Rush ( ), officially ''An Ros'', is a small seaside

commuter town A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...

Fingal Fingal ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is one of three successor counties to County Dublin, which ...

County Dublin County Dublin ( or ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland, and holds its capital city, Dublin. It is located on the island's east coast, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Until 1994, County Dubli ...

, Ireland. Rush lies on the

Irish Sea The Irish Sea is a body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel and to the Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland in the north by the North Ch ...

coast, between

Skerries A skerry is a small rocky island, usually defined to be too small for habitation. Skerry, skerries, or The Skerries may also refer to: Geography Northern Ireland *Skerries, County Armagh, a List of townlands in County Armagh#S, townland in Coun ...

and Lusk, and has a small harbour. It had a population at the 2022 census of 10,875. Rush was once known as the "market garden of Ireland" for the large role

market gardening A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. The diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically from under to s ...

played in its economy and culture. In the 21st century, Rush is no longer a major centre of national

horticulture Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...

and has instead evolved into a growing

on the northern fringes of the

Greater Dublin Area The Greater Dublin Area (GDA; Irish: ''Mórcheantar Bhaile Átha Cliath''), or simply Greater Dublin, is an informal term that is taken to include the city of Dublin and its hinterland, with varying definitions as to its extent. At the expansive ...

Geography

Rush lies on the

coast, on the angle where the R128 regional road turns from running east–west from Lusk to go north–south to

. It has a small harbour. Rush is in a slightly hilly coastal area. Four streams come to the sea in the vicinity, St. Catherine's Stream, Kenure Stream, the Rush Town Stream, and a combined flow at the western edge of the town; some occasionally cause flooding. The middle two cross Rush's North Strand beach. Rush is also a

townland A townland (; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a traditional small land division used in Ireland and in the Western Isles of Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of medieval Gaelic origin, predating the Norman invasion, and mo ...

in the

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. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

of Lusk in the barony of Balrothery East.

History and historic features

There is evidence of settlement in the Rush area dating back to

Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

times.

Flint tools Stone tools have been used throughout human history but are most closely associated with prehistory, prehistoric cultures and in particular those of the Stone Age. Stone tools may be made of either ground stone or Lithic reduction, knapped stone, ...

have been found in the area and there is a

passage grave A passage grave or passage tomb consists of one or more burial chambers covered in earth or stone and having a narrow access passage made of large stones. These structures usually date from the Neolithic Age and are found largely in Western Europ ...

and

cist In archeology, a cist (; also kist ; ultimately from ; cognate to ) or cist grave is a small stone-built coffin-like box or ossuary used to hold the bodies of the dead. In some ways, it is similar to the deeper shaft tomb. Examples occur ac ...

located off the Skerries Road on the headland to the north of North Beach. In medieval times Rush was a manor of the Earl of Ormond. In 1744 a description of Rush by a traveller runs as follows:

This town is near an English mile in length ndlies upon a sandy bank. Most of the houses are built of mud and covered with straw and exceedingly well peopled. By a modest computation 'tis said there is between 300/400 souls. The men are all employed by the fishing and smuggling trade...the
quay A wharf ( or wharfs), quay ( , also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more Berth (mo ...
lies eastward below the town, which is in heform of an L. The entrance is very dangerous from S.E. and by E. between two ledges of rocks on the port and larboard side.

In November 1920, an

Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various Resistance movement, resistance organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dominantly Catholic and dedicated to anti-imperiali ...

(IRA) officer, Lieutenant John (or 'Jack') 'Rover' McCann, was shot by the

Black and Tans The Black and Tans () were constables recruited into the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) as reinforcements during the Irish War of Independence. Recruitment began in Great Britain in January 1920, and about 10,000 men enlisted during the conflic ...

after being taken from a house in Rush. The next morning, his body was found in a field 100 yards away. Today he is commemorated by a roadside monument on Quay Road. On 29 April 1920 the Naul Battalion of the IRA attacked the Rush RIC Barracks which resulted in the death of a policeman.

Drumanagh

A large

promontory fort A promontory fort is a fortification, defensive structure located above a steep cliff, often only connected to the mainland by a small neck of land, thus using the topography to reduce the Rampart (fortification), ramparts needed. The oldest kno ...

is located on the headland of Drumanagh, near Rush. It is surrounded on three sides by cliffs and a large

rampart Rampart may refer to: * Rampart (fortification), a defensive wall or bank around a castle, fort or settlement Rampart may also refer to: * LAPD Rampart Division, a division of the Los Angeles Police Department ** Rampart scandal, a blanket ter ...

encloses the fourth side. An article in ''

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...

