Ballyfermot

Ballyfermot Baile Formaid/Baile Diarmuid
—  Town  —
Ballyfermot Community Civic Centre
Ballyfermot Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 53°20′32″N 6°20′55″W
Country	Ireland
Province	Leinster
County	County Dublin
Government
• Dáil Éireann	Dublin South-Central
Time zone	WET (UTC+0)
• Summer (DST)	IST (WEST) (UTC-1)
Irish Grid Reference

Ballyfermot (Irish: Baile Formaid) is a suburb in the city of Dublin, Ireland. Located seven kilometres west of the city centre, to the south of the Phoenix Park, it is bordered to the north by Chapelizod, to the south by Walkinstown, to the east by Inchicore, and to the west by Palmerstown and Clondalkin. The River Liffey lies to the north, and the Grand Canal, now a recreational waterway, borders the south. Ballyfermot is designated as postal district Dublin 10.

History

The name Ballyfermot is derived from the medieval Gaelic Baile Formaid. It was named after Dermot, a chieftain of the Mac Giolla Mocholmog sept, who ruled the medieval cantred of Ui Dunchada. Ui Dunchada covered much of what later became the Barony of Newcastle. It extended across south west Dublin from the Liffey to north west Wicklow. The Mac Giolla Mocholmog also were prominent in commercial and trade activity in the Danish City of Dublin (Dyflin). They had a large storehouse at Mocholmog's Lane (now St. Michael's Lane) on the west side of Christ Church Cathedral.

The 12th century saw the Cambro-Normans expand west from Pembroke in South Wales into Leinster. Under the auspices of the Papal Bull Laudabiliter of Adrian IV, and encouraged by his successor, Pope Alexander III, the expeditionary force of knights and their retinue of about six hundred were dispatched by order of the Angevin King Henry II of England. They duly arrived at Wexford in 1169 by invitation as allies of Dermot Mac Murrough Ri of Leinster.

Through feudal land grants and intermarriage the Cambro Norman knights came into possession of land in southwest Dublin. Family names associated with the area at this time included O'Cathasaidhe, Fitzwilliam, Le Gros (Grace), O'Dualainghe, Tyrrell, O'Hennessy, O'Morchain, Dillon, O'Kelly, De Barneval (Barnewall), and Newcomyn (Newcomen).

Ballyfermot Castle was located northwest of the intersection of Le Fanu and Raheen Roads, the centre of the old Ballyfermot townships. It was built in the mid fourteenth century by Wolfram De Barneval as a stronghold against the formidable O'Byrnes and O'Tooles. These aboriginal Gaelic Irish families had been discommoded from their lush home territory around Naas. They were driven south into the wooded Dublin hills. Unlike their Mac Giolla Mocolmog relatives (who were now called FitzDermot in Hiberno-Norman) they had not integrated with the evolving Norman Irish society. They frequently raided, rustled and burned local bawn enclosures from their inaccessible hillside encampments.

Ballyfermot Castle was later inherited by the Newcomen family, who held it well into the mid-seventeenth century. It subsequently declined in importance, and became a school which was managed by headmaster William Prosser in the latter eighteenth century. Samuel Lewis (publisher) in his celebrated work A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland places a Captain Lamplin as living there in 1834, possibly the last resident. The castle is reputed to have been destroyed by fire. Ballyfermot House, known locally as the tiled house, possibly built by the Verveer family, stood on the great park to the north of the castle's aquaculture pond. Built in the seventeenth century, the house had a quirky slated facade in the Dutch style. It was home to Lt. Joseph Lampier and his wife Bridget Cavanaugh of Goldenbridge around this time.

