are used by the Fingallians GAA club. In mid-2006, Fingal County Council built a
skatepark
A skatepark, or skate park, is a purpose-built recreational environment made for skateboarding, BMX, scootering, wheelchairs, and aggressive inline skating. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, handrails, funboxes, vert ramps, stairse ...
and adjoining basketball courts/football court in Balheary Park. The park contains a bowl, a vert wall, a spine, some
quarterpipe
A half-pipe is a structure used in gravity extreme sports such as snowboarding, skateboarding, skiing, freestyle BMX, skating, and scooter riding.
Overview
The structure resembles a cross-section of a swimming pool, essentially two concave ra ...
s, and a section of boxes in the middle of the park.
Broadmeadow River Linear Park
The Broadmeadow Linear Park is a small park north of Applewood along the Broadmeadow River. Fingal County Council plan to extend the park eastwards to Balheary Park and westwards into the proposed Swords Regional Park.
National Show Centre
A little south of Swords, near
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport (Irish: ''Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath'') is an international airport serving Dublin, Ireland. It is operated by DAA (formerly Dublin Airport Authority). The airport is located in Collinstown, north of Dublin, and south of ...
, the
National Show Centre is an exhibition and conference venue owned by the
Irish Kennel Club
The Irish Kennel Club or IKC is an organization dedicated to supporting Breed of dog, dog breeds and their owners. It maintains a register of purebred dogs in Ireland, issuing pedigree certificates, transfer of ownership certification and expo ...
. The venue is used as a counting centre during elections for the
Dublin Fingal
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 by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 cen ...
constituency.
Sports
Boxing
Swords Boxing Club is based at Sluagh Hall, a former military facility which is shared with
Fingallians GAA
Fingallians is a Gaelic Athletic Association club in Swords, County Dublin, Ireland. Founded in 1884, Fingallians are one of the oldest clubs in Dublin and they are based at Lawless Memorial Park.
History
The club caters for Gaelic football, h ...
clbu. Fingal Boxing Academy, which is affiliated with the
Irish Amateur Boxing Association
The Irish Athletic Boxing Association Ltd. (IABA) is the national governing body for amateur boxing on the island of Ireland, developing and controlling the sport. Founded in 1911, the IABA operates from the National Stadium in Dublin, the on ...
and located in Rivervalley, Swords, was the first boxing club in Ireland to train female boxers and has trained several national champions.
GAA
There are three Gaelic Athletic Association clubs local to Swords, and one more with pitches. These include
Fingallians (based at Lawless Memorial Park), St. Finian's (Rivervalley), and
St Colmcille's (Holybanks, Glen Ellan Road in the
Applewood neighbourhood).
Golf
There are several golf courses close to the town, namely Swords Open Golf Course, Forrest Little Golf Club, Roganstown Golf and Country Club and Balheary "Par 3" Golf Course. There are also several driving ranges in the area with the Drynam Golf Centre being the first driving range in Ireland with automated tees.
Rugby
Swords RFC
Swords RFC are an Irish rugby team based in Swords, County Dublin, Fingal County, men's team playing in Division 7 of the Metro League and women's team playing in Division 5 of the Leinster League. The club colours are green and navy.
History
...
are a
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...
team playing in Division 3 of the
Leinster League
The Leinster League is the second tier of rugby in Leinster, behind the Leinster Senior League. It has five divisions. The champions qualify for a round-robin tournament with the champions of the other three provincial junior leagues for one of tw ...
. The club is based out of ALSAA Sport Complex beside the airport and has 2 Men's teams and 1 Women's team.
Soccer
Swords Celtic, established in 1962, fields DDSL, NDSL, LSL, and MGL schoolboy and schoolgirl teams. The main pitch and clubhouse are located at Balheary, Swords and include dressing rooms an eleven-a-side and two seven-a-side pitches with floodlights.
Swords Manor FC, established in 1995, fields NDSL, DDSL, MGL, and UCFL schoolboy and schoolgirl teams. The main pitch and clubhouse are located on Brackenstown Road.
River Valley Rangers AFC was established in 1981. It fields NDSL schoolboy/girl teams and its pitch and clubhouse are located in Ridgewood Park.
Columbas Rovers FC was established in 2002. It uses the ALSAA sports centre near the airport.
A former club, Swords Rovers FC (founded in 1993), was disbanded in 2015.