'' in January 1996 claimed that

Roman coins Roman currency for most of Roman history consisted of gold, silver, bronze, orichalcum#Numismatics, orichalcum and copper coinage. From its introduction during the Roman Republic, Republic, in the third century BC, through Roman Empire, Imperial ...

, brooches and copper ingots were found at the site and that there was "clear evidence...of a Roman coastal fort of up to 40 acres...a significant

Roman 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 Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

beachhead, built to support military campaigns in the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D.". This claim is disputed by many

archaeologists Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

who see this simply as evidence of trade between Ireland and the Romans. The artefacts were illegally excavated after being discovered with

metal detectors A metal detector is an Electronic instrumentation, instrument that detects the nearby presence of metal. Metal detectors are useful for finding metal objects on the surface, underground, and under water. A metal detector consists of a control bo ...

, so they were not available for further study. The land was acquired by Fingal County Council in 2016 and is of significant interest following the recovery of

Romano-British The Romano-British culture arose in Britain under the Roman Empire following the Roman conquest in AD 43 and the creation of the province of Britannia. It arose as a fusion of the imported Roman culture with that of the indigenous Britons, ...

artefacts, rarely found in Ireland. It has been characterised as the place where Roman traders may have landed. A range of finds was made in the course of a " community archaeology" dig along two trenches by the

Martello Tower Martello towers are small defensive forts that were built across the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the French Revolutionary Wars onwards. Most were coastal forts. They stand up to high (with two floors) and typica ...

at the Iron Age site. Fingal Community Archaeologist and excavation director, Christine Baker, said: “Growing up down the road and having been a scholar under the late Iron Age scholar, Prof Barry Raftery, I always dreamed of digging Drumanagh. Artefacts such as a belt brace of the Royal Downshire militia and Royal Artillery

brass Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, in proportions which can be varied to achieve different colours and mechanical, electrical, acoustic and chemical properties, but copper typically has the larger proportion, generally copper and zinc. I ...

buttons were found alongside fragments of wine glasses, clay pipes and a range of pottery and food particles, adding to the story of the Martello.” Evidence of earlier activity was also recovered during the dig including shards of pottery which have their origins in the Roman era, and two decorated

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

combs. Also found were two fragments of human bone which have been identified as part of a female skull dating back to BC170-AD52, as identified by osteologist Dr Linda Lynch and

radiocarbon Carbon-14, C-14, C or radiocarbon, is a radioactive isotope of carbon with an atomic nucleus containing 6 protons and 8 neutrons. Its presence in organic matter is the basis of the radiocarbon dating method pioneered by Willard Libby and coll ...

dated by Queen's University Belfast. A conservation plan for the Drumanagh fort has been developed by Fingal County Council. Following a process of public consultation, the Drumanagh Conservation Study & Heritage Plan 2018-2023 contains accessible historical, archaeological, folkloric, and cartographic evidence. It also sets out policies and objectives for the future protection and management of the site.

Saint Maur's church

The ruins of the original St. Maur's chapel lie in Whitestown cemetery, about a mile west of the centre of Rush. These date back to Anglo-Norman times and are named after

Saint Maurus Maurus, OSB (; ) (512–584) was an Catholic Church in Italy, Italian Catholic monk best known as the first disciple of Benedict of Nursia. He is mentioned in Gregory the Great's biography of the latter as the first oblate (religion), oblate ...

, a follower of St. Benedict. There is a legend connected with these ruins that some French navigators, who may have been

crusaders The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding ...

, got caught in a storm. They made a vow to St. Maur that if they survived they would build a chapel in his honour on the first point of land they reached. They subsequently landed at Rogerstown and built a chapel there in his honour. The area became known as Knightstown and later Whitestown. In 1776, a church was built closer to the centre of Rush to replace the old chapel. It was also dedicated to St. Maur and is one of the earliest examples of a

penal Penal is a town in south Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago. It lies south of San Fernando, Princes Town, and Debe, and north of Moruga, Morne Diablo and Siparia. Penal is noted as a heartland of Hindu and Indo-Trinidadian culture. History Up ...

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

church in the

area. It now houses Rush library. The current Catholic church of Saint Maur is beside the 1776 building. It was dedicated in 1989 and is in the new, post-Vatican II style.

Kenure House

Two miles north from the centre of Rush village lies a magnificent

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cu ...

which is all that remains of Kenure House, a large mansion which had many acres of an estate around it. The name is an anglicised version of "Ceann Iubhair", meaning ''headland of the yew trees''. There is a nearby ruined church which was dedicated to St. Damnan and also nearby are the ruins of a small Norman

keep A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residen ...

