Dalkey ( ; ) is an affluent suburb 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 ...

, and a

seaside resort A seaside resort is a town, village, or hotel that serves as a vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements, such as in the Germ ...

southeast of the city, and the town of

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 ...

, in the county of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown in the historic

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 ...

, Ireland. It was founded as a

Viking Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...

settlement and became an active port during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

. According to chronicler

John Clyn John Clyn, O.F.M. (c. 1286 – c. 1349), of the Friars Minor, Kilkenny, was a 14th-century Irish friar and chronicler who lived at the time of the Black Death. Background Clyn was probably born in Leinster some years prior to 1300, possibly a ...

(c.1286–c.1349), it was one of the ports through which the

plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pe ...

entered Ireland in the mid-14th century. In modern times, Dalkey has become a seaside suburb that attracts some tourist visitors. One of Dublin's wealthiest districts, it has been home to writers and celebrities including

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

Jane Emily Herbert Jane Emily Herbert (1821 – 26 May 1882) was an Irish poet who, in her time, was hailed as the legitimate successor, in the female line, to the laurel vacant since the death of Felicia Hemans in 1835. Early life and family Jane Emily Herbert wa ...

Maeve Binchy Anne Maeve Binchy Snell (28 May 1939Born 1939 as per biography, ''Maeve Binchy'' by Piers Dudgeon, Thomas Dunne Books 2013; (hardcover), pp. 4, 280, 302; (ebook) – 30 July 2012) was an Irish novelist, playwright, short story writer, colum ...

Robert Fisk Robert Fisk (12 July 194630 October 2020) was a writer and journalist who held British and Irish citizenship. He was critical of United States foreign policy in the Middle East, and the Israeli government's treatment of Palestinians. His stan ...

Hugh Leonard Hugh Leonard (9 November 1926 – 12 February 2009) was an Irish dramatist, television writer, and essayist. In a career that spanned 50 years, Leonard wrote nearly 30 full-length plays, 10 one-act plays, three volumes of essay, two autobiograph ...

, Bono,

the Edge David Howell Evans (born 8 August 1961), better known as the Edge or simply Edge,McCormick (2006), pp. 21, 23–24 is an English-born Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist, keyboardist, and backing voca ...

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards. As a teenager in t ...

and

Enya Enya Patricia Brennan (; ga, Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin; born 17 May 1961), known professionally by the mononym Enya, is an Irish singer, songwriter, and musician known for modern Celtic music. She is the best-selling Irish solo arti ...

Etymology

The district is named after

Dalkey Island Dalkey Island ( ) is an island for which the nearby village of Dalkey is named ( ga, Oileán Dheilginse meaning "thorn island", with ''ey'' the Old Norse (Viking) version of "island"). It is an uninhabited island located in the Barony of Uppe ...

, just offshore. The name is ultimately derived from the Irish ''deilg'' ("thorn") and ''inis'' ("island"), with ''ey'' the Old Norse (Viking) version of "island".

Geography

Dalkey lies by the coast, between

(and

Sandycove Sandycove () is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland. It is southeast of Dún Laoghaire and Glasthule, and northwest of Dalkey. It is a popular seaside resort and is well known for its bathing place, the Forty Foot, which in the past was reserved for ...

and

Glasthule Glasthule ( ; ) is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland. It is along County Dublin’s south coast, between Dún Laoghaire and Dalkey. Amenities Sandycove and Glasthule are served by a number of businesses and amenities, including retail outlets, pu ...

Glenageary Glenageary ( ga, Gleann na gCaorach , meaning "Glen of the Sheep") is an area in the suburbs of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. While there is no officially defined boundary, it is surrounded by the areas of Dalkey, Dún Laoghaire, Glasthul ...

and

Killiney Killiney () is an affluent seaside resort and suburb in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. It lies south of neighbouring Dalkey, east of Ballybrack and Sallynoggin and north of Shankill. The place grew around the 11th century Killiney Churc ...

