Artane, Dublin

Artane
Ard Aidhin
Town
Artane

Location in Ireland

Coordinates: 53°22′58″N 6°11′42″W / 53.38274°N 6.195002°WCoordinates: 53°22′58″N 6°11′42″W / 53.38274°N 6.195002°W
Country Ireland
Province Leinster
County Dublin
Government
 • Dáil Éireann Dublin North–Central
 • EU Parliament Dublin
Area
 • Town 3.86 km2 (1.49 sq mi)
Population (2006)
 • Urban 36,564
   (Local election areas)
Time zone WET (UTC+0)
 • Summer (DST) IST (WEST) (UTC-1)
Area code(s) 01, +353 1
Irish Grid Reference O176375

Artane, sometimes spelled Artaine (Irish: Ard Aidhin),[1] historically Tartaine[2] is a Northside suburb of Dublin, Ireland. Neighbouring districts include Coolock, Beaumont, Killester, Raheny and Clontarf; to the south is a small locality, Harmonstown, straddling the Raheny-Artane border.

History

North eastern Dublin city, including Artaine, 1901

Artaine, now usually Artane, has a recorded history spanning over 900 years, but for much of that time was a quiet rural area.

Artane , as described from Thom's Almanac and Official Directory: County Dublin Directory, in 1862:[2] A village and parish in Coolock barony, Dublin county, three miles (5 km) N. from the General Post Office, Dublin, comprising an area of 954 acres (3.86 km2). Population, 457. The village is on the road to Malahide. The parish, anciently called "Tartaine," for centuries formed part of the estate of the Hollywood family, and the castle of Artane likewise belonged to that of the Donnellans. The ruins were taken down in 1825, and on its site Artane House was erected.

Artane Castle was recorded from about 1360 when Robert de Holywood, Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer and founder of the Hollywood family, purchased it.[3]

The civil parish of Artaine, linked with Finglas before the Reformation, comprises the townlands of Artaine North, Artaine South, Artaine West, Artaine East (originally Skillinglass), Puckstown (where Bram Stoker once resided with his family) and two-thirds of the townland of Oldtown (the remainder being in the civil parish of Coolock).

Artane Cottages Lower and Upper, built circa 1900, on the Malahide Road, are in the townland of Killester North.

Silken Thomas and Artane Castle

In 1534, when Silken Thomas appeared in Dublin, the citizens, feeling themselves unable to defend the city, allowed his troops to enter and lay siege to Dublin Castle. Among those who had taken refuge in the Castle was John Alen, Archbishop of Dublin. He had incurred the enmity of the FitzGeralds (also known as the Geraldines) by zeal in promoting Wolsey's plans, and now dreaded their vengeance. He tried to escape by sea, but his ship was driven ashore at Clontarf. He sought refuge at Artane Castle, the home of his friend and fellow councillor Thomas St. Lawrence: St. Lawrence willingly took him in, but his hiding place was betrayed and he was captured. When brought before Silken Thomas, he implored the Earl to spare his life, but the young lord turned away with contempt, saying "Beir uaim an bodach" ("take the fellow away").[4] These words were interpreted as an order to put him to death and he was murdered in cold blood. For this crime, Silken Thomas was excommunicated by the Pope and thus lost many of his adherents. A slab bearing his name is still to be seen in the Archbishop's cemetery. In this old cemetery, we also have the 18th century tomb of Richard Hollywood of Elm Park and the ruins of the 13th century parish church.

Artane Industrial School

The Artane Industrial school was set up in 1871 in Artane House by the Congregation of Christian Brothers. Industrial Schools were established to take in orphaned or abandoned boys or those who were involved in petty crime, and even such a minor offence as skipping school could be enough for a boy to be sent there. It has been said that about 5% of the children in Artane, indeed in all Industrial Schools, were actually orphans. Most of the incarcerated children were from families that had broken down and as separation was not allowed either, the children of these broken marriages were incarcerated and the religious institution in whose charge the children were put were paid one-third of a labourer's wage to feed, educate and clothe each child. In today's money this would be equal to about €120 per child per week.