The nineteenth century newspaper publisher and writer Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, proprietor of the Dublin Evening Mail lived in nearby Chapelizod when not in residence his city townhouse at Merrion Square. Ballyfermot and Chapelizod feature in his novel The House by the Churchyard and some of his other works. This Georgian house still adjoins Park Lane next to St. Laurence's parish churchyard in Chapelizod. The eighteenth century church, alongside the original medieval bell tower, is still in use. It serves the united parish of Ballyfermot, Palmerstown, and Chapelizod in the Church of Ireland. Le Fanu Road is named after him, as is Le Fanu Park, referred to locally as The Lawns. Le Fanu was a mentor of the writer Bram Stoker author of Dracula, who did the theater reviews for his newspaper The Dublin Evening Mail.

A short distance from the Castle site at the south-east end of Le Fanu Park is a mound which covers a local historical site containing the ruins and graveyard of the rectory chapel of St. Laurence. It is believed to have originated as a Culdee establishment of monastic Celtic Christianity, perhaps a branch of the major Tallaght Maelruain or Kilnamanagh monasteries. It was connected to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem at Kilmainham in the thirteenth century. The ruins survived into the nineteen sixties. It served Ballyfermot and the surrounding townlands into the late seventeenth century.

Among the local people buried here are members of the Newcomen and Barnewall families. Sir Robert Newcomen who died in 1629 and his son Sir Beverley Newcomen, Admiral of Ireland, who died in 1637 while taking soundings at Waterford harbour were buried here. His mother Elizabeth (Barnewall of Drimnagh Castle) who died in 1643 is buried as is his widow Margaret (Usher of Donnybrook Castle) who subsequently married Sir Hubert Adrian-Verveer. The Newcomens, Barons of Newcastle Lyons were influential in Irish governance, military and legal circles. They resided at Ballyfermot Castle which stood in the nearby park. The great park lay to the north and west of the castle. This noble family intermarried with the Barnwalls of Drimnagh, the Plunketts of Malahide and the St. Lawrences of Howth. M.P's for the Westmeath constituency of Kilbeggan, they also married into the Fitzgeralds of Maynooth, and the Nugents, Husseys, Geoghegans and Nagles of Meath and Westmeath. The line had run out by the Restoration in 1660, and after Margaret's death, the castle was taken up by Sir Thomas Domville. Dublin City Council covered the castle's remaining ruin with topsoil, keeping its contents intact for future historical research. Close by was the demesne home farm, last occupied by the Corrigan family. It was originally surrounded by the walled orchard and gardens.

Local manor houses of note include Johnstown House (St. John's College), Colepark House, Sarsfield House, Sevenoaks, Floraville, Auburn Villa and Gallanstown House. The Ballyfermot townlands were transferred from the Barony of Newcastle to the Barony of Uppercross in the nineteenth century.

The dairy and stud farms in the townlands of Ballyfermot were acquired by the authorities in the 1930s. They were developed into suburban housing estates needed to alleviate the post war housing shortage. This development, along with estates at Drimnagh, Crumlin, Walkinstown in the south city, and Cabra, Finglas and Donnycarney in the north city also provided modern accommodation to facilitate the Dublin City Council public housing programs. The first estate was built in the late 1940s at Ballyfermot Lower (East) to the south of Sarsfield Road and Ballyfermot Road, and was originally called the Sarsfield Estate. The street names reflect this historical theme. Gradually, the adjacent townlands to the south of Ballyfermot Road, and Grange Cross of Ballyfermot Upper (West), Blackditch, Cherry Orchard, Raheen, Gallanstown, along with the eastern part of Johnstown, a townland of Palmerstown, located to the north and west of Johnstown House, were developed and incorporated into postal area Dublin 10.

Commerce

The area is now a centre of national commercial distribution, with easy access to the national trunk roads. Ballyfermot is bordered to the north by the N4, to the south by the N7 and to the west by the M50. There is also relative ease of access to the city centre. Some of the major Irish motor distributors are based in Ballyfermot. They include Toyota, Nissan, General Motors, J. C. Bamford (JCB), Harris Assembly and Hilux. They are centred around Kylemore Road, home to many large companies including Thornton's Recycling, C&C, FBD, and Royal Liver Insurance. The industrial estates include Park West and JFK. There are several hotels in the area. Days Hotel at Park West and Sheldon Park on Kylemore and Bewleys at Newlands are popular. A community based CCTV monitoring scheme for Ballyfermot was launched in early 2003. This is part of the Department of Justice Town Centre CCTV monitoring initiative.