. Off the coast are Dalkey Island (up to the 18th century, also "St. Begnet's Island"), Malden Rock, Clare Rock, Lamb Island, and, further offshore, The Muglins, which have their own lighthouse. The town is on fairly level land, but the district rises to

Dalkey Hill Dalkey Hill ( ; ga, Cnoc Dheilginse) is the northernmost of the two hills which form the southern boundary of Dublin Bay (the other being Killiney Hill). Dalkey Hill is 140 metres high and has views over the surrounding areas : Dublin to the ...

(140 m), the northern peak of a ridge which continues to Killiney Hill to the southwest; the two hills are now contained within the public park known as Killiney Hill Park. Along the coast are the natural harbour at Bullock, a couple of small inlets, Sorrento Point just east of the town proper, and the northern part of Killiney Bay. Lead mines used to exist on the coast opposite Dalkey island. They are no longer in operation.

Built heritage

Although seven 15th-16th century castles were originally built in the area, by 1837 it was noted (in Samuel Lewis's ''Topographical Dictionary of Ireland'') that: Dalkey's remaining Norman castle is now in use as a town hall and museum.

Wildlife

Dalkey Island is home to a colony of seals, and a herd of wild goats also lives on the island. Birdwatch Ireland have established a colony of Roseate Terns on Maiden Rock just north of Dalkey Island. A pod of three

bottlenose dolphins Bottlenose dolphins are aquatic mammals in the genus ''Tursiops.'' They are common, cosmopolitan members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Molecular studies show the genus definitively contains two species: the comm ...

also frequents the waters around Dalkey Island. There are red squirrels and sparrow hawks on Killiney Hill.

Local amenities

Harbours

There are several small harbours on the coast of Dalkey.

Bulloch Harbour Bullock Harbour or Bulloch Harbour ( ga, Cuan Bhlóic) is a small working harbour located near the heritage town of Dalkey on the southeast coast of Dublin Bay in Ireland. The current harbour quay and walls were constructed of local granite in ...

is the biggest; it is towards the northern part of Dalkey at Harbour Road and is a declared seal sanctuary. Coliemore Harbour is smaller and in the southern part of Dalkey at Coliemore Road. In the Middle Ages, Coliemore was the main harbour for Dublin City. Bulloch Harbour is still a working harbour with boats that fish for lobster and crab, and mackerel in season. It is also used by locals and tourists who hire boats for nearby fishing, sightseeing and getting to

Quarry

Dalkey Quarry Dalkey Quarry ( ) is a long-disused 19th century granite quarry located on Dalkey Hill in the Dublin suburb of Dalkey, which was used to build several large maritime structures in south Dublin. Since passing into public ownership in the early 2 ...

is a disused granite quarry, stone from which was used during the 19th century to build Dún Laoghaire Harbour, and is now a rock climbing location within

Killiney Hill Killiney Hill ( ga, Cnoc Chill Iníon Léinín) is the southernmost of the two hills which form the southern boundary of Dublin Bay, the other being Dalkey Hill. These two hills form part of Killiney Hill Park. Crowned by a monument, Killiney Hi ...

Park. During the building of the harbour, the quarry was connected to Dún Laoghaire via a metal tramway known as 'The Metals', some parts of which are still visible in some parts of Dalkey. Dalkey granite was also shipped by sea to

Kylemore Abbey Kylemore Abbey ( ga, Mainistir na Coille Móire) is a Benedictine monastery founded in 1920 on the grounds of Kylemore Castle, in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland. The abbey was founded for Benedictine Nuns who fled Belgium in World War I an ...

Connemara Connemara (; )( ga, Conamara ) is a region on the Atlantic coast of western County Galway, in the west of Ireland. The area has a strong association with traditional Irish culture and contains much of the Connacht Irish-speaking Gaeltacht, ...

, County Galway for the facade of the Abbey. Granite from Dalkey quarry was also used for building The Thames Embankment in London, All Saints' Church in Raheny and many other buildings.

