Ringsend

There is also a village called Ringsend near Coleraine in Northern Ireland

There is also a village called "Ring's End" in the English county of Cambridgeshire

St. Patrick's Church in Ringsend

Ringsend (Irish: An Rinn) is a southside inner suburb of Dublin, the capital of Ireland. It is located on the south bank of the River Liffey, about two kilometres east of the city centre, and is the southern terminus of the East Link Toll Bridge.

Formerly the point where ships arriving across the Irish Sea would dock, Ringsend went into decline in the 19th and 20th centuries, when the shipping moved to ports further south along the coast, although there is still some local container shipping.

The Great South Wall and Poolbeg Peninsula

Ringsend and the southern part of Dublin Port are also home to the Great South Wall, connecting the Poolbeg Lighthouse to the mainland. The lighthouse lies at the extreme east end of the wall and was constructed in 1767. The stone wall that now stands was constructed over a period of many years and was completed in 1795. The wall and lighthouse are a popular walk destination. The area around Poolbeg also contains Dublin's main power station, with two huge chimneys for steam, which are Dublin landmarks, the former Pigeon House Fort and a range of industrial buildings.

South of the Poolbeg peninsula and the Great South Wall lies the sandy area known as the South Bull.

Isle of Mann passenger ship, Lady of Mann, visits Dublin in 2004.

History and name

Ringsend was originally a long narrow peninsula separated from the rest of Dublin by the estuary of the River Dodder river. The English name "Ringsend" is a corruption of "Rinn-abhann", which in the Irish language means "the end point of the tide" - the end spit of the land.^[1]

The "Point" Depot theatre still stands today, but is now known as the O2.

The Boland's Mill is located in the area, this was where a great deal of action in the Easter Rising was seen. Ringsend has long been known colloquially as Raytown, reflecting its history as a fishing village. It was once part of the Pembroke Township.

Recent times

With the growth of Dublin since 1990, Ringsend has become a popular location for students and younger workers.^{[citation needed]} Recent years have seen significant growth in the area, with the Grand Canal Dock Project. The U2 Tower at Britain Quay was due for completion in 2008/2009 but has now been put on hold.

Ringsend is the location of Windmill Lane Studios, where many prominent musicians, among them U2 and The Chieftains, have recorded. Confusingly, the studio is no longer actually located on Windmill Lane, although it retains the name.

Thorncastle Street, and adjacent Bridge Street, were used in the 1999 film Agnes Browne as the location for the market stall and church scenes beside the flat blocks.

Amenities

Ringsend has a range of shops, pubs, flats and businesses. It also has a Dublin Public Library, a Dublin City Council recycling depot and a substantial leisure area, Ringsend Park, which contains a renovated stadium, formerly "Ringsend Stadium", now "Irishtown Stadium" in honour of the neighbouring area of Irishtown.

Ringsend Technical Insititute is a local Education and Training Board college.

Politics

Ringsend is part of the Dáil Éireann constituency of Dublin South–East, and the Dublin City Council electoral area of South East Inner City.

Sport

Two major Irish football clubs Shelbourne F.C. and Shamrock Rovers F.C. were founded in the area. Bath Markievicz Celtic^[2] is a schoolboy club whose home pitch is in Ringsend park. Cambridge Boys FC^[3] is a schoolboy club named after Cambridge Avenue and whose home pitch is in Ringsend park. Liffeys Pearse FC^[4] was formed by and amalgamation of Liffeys Wanderers and Pearse Rangers. The club's home pitch is in Ringsend Park. St Patrick's YC Football Club^[5] was established in 1936. The club's home pitch is at Irishtown Stadium. There is also a tradition of rowing with two clubs St. Patrick's and Stella Maris. The Ringsend Regatta still takes place annually.They have rowing regattas (rowing competitions) every Sunday At Stella Maris and St Patricks At 12ish. More recently, the Poolbeg Yacht, Boat Club, & Marina has established a centre for water-based sporting activities and hosts an eighteen-race sailing series from the marina to the Dublin Bay area during the summer months each year.^{[citation needed]}

The Clanna Gael Fontenoy^[6] GAA club are the local Gaelic football, hurling, and camogie teams.

People

Local residents include Colin Farrell, the actor, Paul Durcan, the poet, and the former Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Green Party leader, John Gormley. Other notables:

• Jody Byrne
• Jimmy Dunne
• Bob Fullam
• Dermot Gallagher
• Val Harris
• Paul Mitchell
• Fran Rooney

See also

• Irishtown
• Sandymount
• South Lotts
• List of towns and villages in Ireland

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ringsend.

Coordinates: 53°20′30″N 6°13′40″W / 53.34167°N 6.22778°W / 53.34167; -6.22778