Other sports
Fingal Orienteers have created
orienteering maps of the Ward River Valley park, and the surrounding estates of Swords Manor, Brackenstown, River Valley and Knocksedan, and regularly hold events in the area.
Racquet sports clubs include Forest Badminton Club, River Valley Badminton Club, and Swords Tennis Club (based at Swords Town Park). Swords Hockey Club is a ladies club based in ALSAA Sports Grounds.
Events
Fingal Horticultural Show
The Fingal Horticultural Society holds their annual flower show in Swords every August. It includes competition classes in Cut Flowers, Hanging Baskets, Pot Plants, Flower Arranging, Fruit, Vegetables, Cookery, Wine Making, Photography, Painting and Handcrafts, as well as special classes for children. The Fingal Horticultural Society also hold an annual Garden Competition, Allotment Competition and Pub Frontage Competition in Swords.
Flavours of Fingal Agricultural Show
The first Flavours of Fingal Show took place in July 2012 in Newbridge House near Donabate. The farm section of the two-day show featured a program of livestock and sheep competitions, equestrian contests and other agricultural displays. Separately, the walled garden of Newbridge House hosted the food producers section of the show. During the festival, family and musical entertainment, walks and other events were held.
Dog shows
In 2012 over 80 dog shows were held in the National Show Centre, including the Celtic Winners Dog Show, held on St. Patrick's Day.
Fingal 10k Road Race
The first Fingal 10k Road Race took place on 22 July 2012 on the roads around Swords. It was part of the Dublin Race Series, a series which culminates in the
Dublin Marathon
The Dublin Marathon is an annual 26.2 mile (42.2 km) road marathon in Dublin, Ireland, held on the last Sunday in October. Prior to 2016, the race took place on the last Monday in October, which is a public holiday in Ireland. Held each yea ...
. Over 4200 people entered the first race, and the event has since been run annually.
Economy
Retail
Swords is the home to a large retail and business park called
Airside Retail and Business Park, on the southern fringe of the town, hosting many employers, including the European Headquarters of
Kellogg's.
Ingersoll Rand
Ingersoll Rand is an American multinational company that provides flow creation and industrial products. The company was formed in February 2020 through the spinoff of the industrial segment of Ingersoll-Randplc (now known as Trane Technologies) ...
also has its corporate headquarters in the Airside Business Park. East of the town, running parallel to Swords bypass, lies the large Swords Business Park, where
The Hertz Corporation
The Hertz Corporation is an American car rental company based in Estero, Florida. The company operates its namesake Hertz brand, along with the brands Dollar Rent A Car, Firefly Car Rental and Thrifty Car Rental.
It is one of the three big re ...
have a Shared Services Centre.
Swords also has a large shopping centre, the
Pavilions Swords, off the R132, which has a multi-screen cinema and branches of
SuperValu and
Dunnes Stores
Dunnes Stores is an Irish multinational retail chain that primarily sells food, clothes and household wares.
In addition to its main customer base in Ireland, the chain also has operations in Spain, and formerly in England and Scotland. The f ...
.
Aviation
![E4411-Ryanair-planes-in-Dublin](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/E4411-Ryanair-planes-in-Dublin.jpg)
Swords is the closest town to
Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport (Irish: ''Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath'') is an international airport serving Dublin, Ireland. It is operated by DAA (formerly Dublin Airport Authority). The airport is located in Collinstown, north of Dublin, and south of ...
and the two share the same
Eircode routing area key of K67. The airport has long provided employment to the area. In 2011, Dublin Airport handled over 18.7 million passengers and served over 171 routes with 62 airlines. The airport serves as an operating base for
Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus ( ; an anglicisation of the Irish , meaning "air fleet" compare Welsh 'llynges awyr') is the flag carrier of Ireland. Founded by the Irish Government, it was privatised between 2006 and 2015 and it is now a wholly owned subsidiary ...
,
Aer Lingus Regional,
Air Contractors,
CityJet
CityJet is an Irish regional airline with headquarters in Swords, Dublin. It was founded in 1992 and has gone through a series of corporate structures. Air France sold CityJet to ''Intro Aviation'' in May 2014; in March 2016 the airline was b ...