The school housed around 900 boys at any one time and they stayed there until they were 16 years of age.[5] More than 15,000 youngsters passed through the gates of the school from 1871 to its closure in 1966.[6] Subsequently, many allegations of abuse of boys at the school emerged.[7]

After the industrial school

St. David's Primary School, CBS, began operations on the lower floors of the old industrial school in 1969. St. David's Secondary School moved into the upper floors of the industrial school building in 1974 from the pre-fabricated buildings on Kilmore Road which it had occupied since 1966. The school building remains today, with playing fields surrounded by a double fence.

Much of the surrounding land was later sold. Building began in 1969 with the construction of the Elm Mount estate followed by Thorndale, Whitethorn, Ardmore (in the townland of Kilmore Little, the site of the first school), Montrose and Pinebrook and ending with Beauvale in the 1970s. The construction of Artane Castle Shopping Centre was the last piece in that phase of development. Skelly's Lane was realigned and made into a road linking Kilmore Road with Beaumont Road. Traces of the estate boundary, also marking part of the townland boundaries of Artaine North and Artaine South with Artaine West, can be seen at the backs of the houses at the end of Skelly's Lane. The Wad River which flows culverted under Donnycarney Bridge also ran along the perimeter. St. David's and St. David's Wood housing developments were built close to the school in the 1990s.

On 7 September 2008, a large fire which broke out at the industrial school complex caused extensive damage to a building which is understood to have been used as a store room by the Artane Boys' Band and to house memorabilia.

The Stardust

Main article: Stardust fire

The Stardust was a popular nightclub located near the Artane end of the Kilmore Road leading from Artane to Coolock. In the early hours of 14 February 1981, a fire took place at a disco. 48 people lost their lives and 214 were injured. 841 people had attended the disco that night. The site of the disaster is today a business park which houses (amongst other things) a pub, opposite Artaine Castle Shopping Centre. On the site was originally the factory of Scotts Foods, making jams and jarred vegetables. On 14 November 2008, a second fire occurred at the same site as the Stardust, which had been used as a children's play centre. However, no-one was in the building at the time, and there were no injuries. Once the fire was put out, firefighters found cancer-causing asbestos hanging from the roof. [8]

Artane today

The district today has a dispersed character, lying either side of the Malahide Road, with focal points around the churches, main shopping centre and Artane Roundabout.

There are shopping precincts on Malahide Road and opposite one of the churches (St. John Vianney), a shopping centre, Artane Castle Shopping Centre (anchored by Tesco Ireland) and also has a Penneys, a small industrial estate (Butterly Business Park, site of the Stardust and also location of the HQ of Astronomy Ireland) and a leisure centre. One of the churches, the Dublin 5 An Post delivery office, and more shops and businesses, are located in the eastern side of Artane.

There are two Roman Catholic churches, a considerable distance apart – Our Lady of Mercy, Brookwood Grove and St. John Vianney, Ardlea Road.

Artane is also the site of the large Coolock-Artane Credit Union main office (the other, older office is in Northside Shopping Centre), and the smaller Donnycarney-Beaumont Credit Union, located in Artane Castle Shopping Centre.

Schools in Artane include St. David's CBS and St. David's Boys National School, mentioned above, and St. John of God National School on Kilmore Road.

Public transport

Dublin bus Artane.

Dublin Bus

Artane is served by a number of Dublin Bus routes, including: 14, 15, 27, 27B, 27X, 42, 42A, 42B, 43, 104, 27a. The Artane roundabout bus stop is nearly always occupied by passengers.

DART

It is close to two stations: Harmonstown, which divides Artane and Harmonstown, and Killester

Notable people

See also

References / Footnotes

  1. ↑ Multiple bases are found in multiple sources (which include {Dublin, 1984 – Wren, Jimmy: The Villages of Dublin}), including: Ard Tain, The Height of the Flocks; Ard Aidhean, Aidhean's Height; Ard In, The Little Height
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Dublin, 1862: Thom's Almanac and Official Directory
  3. ↑ Adams, C.L. Castles of Ireland London 1904 p.18
  4. ↑ Artane & Coolock
  5. ↑ "Fear of the Collar: My Terrifying Childhood in Artane" by Patrick Touher
  6. ↑ http://www.stdavidscbs.ie/prospectintro1.htm
  7. ↑ BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/450088.stm
  8. ↑ "Stardust fire destroys Stardust site" The Sunday World , dublin, 15 October 2008

External links