Castleknock (barony)

The barony of Castleknock (Irish: Caisleán Cnucha meaning "Cnucha's Castle") is one of the baronies of Ireland. Originally part of the Lordship of Meath, it was then constituted as part of County Dublin. Today, it is in the modern county of Fingal, Ireland. The barony was originally also a feudal title, which became one of the subsidiary titles of the Viscounts Gormanston.

History

The barony was created by Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath, as his own feudal barony, to be held directly from himself in capite (his vassals were commonly called "De Lacy's Barons"). The first vassal was Hugh Tyrrel in 1177. It was held for three and a half knight's fees, owed to the superior Lord of Fingal. The title and lands of Castleknock were held by the Tyrell family until 1370 when Robert Tyrell, the eighth Baron and his wife died of the plague, leaving two daughters and co-heiresses, Joan and Matilda. The lands later passed to the Viscount Gormanston.

Location

At the heart of the barony is the civil parish of the same name - Castleknock - which is one of eight civil parishes in the barony. In the townland of Castleknock itself is the location of the eponymous "Cnucha's Castle" - Castleknock Castle. The town with the biggest population in the barony is Blanchardstown. It is one of seven and a half baronies that used to comprise the old county of Dublin. It stretches from Cabra to Blanchardstown (from east to west) and from Finglas to Chapelizod (from north to south).

The Castleknock barony is located between the baronies of Coolock to the east, Nethercross to the north and Dublin to the southeast. The River Liffey separates it from the remaining baronies of County Dublin. With the exception of the parish of Chapelizod, the remainder of the barony is contained within the modern county of Fingal and it is subject to Fingal County Council.

Legal context

Baronies were created after the Norman invasion of Ireland as subdivisions of counties and were used for administration. At the time of its creation, Castleknock was part of the Lordship of Meath. While baronies continue to be officially defined units, they are no longer used for many administrative purposes. While they have been administratively obsolete since 1898, they continue to be used in land registration, and specifications such as in planning permissions. In many cases, a barony corresponds to an earlier Gaelic túath which had submitted to the Crown. This is probably true in the case of Castleknock.

Civil parishes

Civil parish of Castleknock

What is now the parish of Castleknock was granted to Hugh Tyrrel by Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath. Copies of the grant were discovered in the London Public Records Office in 1933 by Eric St. John Brooks. In English, the grant reads:

Henry, by the grace of God, King of England, Lord of Ireland, Duke of Aquitaine and Normandy and Count of Anjou to the Archbishops, Bishops, Ministers and all Earls, Barons, Justices, Sheriffs, Ministers and all his faithful French, English and Irish, greeting. Know that I have conceded, given, and by present Charter confirmed to Hugh Tirel, the man of Hugh de Lacy, Thwothyn and Thwothrom.

Brooks deduces that "Thwo" is an Anglicisation of the Gaelic word túath and that "throm" is an Anglicisation of the word droma which means ridge or hill - a possible reference to the hill of Castleknock where Tyrrell was to build his castle.

Townlands in the civil parish of Castleknock:

Townland	Acres	Image Description	Image
Abbotstown Baile an Aba	101	Abbotstown cemetery
Annfield Gort Anna	351	Apartment buildings in Annfield
Ashtown Baile an Ásaigh	285	Moorings on the Royal Canal
Astagob Steach Gob	76	The Wren's Nest pub
Blanchardstown Baile Bhlainséir	351	Village crossroads in 2020
Cabragh An Chabrach	351	Primary Care Centre on the Navan Road
Carpenterstown Baile an Chairpintéaraigh	166	Stone placename on the Carpeterstown Road
Cappoge or Cappagh Ceapach	698	Halting site
Castleknock Caisleán Cnucha	1020	St Bridget's Church of Ireland
Castleknock (incl. part of Phoenix Park) Caisleán Cnucha (cuid de Pháirc an Fhionnuisce)	787	Dawn, Mountjoy Cross towards Castleknock gate
Corduff An Chorr Dhubh	353	A "fairy fort" in the townland
Deanestown Baile an Déanaigh	173	Entrance to Waterville Park
Diswellstown Baile an Diosualaigh	418	Diswellstown stream in the south-eastern corner of the townland
Dunsink Dún Sinche	351	Dunsink observatory
Huntstown * Baile an Huntaigh	299
Johnstown Baile Sheáin	67
Mitchelstown Baile Mhistéil	154	Car showroom at Mitchelstown Road
Pelletstown Baile Pheiléid	259	Sculpture of "The Lock Keeper" Rathborne village, 10th lock Royal Canal
Porterstown Baile an Phóirtéaraigh	219	Porterstown Park in lockdown - Apr 2020
Scribblestown Baile Scriobail	272	Candlemaker, Rathbornes Candles
Sheephill Cnoc na gCaorach	112	Abbotstown House in Sheephill (not Abbotstown proper)
Snugborough Snugborough	53