,
Ryanair and
Thomson Airways Thomson may refer to:
Names
* Thomson (surname), a list of people with this name and a description of its origin
* Thomson baronets, four baronetcies created for persons with the surname Thomson
Businesses and organizations
* SGS-Thomson M ...
, and as a maintenance base for Aer Lingus, CityJet, Dublin Aerospace, Eirtech Aviation,
Etihad Airways and Ryanair.
The
Irish Aviation Authority
The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) ( ga, Údaras Eitlíochta na hÉireann) is a commercial semi-state company in Ireland responsible for the regulation of safety aspects of air travel. It is also responsible for providing air traffic control serv ...
operate the Dublin Air Traffic Control Centre on the airport.
The headquarters of the
Dublin Airport Authority and Ireland's four largest airlines are located in or near Swords. The
Dublin Airport Authority, who manage Dublin, Cork and Shannon Airports, employ over 3,000 people and have their headquarters on the airport campus. Aer Lingus, Ireland's flag carrier, have their headquarters on the Dublin Airport campus. CityJet, part of the
Air France-KLM
The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for ...
group, has its headquarters in Swords Business Campus and Air Contractors, part of the
ASL Aviation
ASL Airlines Ireland (ASLI), formerly Air Contractors, is a cargo airline with an extensive operations network. It operates scheduled freight services throughout Europe on behalf of major parcel integrators such as Amazon, FedEx Feeder and DHL ...
group, has its head office on the Malahide Road in Swords. In 2014,
Ryanair moved into a new €20m, 100,000 sq ft Dublin Head Office in Airside Business Park. The building was officially opened in April 2014.
Logistics
In 2007
Tesco Ireland
Tesco Ireland is the Irish subsidiary of supermarket group Tesco. Tesco Ireland was formed by Tesco plc's 1997 purchase of the Irish retailing operations of Associated British Foods, namely Powers' Supermarkets Limited and its subsidiaries, tra ...
opened their new €70 million distribution centre in Lanestown, between Swords and Donabate. With a building footprint of over 68,000 m
2 and a total volume of 1.55 million m
2 the Tesco Ireland distribution centre is the largest building on the island of Ireland and one of the 10
largest building in the world. The building is over half a kilometre long and could fit 16 jumbo jets. It has 106 loading bays and supplies 106 stores up to 6 times a day.
Pharmaceutical
Swords is the home to several international chemical producers and pharmaceutical giants, including Opec.
Merck Sharp & Dohme
Merck & Co., Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey, and is named for Merck Group, founded in Germany in 1668, of whom it was once the American arm. The company does business as Merck Sharp ...
(formally Organnon) employ over 500 people in their facility in Drynam, which manufactures women's health, anaesthesiology and mental health products.
Bristol Myers Squibb employ over 400 people in their Swords Laboratories bulk pharmaceutical plant on Watery Lane. The
Lonza Group
Lonza Group is a Swiss multinational manufacturing company for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and nutrition sectors, headquartered in Basel, with major facilities in Europe, North America and South Asia. Lonza was established under that name i ...
employ 45 people in their European manufacturing facility for personal care and industrial biocides, also on Watery Lane.
Food and horticulture
Swords is located in the centre of Fingal and is surrounded by farms growing crops like potatoes, wheat and barley. However, unlike the rest of Fingal, a lot of the food distributed from Swords has been imported from abroad. As of 2018, FoodCentral (marketed as "Ireland's national food park") was being developed south-west of Swords.
The Keeling's Group, who employ over 1700 people, have their headquarters in FoodCentral and use a lot of land around Swords. The Keeling's Farms division annually grow 2,500 tonnes of soft fruits/berries from 5 hectares of glasshouse, tunnel and field crops in Swords. They grow
Bramley apple
''Malus domestica'' (Bramley's Seedling, commonly known as the Bramley apple, or simply Bramley, Bramleys or Bramley's) is a cultivar of apple that is usually eaten cooked due to its sourness. The variety comes from a pip planted by Mary Ann Brai ...
s in 139 acres of orchards and lettuce in 8 acres of glasshouses. Their glasshouses also produce 1,500 tonnes of red, orange, yellow and green peppers annually. Keeling's also operate a large banana ripening facility for Chiquita which ripens over 3 million bananas each week. They also have separate ripening rooms for other fruits.
