Bluebell, Dublin
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| Bluebell An Cloigín Gorm
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| — Suburb of Dublin — | |
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 Bluebell
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| Coordinates: 53°19′44″N 6°21′18″W / 53.329°N 6.355°WCoordinates: 53°19′44″N 6°21′18″W / 53.329°N 6.355°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Leinster |
| County | County Dublin |
| Dáil Éireann | Dublin South–Central |
| Elevation | 40 m (130 ft) |
| Postal district(s) | Dublin 12 |
| Irish Grid Reference | O104328 |
Bluebell (Irish: An Cloigín Gorm, meaning "blue bell") is a small suburb of Dublin, Ireland, situated on the Southside of the city, approximately 6.5 kilometres south-west of Dublin city centre. The suburb borders Drimnagh to the east, Kylemore and Inchicore to the north, Walkinstown to the south and Cherryorchard/Ballyfermot to the west.
Bluebell forms part of the Dublin South-Central Dáil constituency and is administered by Dublin City Council at the local government level. Its postal code is Dublin 12.
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[edit] History
There is an early reference in Bluebell cemetery dated 1254 when Bluebell, the people who lived here and the cemetery were most likely part of the Drimnagh Castle estate. Until the 1960s Old Bluebell was part of the parish of Clondalkin, while the lower end was part of St Michaels, Inchicore.
Until 1953 Bluebell was mainly a rural farming community on the edge of the City. It was developed for houses by the Dublin City Corporation which saw a large influx of families and young couples into the area.
Over the years, the area became heavily industrialised development with the coming of paper mills, making use of the Camac river for their water supply. Gradually more industry moved into the area like Lambs, Roadstone, Nugget, McInerneys, Fiat and Volkswagen.
[edit] Amenities
The local An Post post office is located on La Touche Road.
The local Catholic Church, Our Lady of the Wayside, is one of the largest buildings in the suburb and is situated on the Old Naas Road, adjacent to Bluebell Luas stop.
The 91st Dublin Scout Den serves both Bluebell and the neighbouring suburb of Inchicore and meets in the Oblates Father's, Inchicore.
Bluebell has only one pub - the Cottage Inn - located on Bluebell Avenue.
Given the small size of the suburb, it is not home to any large retail operations such as supermarkets or shopping centres. Small commercial ventures such as newsagents and fast food outlets are concentrated on the Old Naas Road area of the suburb near the Catholic Church.
[edit] Local landmarks
There are few local historic landmarks within the area of Bluebell. Bluebell cemetery would be a prime reason to visit the suburb for many people with friends and relatives buried there. A ruined medieval church is located in the cemetery.
In 2008 Local artist and environmentalist Fiann Ó Nualláin begun a project 'bluebells for bluebell' the aim to encourage locals to plant their placename. Supported by The railway procurement agency and Dublin city Council, the project has seen the reintroduction of native Irish bluebells into the green verges and public spaces around the bluebell environs. The main attraction being the name stone green facing the luas stop which has been transformed into an urban woodland habitat for bluebells. A striking sight to behold each Easter as the thousands of bluebells bloom.
The dominant style of the area is that of a mid-20th century Dublin local government housing development - almost exclusively in deep red brick. The most distinctive buildings of the Bluebell area are that of the local Catholic church, built in an Italian style with a lighter shade of red brick which contrasts to the dominant dark red of the surrounding residential and commercial buildings.
Bluebell is near where the Naas dual carriageway begins. The district also borders the Grand Canal.
[edit] Transportation
Bluebell is served by both Dublin Bus and Luas. The following bus routes service the suburb:
The Dublin Bus Nitelink 69N service provides a one-way link from Dublin city centre to Bluebell until late at night after regular bus services finish at 23:30.
| Preceding station | Luas | Following station | ||
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| Blackhorse | Red Line | Kylemore | ||
[edit] Administration
In administrative terms, Bluebell is in the extreme west/south-west of Dublin City Council and in local government elections is part of the Ballyfermot Ward. Since the last local elections in 2004, the local elected representatives on Dublin City Council are:
- Michael Conaghan (Labour Party)
- Vincent Jackson (Independent)
- Louise Minihan (Éirigí)
- Críona Ní Dhalaigh (Sinn Féin)
Bluebell is part of the Dublin South–Central Dáil constituency. The elected TD's for the current 30th Dáil Éireann are:
- Eric Byrne (Labour)
- Catherine Byrne (Fine Gael)
- Joan Collins (People Before Profit Alliance)
- Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Sinn Féin)
- Michael Conaghan (Labour Party)
[edit] Famous Names
The Irish traditional music group The Wolfe Tones come from Bluebell.
