Stillorgan

Stillorgan Stigh Lorgan
Suburb of Dublin
Stillorgan Shopping Centre, first in Ireland
Stillorgan Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 53°17′20″N 6°11′45″W / 53.2888°N 6.1958°W / 53.2888; -6.1958Coordinates: 53°17′20″N 6°11′45″W / 53.2888°N 6.1958°W / 53.2888; -6.1958
Country	Ireland
Province	Leinster
County	Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown
Dáil Éireann	Dún Laoghaire
Elevation	58 m (190 ft)
Population (2006)[1]
• Urban	19,840
	Stillorgan electoral area total
Irish Grid Reference	O192286
Dialing code	01, +353 1

Stillorgan (Irish: Stigh Lorgan, also Stigh Lorcáin and previously Tigh Lorcáin or Teach Lorcáin), formerly a village in its own right, is now a suburban area of Dublin in Ireland. Stillorgan is located in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, and contains many housing estates, shops and other facilities, with the old village centre still present. Stillorgan neighbours other southside districts such as Kilmacud, Mount Merrion, Sandyford, Leopardstown, Dundrum, Blackrock, Goatstown and Foxrock.

The suburban region defined as the Stillorgan electoral area of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, an area considerably larger than Stillorgan village, had a population of 19,840 at the 2006 census.^[1]

Name

It is popularly believed that the name Stillorgan is either a Danish or Anglo Norman corruption of Teach Lorcan, 'the house or church of Lorcan (Laurence)', possibly signifying St. Laurence O'Toole. Another belief is that it is named after a Danish or Irish chief of a similar name: what may have been his burial chamber was discovered in Stillorgan Park in 1716. The original Celtic name for Stillorgan was Athnakill – 'Place of the Church'. In the fourteenth century the manor of Stillorgan was held by the Cruise family, from whom it passed to the Derpatrick family, and subsequently to the Fitzwilliams.

The local Roman Catholic parish church of St. Laurence is usually presumed to be named after St. Laurence O'Toole, or Lorcán Ua Tuathail, who was born at Castledermot, County Kildare in 1128, died at Eu, Normandy, France, on November, and was canonized in 1225 by Pope Honorius. He was one of four sons of an O'Byrne princess and Murtagh O'Tuathail, King of the Uí Muirdeaigh III.^[2]

Transport

The N11 road leads out from the city, passing through Stillorgan, towards the major commuter town of Bray. It has bypassed Stillorgan centre since the mid-1970s when the Stillorgan Bypass was opened to the east. The N11 hosts the 'Stillorgan Bus Corridor' (QBC) which runs along the N11 in both directions from St. Stephen's Green to Foxrock. Stillorgan is a major bus interchange and the Stillorgan QBC is the most heavily used in Ireland, featuring the busiest and most frequent bus route, the 46A to Dún Laoghaire. Aircoach provides a direct link to the Dublin Airport via Dublin city centre.

Stillorgan also has a station on the Luas green line, next to the reservoir and Sandyford Industrial Estate. It has a commuter bus link to the shopping centre. The green line is 20 km in length with 22 stops and links Bride's Glen and St Stephen's Green. The Luas follows a line similar in some places to the old railway line in the area. Stillorgan railway station opened on 10 July 1854, closed for goods traffic in 1937 and finally closed altogether on 1 January 1959.^[3]

Development

• 60 houses were built at Beaufield Park in the 1930s
• The Merville Estate was built in the 1950s on land belonging to the Jolly family dairy farm.
• St Laurence’s Park were completed in October 1954.
• The Stillorgan Bowl opened in December 1963, the first bowling alley in Ireland.
• The first shopping centre to be built in Ireland opened in Stillorgan in 1966.^[4] It was opened by Dickey Rock. It had 3 supermarkets, Powers, Liptons and Quinnsworth. The road in front of the shopping centre was completely lined with cottages built during the early 19th century and, to enable the construction of the centre, they were knocked down. They extended from the Christian Brothers' school Oatlands College to the end of the Dublin Road and up the Lower Kilmacud road. The rubble was used to fill in and level the lands that are now Páirc De Burca, the playing field of Kilmacud Crokes. Discussions have been ongoing for many years about expanding and updating the centre. It was planned to be redeveloped by Treasury Holdings in 2008. The 'Blakes'/'Burn Nightclub' site has also planning permission for a multi-story apartment complex with some commercial units. The Leisureplex area to the Library is also due to be redeveloped.

Places of interest

• The location of Stillorgan Castle became the House of St John of God when the Hospitaller Order moved there in 1883, it is now a major psychiatric hospital.
• One of the most prominent architectural features is the large 18th century obelisk designed by Edward Lovett Pearce for the second Viscount Allen; Pearce resided in Stillorgan in a house known as The Grove, which was demolished to make way for Stillorgan Bowl (now LeisurePlex).
• The present St. Brigid's Church of Ireland was built in 1706 on the site of an earlier church, thought to have been linked to St. Brigid's Monastery in Kildare. The current Rector is Rev. Ian Gallagher.
• A large open reservoir, called Stillorgan Reservoir, is situated near the Sandyford Industrial Estate. The water is piped from the Vartry Reservoir near Roundwood in County Wicklow.
• Stillorgan's oldest pub is Bolands, latterly styled Bolands on the Hill. While it was reopened as 'McGowan's' following a change of lease-holder in 2010, it reverted to 'Bolands' in 2012. In its older manifestation it was a local drinking refuge of many South Dublin writers, among them Brian O Nuallain (Myles na gCopaleen) and Maurice Walsh.
• The first Ormonde Cinema was built and opened in 1954, seating 980 people with a large car park to the side. It was completely demolished in 1978, the site being occupied by the AIB Bank at Stillorgan Plaza. The new Ormonde Cinema opened in the early 1980s as a smaller multi screen venue. In summer 2011, the Ormonde Cinema was refurbished and opened as a UCI cinema, and later Odeon.
• Stillorgan Reservoir was built in the 19th century as part of Dublin Corporation’s waterworks on the lands of an 18th-century house called Rockland, later known as Clonmore
• Henry Darley's brewery 1800s. It was located what is now The Grange, Brewery Road.
• Cullen’s was a grocery shop as well as a pub in the 1920s and 1930s. It is now the site of the Stillorgan Orchard which was thatched in the 1980s. It was previously called The Stillorgan Inn.