Culture and tourism

Dalkey's main street, Castle Street, has a tenth-century church and two fourteenth-century Norman castles, one of which, Goat's Castle, houses the local Heritage Centre (the other, Archbold's Castle, is private property). There are several scenic and historical walks and tours. Dalkey Hill offers views over Dublin city, Dublin Bay, and towards the Dublin and Wicklow Mountains. Deilg Inis Living History Theatre Company runs live theatre performances every half-hour at Dalkey Castle and Heritage Centre. Boats are available to hire at Bulloch Harbour on Harbour Road and Yacht trips around Dalkey Island can be taken from nearby Dún Laoghaire Harbour. Dalkey Quarry is a rock climbing and abseiling venue. Killiney Hill is also used as a launch site for para-gliders. Para Glider at Killiney Hill looking over Dalkey Island

Para Glider at Killiney Hill looking over Dalkey Island

Dalkey has a number of pubs and restaurants.

Annual festivals

Dalkey Book Festival was set up to "celebrate and foster literary talent" in and around the town. The festival takes place over a weekend in mid-June every year. Festival directors, David McWilliams and Sian Smyth, work with the support of a team of volunteers and the Dalkey Business Group to run the festival. Festival contributors have included

Salman Rushdie Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie (; born 19 June 1947) is an Indian-born British-American novelist. His work often combines magic realism with historical fiction and primarily deals with connections, disruptions, and migrations between Eastern and We ...

Amos Oz Amos Oz ( he, עמוס עוז; born Amos Klausner; 4 May 1939 – 28 December 2018) was an Israeli writer, novelist, journalist, and intellectual. He was also a professor of Hebrew literature at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. From 1967 onw ...

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.

Gabriel Byrne Gabriel James Byrne (born 12 May 1950) is an Irish actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, audiobook narrator, and author. His acting career began in the Focus Theatre before he joined London's Royal Court Theatre in 1979. Byrne's s ...

Edna O'Brien Josephine Edna O'Brien (born 15 December 1930) is an Irish novelist, memoirist, playwright, poet and short-story writer. Elected to Aosdána by her fellow artists, she was honoured with the title Saoi in 2015 and the "UK and Ireland Nobel" ...

Roddy Doyle Roddy Doyle (born 8 May 1958) is an Irish novelist, dramatist and screenwriter. He is the author of eleven novels for adults, eight books for children, seven plays and screenplays, and dozens of short stories. Several of his books have been ma ...

, Joseph O'Connor, Tim Pat Coogan, Derek Landy, Jennifer Johnston (novelist), Jennifer Johnston,

, Eamon Morrissey (actor), Eamon Morrissey, John Waters, Matt Cooper (Irish journalist), Matt Cooper, Julian Gough, Dawn O'Porter and Sinéad Cusack. The village also hosts the "Dalkey Lobster Festival" in late August, which "showcases local seafood and global jazz musicians".

Education

There are 5 schools in Dalkey: * Loreto Primary School caters for boys from junior infants through first class, and for girls from junior infants through sixth class. * Loreto Abbey Secondary School caters for girls from first year through sixth year. * Harold Boys' National School caters for boys from second class through sixth class. * Saint Patrick's National School caters for boys and girls from junior infants through sixth class. * Castle Park School is an independent school for boys and girls from Montessori to the end of primary school.

Sports

Cuala CLG, a Gaelic Athletic Association sports club, and Dalkey United, an association football club, are both based at Hyde Park. Early in his soccer career, Paul McGrath (footballer), Paul McGrath played for Dalkey United. In the 1940s, the town produced another international footballer, Peter Farrell (Irish footballer), Peter Farrell. It has set up an sport of athletics, athletics club, the Dalkey Dashers. Dalkey Rowing Club is based at Coliemore Harbour and Kayaking is taught at Bulloch. Dalkey Sea Scouts keep two old sailing boats at Bulloch Harbour.

Swimming and diving

The Vico Bathing Place and Whiterock Beach, accessed off Vico Road, offer sea swims. Both have changing shelters. Sandycove Beach and the adjacent 'Forty Foot' bathing place are a short distance away, beside the Joyce Tower. Dalkey Sound and the islands beyond are used as scuba diving locations.