. Kenure formed part of the ancient manor of Rush, which was vested in the Earls and Dukes of Ormonde in 1666. They held on to their lands in Rush until 1714 when the Echlins took over. They remained there until 1780. Elizabeth Echlin married Francis Palmer of Castlelacken Co Mayo. Colonel R H Fenwick-Palmer, the last of the line, sold the estate to the Irish Land Commission in 1964. The portico of Kenure House was added to the house in and about 1840, by

George Papworth George Papworth (1781–1855) was a British architect who practised mainly in Ireland during the nineteenth century. Early life and career Papworth was born in London in 1781 and was the third son of the English stuccoist John Papworth (1750–1 ...

, an English architect who practised in Ireland during the 19th century. Many films were made on location at the great house. These include '' The Face of Fu Manchu'' (1965), ''

Ten Little Indians "Ten Little Indians" is an American children's Counting-out game, counting out rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 12976. In 1868, songwriter Septimus Winner adapted it as a song, then calledTen Little Injuns, for a minstrel show. Lyr ...

'' (1965 film which features the great house extensively as the main setting for the story, with some fleeting glimpses of the outside portico) and '' Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon'' (aka Rocket to the Moon) (1967). The house fell into disrepair and was demolished in 1978, when the housing estate Saint Catherines was built on part of the former estate. A number of Rush people did protest at the time, and managed to prevent at least the portico from being destroyed.

Smuggling

Rush was notorious for

smuggling Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people, such as out of a house or buildings, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations. More broadly, soc ...

in the 18th century after the British imposed

excise duties file:Lincoln Beer Stamp 1871.JPG, upright=1.2, 1871 U.S. Revenue stamp for 1/6 barrel of beer. Brewers would receive the stamp sheets, cut them into individual stamps, cancel them, and paste them over the Bunghole, bung of the beer barrel so when ...

on a large number of goods. It was home to the famed smuggler, Jack Connor (aka ''Jack the Batchelor'' and also ''Jack Field'') and was the birthplace of the

pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...

Luke Ryan on 14 February 1750. Ryan is said to have been a

privateer A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign o ...

for the French government during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

. He was reportedly arrested and tried as a pirate at the

Old Bailey The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly referred to as the Old Bailey after the street on which it stands, is a criminal court building in central London, one of several that house the Crown Court of England and Wales. The s ...

. He was arrested on 25 February 1789 and supposedly died in prison on 18 June 1789 aged 39 due to

septicaemia Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. This initial stage of sepsis is followed by suppression of the immune system. Common signs and s ...

during his imprisonment for failing to pay a debt of £200. Jack Connor was a popular

Robin hood Robin Hood is a legendary noble outlaw, heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions o ...

type figure who is mentioned in an old

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

: ''The lover may sigh'' ''The

courtier A courtier () is a person who attends the royal court of a monarch or other royalty. The earliest historical examples of courtiers were part of the retinues of rulers. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the officia ...

may lie'' ''And

Croesus Croesus ( ; ; Latin: ; reigned: ) was the Monarch, king of Lydia, who reigned from 585 BC until his Siege of Sardis (547 BC), defeat by the Persian king Cyrus the Great in 547 or 546 BC. According to Herodotus, he reigned 14 years. Croesus was ...

his treasure amass,'' ''All these joys are but vain'' ''They are blended with pain'' ''I'll stand behind Field and my glass'' Jack operated out of the "Smugglers Cave" between Loughshinny and

. He died in 1772 and was buried in Kenure cemetery, on the outskirts of Rush. His namesake is used for Jack the Bachelors, a

steakhouse A steakhouse, steak house, or chophouse is a restaurant that specializes in steaks and chops. Modern steakhouses may also carry other cuts of meat including poultry, roast prime rib, and veal, as well as fish and other seafood. History Choph ...

and bar on Main Street. Luke Ryan was born in Rush in 1750. He emigrated to France when he was young and became a Lieutenant in Dillon's Irish Regiment. He later became a smuggler after returning to Rush. He was commissioned by

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin (April 17, 1790) was an American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and Political philosophy, political philosopher.#britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the m ...

to run a

, ''The Black prince'', to plunder English ships. He accumulated great wealth from his smuggling, but it was taken from him by the French. He eventually died in a

debtors' prison A debtors' prison is a prison for people who are unable to pay debt. Until the mid-19th century, debtors' prisons (usually similar in form to locked workhouses) were a common way to deal with unpaid debt in Western Europe.Cory, Lucinda"A Histor ...

in 1789 owing a debt of 200 pounds.