Total Produce, Ireland's largest agribusiness operates two facilities in Swords. Its facility in Swords Business Park includes a distribution and ripening centre for Fyffes Cape, Outspan, Green Ace and TOP Fruit products. Their "Uniplumo" facility on the Rathbeale Road, has 46,000 square metres of glasshouses for growing plants, flowers and tomatoes.
Education
Primary
The town is served by more than 10
primary schools
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 ed ...
. These include several
gaelscoil
A Gaelscoil (; plural: ''Gaelscoileanna'') is an Irish language-medium school in Ireland: the term refers especially to Irish-medium schools outside the Irish-speaking regions or Gaeltacht. Over 50,000 students attend Gaelscoileanna at primary an ...
s, a number of
Educate Together
Educate Together () is an educational charity in Ireland which is the patron body to "equality-based, co-educational, child centred, and democratically run" schools. It was founded in 1984 to act as the patron body for the new multidenomination ...
schools, and mixed and gender-specific
national schools. The latter includes both
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 secon ...
and
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
schools. A number of other primary schools are in planning or under construction.
[Proposed Mooretown Primary Schools](_blank)
Page 2
Secondary
The secondary schools serving the town include Loreto College (all-girls school, River Valley), Coláiste Choilm C.B.S. (all-boys school, Dublin Road), Fingal Community College (Seatown Road), St. Finian's Community College (Castlefarm), and Swords Community College (Rathbeale Road)
Third level and further education
Land has been reserved for a potential university campus at Lissenhall in north Swords.
The National Learning Network, Fingal Adult Education Service and Swords Youthreach each have a presence in the area.
There is also the Fingal Adult Literacy and Education Centre
Religion
Christianity
Christianity is the predominant
religion
Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...
in Swords and Roman Catholicism is the predominant
denomination. The town has six
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
churches. St. Colmcille's, the Church of the Visitation and Our Lady Queen of Heaven are all within Swords parish. St. Cronan's and St. Finian's each belong to distinct parishes, while the Church of the Immaculate Conception lies within Donabate parish.
There are also a further eight Christian churches and a retreat centre. These include St. Columba's
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 secon ...
church on Church Road, and
Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...
churches which meet in St. Finian's Community College and at Seatown West.
Other Protestant and evangelical communities include the Apostolic Faith Church and Churchtown Trust. The
Syriac Orthodox Church meets as the St. Ignatius Jacobite Congregation in St Columba's Church of Ireland church.
Jehovah's Witnesses meet at a
Kingdom Hall
A Kingdom Hall is a place of worship used by Jehovah's Witnesses. The term was first suggested in 1935 by Joseph Franklin Rutherford, then president of the Watch Tower Society, for a building in Hawaii. Rutherford's reasoning was that these bui ...
on Kettles Lane.
Islam
The Dublin Welfare Society manage a makeshift mosque in a Swords industrial estate
Local politicians
Swords is part of the
Dublin Fingal
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 by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 cen ...
constituency. The five TDs that serve the area are as follows:
Seven councillors serve the Swords local electoral area of
Fingal County Council. They are:
Notable residents
*
Saint Colmcille
Columba or Colmcille; gd, Calum Cille; gv, Colum Keeilley; non, Kolban or at least partly reinterpreted as (7 December 521 – 9 June 597 AD) was an Irish abbot and missionary evangelist credited with spreading Christianity in what is tod ...
, founder of Swords.
*
Gruffudd ap Cynan
Gruffudd ap Cynan ( 1137), sometimes written as Gruffydd ap Cynan, was King of Gwynedd from 1081 until his death in 1137. In the course of a long and eventful life, he became a key figure in Welsh resistance to Norman rule, and was rememb ...
(1055-1137), Welsh King of
Gwynedd, reared in Swords as a close relative of the
Hiberno-Norse Kings of Dublin and grandson of King
Brian Boru
Brian Boru ( mga, Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig; modern ga, Brian Bóramha; 23 April 1014) was an Irish king who ended the domination of the High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill and probably ended Viking invasion/domination of Ireland. Br ...
*
Robert FitzRery,
Attorney-General for Ireland
The Attorney-General for Ireland was an Irish and then (from the Act of Union 1800) United Kingdom government office-holder. He was senior in rank to the Solicitor-General for Ireland: both advised the Crown on Irish legal matters. With the ...
from 1450 to 1463, came from a long-established Swords family which claimed descent from Gruffudd ap Cynan.