Transport

The Dalkey Atmospheric station at Atmospheric Road (29 March 1844 to 12 April 1854) was the terminus for the first commercial application of the Dalkey Atmospheric Railway, atmospheric system of train propulsion. DART line at Dalkey looking north

The current Dalkey railway station was opened on 10 July 1854. The station is served by the Dublin Area Rapid Transit, DART electric rail system which affords quick access to and from Dublin City Centre. Clifftop views of Dalkey Island and Killiney Bay are afforded as the train emerges from a short tunnel just south of Dalkey Station. An Aircoach service with a stop at Hyde Road links the area with Dublin Airport. Go-Ahead Ireland and Dublin Bus services 7D (only operates early morning), 59 and 111 link the area with the nearby seaside town of Dún Laoghaire and the city centre.

People

Dalkey is the original hometown of two Irish writers: novelists

and playwright

. It is also the setting for Flann O'Brien's novel ''The Dalkey Archive''. Several well-known Irish and international music figures — including U2 members Bono and The Edge,

, Chris de Burgh and

— have also bought residences in the area. Film director Neil Jordan lives in the town. Pat Kenny, former host of RTÉ's flagship chat show ''The Late Late Show (Irish talk show), The Late Late Show'', is a resident, as is the current host, Ryan Tubridy. Singer Lisa Stansfield is a former resident.

has a close association with the area. He lived in Torca Cottage on Dalkey Hill from 1866 to 1874. Victoria Cross recipient Major William Leet was born in Dalkey. Matt Damon, his wife and their three youngest daughters resided in Dalkey during the COVID-19 pandemic. Damon had arrived in Dalkey to shoot scenes in ''The Last Duel'', a medieval drama directed by Ridley Scott, just before production on the film was suspended in mid-March, 2020.

Saint Begnet

One of the patron saints of Dalkey is St. Begnet, a probable seventh-century figure A ruined church and a holy well on Dalkey Island are named for her, as is another ruined church near the town centre.

King of Dalkey

This putative elective monarchy is a tradition of the people of Dalkey. The freemen of Dalkey inherited the right to elect this King through the boredom of young bloods in

in 1787. They formed a club into which they roped wits, poets and thinkers. They summoned "Pimlico Parliament" - named after the Liberties, Dublin, and from an assembly room, they hurled broadsides at the country's humbug and the pomposity of Dublin Castle and its hacks. The full title is "King of Dalkey, Emperor of the Vikings, Prince of the Holy Island of Magee, Baron of Bulloch, Seigneur of

, Fidei defensor, Defender of the Faith and Respector of All Others, Elector of Lambay and Ireland's Eye, and Sovereign of the Most Illustrious Order of the Lobster and Periwinkle." During the years twenty knee-breeched courtiers in 18th-century costume attended the King of Dalkey on Coronation Day. In later times the costumes were hired from a theatrical costumier in Dublin. More than 420 attended the regal procession, carnival and coronation on 20 August 1797 as Stephen Armitage (pawnbroker and printer) became "King Stephen the First, King of Dalkey". Then came the 1798 Rising and its ensuing political unrest, that interrupted this putative cultural monarchy. However, the tradition was revived in 1850, 1934, in 1965 as part of a week-long festival, again in 1983, and still continues. The current King is the local sacristan, Finbarr Madden. Local tradition says that Hugh Dempsey was crowned "King of Dalkey" about 1780. On the south side of the old church lies another stone which says: "This stone was erected by Mr. Murtagh Dempsey of the City of Dublin in Memory of his affectionate son Hugh Dempsey blockmake of said City who departed this Life April 7th 1790."

Local government

Dalkey is recorded as having received a charter of incorporation by 1358. Under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898, the Township of Dalkey became an urban district (Great Britain and Ireland), urban district in 1899. The urban district of Dalkey was abolished in 1930, becoming part of the borough of Dún Laoghaire. The borough was abolished in 1994, on the establishment of the county of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown.; The electoral division (Ireland), electoral divisions (EDs) of Dalkey–Bullock, Dalkey–Coliemore, Dalkey Hill and Dalkey Upper are in the local electoral area (LEA) of Dún Laoghaire, while the ED of Dalkey–Avondale is the LEA of Killiney–Shankill.

References

External links

*
Dalkey Community Council

Local website

Dalkey Castle and Heritage Centre
{{Authority control Dalkey, Civil parishes of Rathdown, County Dublin