Martello towers

Rush is home to 2 of the 29 Martello Towers in the Greater Dublin Area; they are on the headland near the North Beach and at Drumanagh, and were built in 1804 as a defence against

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

Amenities

Rush has two sandy beaches, called the ''North Beach'' and ''South Beach'', which are separated by the rocky head of the peninsula and a small tidal harbour, Rush Harbour. The peninsula is the closest point of land to the privately owned

Lambay Island Lambay Island (), often simply Lambay, is an island in the Irish Sea off the coast of north County Dublin, Ireland. The largest island off the east coast of Ireland, it is offshore from the headland at Portrane, and is the easternmost point ...

. The prevailing winds and tides make Rush South Beach an extremely popular

kitesurfing Kiteboarding or kitesurfing is a sport that involves using wind power with a large power kite to pull a rider across a water, land, snow, sand, or other surface. It combines the aspects of paragliding, surfing, windsurfing, skateboarding, snow ...

location while its sand and dunes attract many visitors. Close to the south shore is 9 hole golf links. In the past, Rush had many caravan sites which were popular for summer holidays. It still has some caravan sites close to its beaches. Rush sailing club is also located near the south shore and operates from a second harbour, Rogerstown harbour, situated on the

Rogerstown Estuary Rogerstown Estuary () is a sea inlet and estuary in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is situated just north of the Donabate-Portrane peninsula, and also south of Rush, Dublin, Rush, on Ireland's east coast about north of Dublin. It is a desig ...

, known locally as 'the pier.' This harbour is also used by a supply boat, ''The Shamrock'', which provides supplies for the inhabitants of

Lambay Lambay Island (), often simply Lambay, is an island in the Irish Sea off the coast of north County Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The largest island off the east coast of Ireland, it is offshore from the headland at Portrane, and is th ...

island. Rush has several pubs and clubs together with a small number of restaurants. The local Millbank Theatre, home to Rush Dramatic Society is respected for its quality plays and dramas. Rush Musical Society is well respected for its annual productions also.

Education

Rush has three primary schools, Gaelscoil Ros Eo, Rush National School, and St. Catherines National School. There is also a secondary school, St.Joseph's Secondary School.

Transport

Rush and Lusk railway station, opened on 25 May 1844, is served by Commuter (formerly "Arrow") suburban trains between

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

and

Drogheda Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...

. Fingal Express is the privately owned, premium coach service from Skerries, Rush and Lusk to Dublin City Centre and UCD. It is a division of Eirebus.

Sport

Rush is home to several sports clubs, including Naomh Maur GAA club, Rush Athletic F.C. Rush Sailing Club, Rush Cricket Club, Elite Taekwon-Do Academy, Rush Fight Academy, Rush And Lusk Karate Club and the Benny Murphy darts tournament. Shamrock Rovers and Ireland footballer

Stephen McPhail Stephen John Paul McPhail (born 9 December 1979) is an Irish former professional footballer and the sporting director of Shamrock Rovers in the League of Ireland Premier Division. A play-making central midfielder, McPhail started his career at ...

is from Rush and played for Rush Athletic in his junior years as did former Ireland U21 Captain David Worrell. England cricket captain

Eoin Morgan Eoin Joseph Gerard Morgan (born 10 September 1986) is an Irish-born English former cricketer and current commentator. He captained the England cricket team in limited overs cricket from 2015 until his international retirement in June 2022. He ...

grew up in Rush, and he and his family represented Rush Cricket Club for many years.

Religion

Rush is a

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

in the Fingal North deanery of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin 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 Roman civilization * Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter ...

People

* Isibeal Atkinson, Irish footballer * Joe Clarke, Irish revolutionary *

Derek Landy Derek Landy (born 23 October 1974) is an Irish author and screenwriter, known for the ''Skulduggery Pleasant'' and ''Demon Road'' book series. Since 2018, he has also written numerous comic book series at Marvel Comics. Career Landy has written ...

, Irish author *

, Irish footballer *

, Irish cricketer * David Worrell, Irish footballer

Twinning

Rush is twinned with the following places: * Gourin,

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

, France *

San Mauro Castelverde San Mauro Castelverde ( Sicilian: ''Santu Màuru'') is a ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Palermo in Sicily, southern Italy. San Mauro Castelverde had an estimated population of 1,634. Notable persons from San Mauro Castelverde include Sa ...

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

, Italy

References

{{Authority control Towns and villages in Fingal Balrothery East