Transport

Currently, Dublin Bus (routes 40, 79, 79A, 76, 76A, 76B, 18, 26.) and Dualway(123) serve the area. An hourly commuter train service is offered by Irish Rail, to Heuston station at Kingsbridge. The local station is Cherry Orchard/Park West Station, which is located on the Park West Road on the western perimeter of Ballyfermot. A proposed Dublin Metro route passes to the south. The Luas light rail system also serves Ballyfermot. The south side stop is near the Kylemore and Naas Road intersection.

Amenities

Parks

The California Hills Park is the largest recreational park in the area. The name originated as a colloquialism - there were few designated play facilities in the very early days and the California Hills was the name used by local movie going kids who played 'Cowboys and Indians' there. The name later became official by popular public request. The park covers part of the great esker and overlooks the Liffey Valley from the south. From Le Fanu and Kylemore Roads to the east, it falls away into the landscaped valley of a Liffey catchment. It runs west toward Glenaulin and Drumfin Roads which adjoin the park as it stretches in a crescent to Palmerstown. The Chapelizod Bypass runs North West alongside. Kylemore Road joins the motorway near the West County Hotel. California Hills Park has superb views north over the Strawberry Beds to the Phoenix Park. The Farmleigh clock tower at Castleknock is a prominent landmark. The park is used for football, golf practice, cross country runs and walks and includes a children's play area. Ballyfermot Leisure Co-Op is located near the G.A.A. Sports Park on Gurteen Road.

The magnificent Irish National War Memorial, Memorial Gardens and Park, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, are accessible from the Sarsfield Road via East Timor Park.

Other parks located in the area include Le Fanu Park, Glenaulin Sports Park, Markievitz Park, East Timor Park, and Cherry Orchard Park. Cherry Orchard Park area is the proposed site for a new Village Centre. Le Fanu Park houses the Ballyfermot Leisure Centre and The Base.

The Grand Canal

The Grand Canal (Ireland) was conceived as a state-of-the-art facility for commercial and personal transportation. It was constructed in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The Grand Canal is now a recreational waterway. It passes along the south side of Ballyfermot. Verdant towpath walkways extend continuously to Hazelhatch, Co. Kildare. A historic bridge crosses the canal near the seventh lock at Killeen.

Medical Facilities

Cherry Orchard Hospital houses the National Infections Monitoring Centre. The centre played a pivotal role in diagnostics and control during the Foot and Mouth Crisis. It also monitors the Bird Flu epidemic. The hospital also plays a major role in the analysis and diagnoses of MRSA. MRSA is a major health hazard for Irish hospitals. During April and May 2009 the hospital played a major role in the monitoring and control of the H1N1 virus (swine flu) outbreak of 2009.^{[citation needed]}

The Ballyfermot Medical Clinic is located on the main thoroughfare through Ballyfermot at the junction of Drumfinn Road, next to the Ballyfermot Civic Centre. This clinic facilitates Dental and General Practice and general nursing services to the public. Ballyfermot Medical Clinic is owned and operated by the HSE.

The Hermitage Medical Clinic is located in close proximity to the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, just off the N4 motorway. The Hermitage Hospital is a 101 bed private facility with specialised medical teams who provide medical, surgical and advanced radiotherapy care to patients. The hospital is privately run. Its principal investors are Sean Mulryan, Larry Goodman, John Flynn and George Duffy M.D.

Public Institutions

Cloverhill Courthouse and Remand Centre are located between Clondalkin, Palmerstown, and Ballyfermot in Dublin 10. Wheatfield Prison is located on the same site adjacent to the Courthouse.