[Curtis, E. (1921) ''"The FitzRerys, Welsh Lords of Cloghran, Co. Dublin"'' Journal of the County Louth Archaeological Society Vol. 5 p.13]
*
Eleanor Ambrose, Catholic heiress, is from Swords.
*
Conan Byrne
Conan Byrne (born 10 July 1985) is a retired Irish footballer who last played for NIFL Premiership club Glenavon, having spent six seasons with St Patrick's Athletic, three seasons with Sporting Fingal, three seasons with Shelbourne and thre ...
, Irish footballer for
Glenavon F.C.
Glenavon Football Club is a Northern Irish semi-professional football club that competes in the NIFL Premiership. Founded in 1889, the club hails from Lurgan and plays its home matches at Mourneview Park. Club colours are blue and white. Ga ...
*
Ed Byrne, comedian, is from Swords.
*
Jason Byrne, comedian, lives in Swords.
*
Bill Cullen, businessman, presenter of the TV show,
"The Apprentice", owns and works at Europa Academy in Swords.
*
Duncan Campbell, video artist, won 2014
Turner Prize
The Turner Prize, named after the English painter J. M. W. Turner, is an annual prize presented to a British visual artist. Between 1991 and 2016, only artists under the age of 50 were eligible (this restriction was removed for the 2017 award) ...
, grew up in Swords.
*
Paul Flynn, Dublin and Fingallians GAA player, lives in Swords.
*
Chris Newman, actor known for his roles in
Song for a Raggy Boy
''Song for a Raggy Boy'' is an 2003 Irish historical drama film directed by Aisling Walsh. It is based on the book of the same name by Patrick Galvin and is based on true events.
Plot
In 1939, on the brink of World War II, the St. Judes Refor ...
and
Red Rock
*
Ronan Keating
Ronan Patrick John Keating (born 3 March 1977) is an Irish singer. He debuted in 1993 alongside Keith Duffy, Michael Graham, Shane Lynch, and Stephen Gately, as the co-lead singer (with Gately) of Irish pop group Boyzone. His solo career start ...
, singer-songwriter, lived in the Highfields residential development on the town's southern side.
*
Richard Montgomery, hero of the American Revolution, born in Swords.
*
Blessed Francis Taylor, former Mayor of Dublin, martyr, born in Swords.
*
Kodaline
Kodaline () are an Irish rock band. Originally known as 21 Demands, the band adopted their current name in 2012 to coincide with the changing of their music. The group comprises Steve Garrigan, Mark Prendergast, Vincent May and Jason Boland.
G ...
, a popular band, come from Swords
*
Matt Doherty, Irish footballer for
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The team has playe ...
*
Peter Kioso, footballer for
Luton Town
Luton Town Football Club () is a professional association football club based in the town of Luton, Bedfordshire, England, that competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1885, it is nicknam ...
, born in Swords
*
Sean Roughan
Sean Patrick Roughan (born 14 March 2003) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a defender for Lincoln City.
Club career Lincoln City
He signed his first professional contract on 28 July 2020 following a successful spell in the Lin ...
, footballer for
Lincoln City, born in Swords
*
Zachary Elbouzedi
Zachary Elbouzedi ( ar, البوزيدي, ʾalbuzīdī, ); born 5 April 1998) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Allsvenskan club AIK.
Club career Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Elbouzedi started his career with Ma ...
, Irish footballer for
AIK Fotboll
AIK Fotboll (), more commonly known simply as AIK (), an abbreviation for Allmänna Idrottsklubben (meaning ''the public'' or ''general sports club''), is a Swedish football club competing in Allsvenskan, the top flight of Swedish football. The ...
*
Keith Ward
Keith Ward (born 1938) is an English philosopher, and theologian. He is a fellow of the British Academy and a Anglican priest, priest of the Church of England. He was a canon of Christ Church, Oxford, until 2003. Comparative theology and the rela ...
, footballer for
Bohemian FC
Bohemian Football Club ( ga, an Cumann Peile Bóihéamach), more commonly referred to as Bohemians or Bohs, is a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. Bohemians compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland, and are the ...
See also
*
List of abbeys and priories in County Dublin
*
List of towns and villages in Ireland
References
Notes
From :
Sources
External links
Local website
{{Authority control
Civil parishes of the barony of Nethercross
County towns in the Republic of Ireland