Great Houses

The largest properties are listed in Samuel Lewis’ 1837 ‘Topographical Dictionary of Ireland’:

• Stillorgan House (J Verschoyle Esq)
• Carysfort House (Rt Hon W Saurin)
• Stillorgan Abbey (A R Black)
• Mount Eagle (N D Grady) (became Stillorgan Castle)
• Obelisk Park (H Perry)
• Thornhill (J George)
• Carysfort Lodge (T Goold)
• Stillorgan Park (J Busby)
• Beaufield (H Darley) Demolished 1989.
• Oatlands (M Pollock) Demolished 1968.
• The Grove (J Hughes) (became Tigh Lorcain)
• Woodview (G W Boileau)
• Riversdale (J W Barlow) demolished 1998.
• Stillorgan (R Guinness)
• Dunstaffnage Lodge (R H Sheehan)
• Talbot Lodge (Capt Newenham)
• Limeville (H B Reeves)
• Rose Hill (Mrs Drevar)
• Maryville (L H Thomas)
• Oakley Park (R Everard)
• Jane Ville (Mrs Wilson) (became Glenalbyn)
• Elm Grove (Mrs Richards)
• Littleton (W Wilson)
• Watersland (W H Smith Esq)

People

• The famous artist William Orpen born 27 November 1878 into an affluent professional and Protestant family in a house called Oriel on Grove Avenue.
• Dermot Morgan attended school at Oatlands College and was a teacher at the Stillorgan Tech, now known as the Stillorgan College of Further Education.

Education

Primary and secondary schools

• Oatlands College (Boys/Catholic)
• Mount Anville (Girls/Catholic)
• St. Benildus College (Boys/Catholic)
• St. Brigid's (Mixed, Church of Ireland) ^[5]
• St. Laurence's (Boys/Catholic)
• St. Raphaela's School (Girls/Catholic)

Third Level

• Stillorgan College of Further Education.^[6]

Sports

Glenalbyn in Stillorgan, Co. Dublin. Home of the Kilmacud Crokes.

Stillorgan is home to the Kilmacud Crokes Gaelic Athletic Association club, whose clubhouse and grounds, Glenalbyn, are located directly opposite the shopping centre. It is also home to Leinster Senior League team Lakelands FC, who play out of Nutgrove Park, as well as Stillorgan rugby club.

Stillorgan Ward

Area

The Stillorgan Ward is one of six wards in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council. A map showing the composition of Stillorgan electoral area among the six in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown can be seen at the county council website. The Ward includes Clonskeagh, Mount Merrion, Kilmacud, Stillorgan, Leopardstown and Foxrock.

Representation

Following the 2014 local elections, the following 6 Councillors were elected:

• Barry Saul (FG)
• Josepha Madigan (FG)
• Deirdre Donnelly (Ind)
• Richard Humphreys (Lab)
• Gerry Horkan (FF)
• Liam Dockery (FF)

Richard Humphreys was appointed as a judge and thereafter replaced on the council by Carron McKinney (LAB) in 2015. Josepha Madigan and Gerry Horkan were elected to parliament in 2016 and replaced by John Kennedy (FG) and Donal Smith (FF) respectively on the council.

In the 2009 local election there were 4 seats, won by Gearoid O'Keefe (Ind), Gerry Horkan (FF), Barry Saul (FG) and Richard Humphreys (Lab). In 2004, there were 3 seats, won by Gearoid O'Keefe (Ind), Gerry Horkan (FF) and Louise Cosgrave (FG). In 1999, the candidates elected were Louise Cosgrave (FG), Fiona O'Malley (PD) and Don Lydon (FF). Prior to 1994, the Stillorgan Ward formed part of Dublin County Council rather than Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. The 1991 results were Eithne Fitzgerald (Lab), Olivia Mitchell (FG), Larry Gordon (Green) and Don Lydon (FF). The 1985 elections, when the Stillorgan Ward was established, resulted in the election of Eithne Fitzgerald (Lab), Paddy Hickey (FF), Olivia Mitchell (FG) and Don Lydon (FF). Prior to 1985, much of the Stillorgan Ward was part of the Dundrum Ward.^[7]

Notable individuals

Notable individuals who lived in the area covered by the Stillorgan Ward include:

• Isaac Butt MP, lived and died in Clonskeagh
• Samuel Beckett, playwright and Nobel laureate, lived in Foxrock
• Sir Nevile Wilkinson, creator of Titania's Palace and Ulster King at Arms - lived in Mount Merrion
• John Foster, 1st Baron Oriel – speaker of the Irish House of Commons – lived in Clonskeagh
• Chief Baron Christopher Palles - a founder of the National University of Ireland - lived in Clonskeagh
• Sir James Comyn - English High Court judge - lived in Stillorgan
• Marjorie McEntee-1985 Women's Bowling World Champion, and Ireland's first world champion of any sport.

See also

• List of towns and villages in Ireland

Luas

References

External links

• Kilmacud local website
• Kilmacud Stillorgan Local History Society
• St Brigids & All Saints Parish