Education

Primary Schools

• De La Salle National School
• Mary Queen of Angels National Schools
• St. Louise's Junior & Senior National Schools
• Dominican Convent Primary School (The Dominican Primary School complex includes St Michael's, St Raphael's and St Gabriel's National Schools)
• St. Ultan's National School

Secondary Schools

• Kylemore College
• St. John's College De La Salle
• Dominican Convent Secondary School
• Caritas College

Third Level Colleges

• Ballyfermot College of Further Education

A fictional Ballyfermot School was created for the children's television programme Roy and many of the episodes were set there.

Social and Cultural

The Ballyfermot Community Festival takes place annually. It has developed into a major event over the last few years. Pubs and restaurants in the area include Downeys, O'Sheas, Chasers, Tim Youngs, Decies County, and Fowlers County Bar. The Gala is the largest bingo venue in the area. It also houses a large snooker hall. The Gala has seen many recreational uses since its heyday as the major local cinema and concert venue. It opened in 1953. People who grew up here have fond and nostalgic memories of childhood Saturday matinees, complete with weekly episodes of Batman and Super Man. This serial movie was called 'The Follier Upper'. The De La Salle Boys Band under the baton of bandmaster Brother Cyprian played its annual Christmas 'Rocking Spotlight Concert' at the Gala.

The Ritz Ballroom was a very popular venue in the early rock and roll era. It featured the capital's top rated rock bands. Major attractions included John Hardy's Blue Clavons and The Melochords featuring Dickie Rock. The Young Shadows featured aspiring talent from around Dublin. They rehearsed and played resident gigs here at the Ritz Ballroom. This very young band made its national debut on RTÉ's Showband Show live in black and white. Local talents Pat Long sang, Liam Campelli and Eamon Pollard played lead and rhythm guitars, with Jimmy O'Neill on trumpet. Crumlin's Paddy O'Keefe riffed on bass, tightly synchronized with Inchicore's Paddy Holgate on drums, while Phibsboro native Joe Geoghegan lead the band on sax and clarinet. The Fureys, the internationally successful traditional Irish music family band grew up and began their career here in Ballyfermot. Their father Ted Furey was a highly rated traditional fiddler and a member of Comhaltas Ceoltori Eireann.

There are an impressive variety of seniors activities available. Many events and activities are sponsored by churches, pubs and clubs. Many very successful events are organised by the seniors themselves, with transportarion assistance Dublin Bus.

The Civic Centre shares space with the Ballyfermot Residents Association. A ground breaking Irish movement, B.R.A. has been a popular venue for local events since its inception in the seventies, and features a popular weekly disco.

Ballyfermot Public Library serves the area, which has several reading clubs. Details of these can be found in the Public Library, The Civic Centre, and the various community centres. The Library also hosts the Nature Club.

St. Matthew's Community Centre is located adjacent to St. Matthew's Church in Ballyfermot Upper (west) [3].

The Base is a popular youth centre and child care facility. It is located at Blackditch Road in Le Fanu Park. The Base is a multifaceted community centre and the first facility of its kind in Ireland. A full description of its many activities, facilities, structure and scope are available at www.thebase.ie

Sport

Football

The Cherry Orchard Football Club takes part in the FAI Carlsberg Senior Cup soccer competition. A number of players who started with this team have gone on to play professional football in the English Premiership and its associated Divisions. Footballers Andy Reid, William Flood, Alan Quinn and Glenn Whelan all played for Cherry Orchard. John Wilkes has been credited with nurturing some of Cherry orchard FC's most notable successes. Ballyfermot United FC shares the origins of Cherry Orchard FC with Joe Kelly. The Ballyfermot United FC Social Club is located close to Le Fanu Park. Other clubs include the Black Diamonds, C.I.E. Ranch, O.L.V, Clifden Celtic and the newly formed Orchard Celtic.

Orchard Celtic are performing successfully with two senior teams formed. The under twelves team have won the double in their second year. The under fourteens won The Hollywood Cup in 2011.

St Patrick's Athletic F.C. are located in nearby Inchicore, and Ballyfermot has a large number of Saints fans.

GAA

There are two vibrant and successful senior Gaelic Athletic Association clubs serving Ballyfermot.

Ballyfermot De La Salle is the largest football club in the area. They originated in 1953 as Ballyfermot Gaels. They currently play their senior home games in the Drumfin/Glenaulin Sports Park, located on the west side of California Hills Park. They train and play junior fixtures at the facilities located behind the De La Salle Primary Schools on Ballyfermot Road.

Another club, Liffey Gaels, was founded in 1951. It was known as Rialto Gaels for over twenty years. In the 1970s it changed its name to SS. Michaels and James' to reflect the efforts of the teachers and students of these schools in the development of the club. In 1984, a local juvenile club Donore Iosagain amalgamated with SS Michaels and James' and the club was renamed the Liffey Gaels. Today their immediate catchment area runs from Ballyfermot through Inchicore and the parishes of St. Michael’s, St. James’, St. Catherine’s, Rialto and Donore Avenue. The Gaels play their home games Liffeyside at East Timor Park on Sarsfield Road in Inchicore.

Jimmy Keating of Le Fanu Rd Ballyfermot, a trojan worker for the club was eventually elected life president. He died in Sep, 1996, leaving a fine sports successful club behind. He was the manager of the senior teams in both football and hurling with Jack Whitney & Bob Weathman. The club plays in the Kerry colours as a tribute to the first parish priest, Kerryman Charles Canon Troy who sponsored the club. Jimmy led the club to many successes on his watch, reaching Croke Park on a number of occasions.

Boxing

St. Matthews Boxing Club is located on Drumfinn Road adjacent to the grounds of Mary Queen of Angels National School, close to Ballyfermot Garda Station.

Other Sports

The Pigeon Club near Sarsfield Park reflects a local tradition. Rugby, Badminton, martial arts, snooker, pool, bowling, squash, handball, racquetball, indoor go-karting, tennis, pitch and putt, fishing, boules, rock-climbing, River Liffey rowing, and table tennis are all represented by local clubs.

Leisure Centres

Ballyfermot Leisure Centre is located on Le Fanu Road. The centre is the largest in the area. The facilities include:

• 25 metre six lane pool with moveable floor
• Six 5-a-side all weather football pitches
• Fully equipped gymnasium
• Sauna
• Steam Room
• Large aerobic studio
• Fully Marked Sportshall

Ballyfermot Leisure Co-Op (BLCO) is located on Gurteen Road adjacent to Mary Queen of Angels National School. The facilities include:

• Handball Alley
• Raquetball Court
• 2 Squash Courts
• Indoor Hardfloor Football Pitch
• Badminton
• Boules
• Basketball
• Gymnasium
• Bar
• Sports Tuition

Liffey Valley Fitness[4] is located on the Colcut Road

Sheldon Park Fitness Centre is located on the Kylemore Road,

SanoVitae Health and Fitness Club is located in the Clarion Hotel complex close to the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre.

The Little Gym is also located in the Clarion Hotel complex.

Religion

Religious institutions serving the area include the Roman Catholic Church of the Assumption and the Church of St. Matthew, St. Laurence's Church, Chapelizod in the Church of Ireland, and a number of Christian Evangelist denominations. There are also centres of spirituality and life awareness serving non traditional believers in the community.

B.C.F.E.

Ballyfermot College of Further Education is a third level radio, film and television arts college. It is home to the Irish School Of Animation. Often referred to as the Rock School. Many current media personalities have studied here. Tomm Moore who co-directed with Nora Twomey on the award winning animated movie The Secret of Kells was a graduate of ISA class of '98. Multi-award achiever and recent Oscar winning animator Richie Baneham is a graduate of the Irish School Of Animation at BCFE.

References

Books

• A History of the County of Dublin Part IV (1906, F. Erlington Ball);
• A Topographical Dictionary Of Ireland (1837 Samuel Lewis).