• Not to be confused with Huntstown in Mulhuddart.

Civil parish of Chapelizod

Chapelizod contains a single townland of the same name. However, 465 acres are within the walls of the Phoenix Park while the village proper, outside the walls, contains only 67 acres. It is the only part of the barony that is not within the modern county of Fingal. It is administered by Dublin City Council.

Townland	Acres	Image Description	Image
Chapelizod	465	Within Phoenix Park St Mary's Hospital
	67	Outside the walls Chapelizod village

Civil parish of Cloghran

The parish of Cloghran consists of three townlands. Most of the land in the parish is taken up with the "Ballycoolen Industrial Estate".

Townland	Acres	Image Description	Image
Ballycoolin	511	Eastern end
		Petrol station at the northern end
Cloghran	95
Grange	171

Civil parish of Clonsilla

Townlands in the civil parish of Clonsilla:

Townland Name English & Irish	Acres	Image Description	Image
Astagob Steach Gob	162	Rugged Lane
Barberstown Baile an Bhearbóraigh	166	Before the restoration of the rail spur to Hansfield
Barnhill Cnoc an Sciobóil	190	Packenham Bridge (Royal Canal)
Blakestown Baile an Bhlácaigh	104
Broomfield Gort na Giolcaí	24	Entrance gates
Clonsilla Cluain Saileach	382	St Mary's (Church of Ireland)
Casteheany Teach Chainnigh	302	Coláiste Pobail Setanta
Coolmine Cúil Mhín	609	Coolmine Community School
Hansfield or Phibblestown Baile Fiobail nó Páirc Hans	223	Ongar Village
Hartstown Baile an Hartaigh	181	Hartstown Community School
Kellystown Baile Uí Cheallaigh	174
Sheepmoor Móinteán na gCaorach	161	Entrance to Portersfield estate
Woodlands Fearann na Coille	571	Luttrellstown Golf Club House

Note 1 The largest population centre in Castaheany / Hansfield is Ongar.

Civil parish of Finglas

The 34 townlands of the parish of Finglas are split among two baronies. The core village and two smaller parcels of land - exclaves of the village - lie in Castleknock. An additional exclave lies in Nethercross.

• 
  Trading estate in the townland of Ballyboggan South
• 
  Ballygall House in the townland of Ballygall
• 
  Old N2 road at the townland of Balseskin
• 
  Breaker's yard in the townland of Cardiffsbridge
• 
  Garda station in the townland of Cardiffscastle
• 
  Charlestown Shopping Centre in the townland of Charlestown
• 
  Old N1 road at the townland of Coldwinters
• 
  Bridge in the townland of Kilreesk
• 
  Old N2 road at the townland of Kilshane
• 
  Seamus Ennis plaque in the townland of Jamestown Little
• 
  IKEA store in the townland of Poppintree
• 
  Prospect apartment blocks in the townland of Tolka

Civil parish of Mulhuddart

Mulhuddart has 22 townlands, including:

Townland	Acres	Image Description	Image
Buzzardstown	298	Institute of Technology Blanchardstown
Littlepace	97	Shopping centre
Damastown	351	IBM car park
Gallanstown		Road to Belgree near Hollystown
Huntstown		Road in Deerhaven estate
Hollystown	196	Hollystown Golf Club
Macetown Middle		Damastown Avenue
Macetown South		Damastown Way
Moorestown		Dolly Heffernan's pub
Powerstown	358	Road in Powerstown
Tyrrelstown	427	Houses in Tyrrelstown
Yellow Walls		Field overlooking housing estate in Hollystown.

Civil parish of Saint James'

The bulk of Saint James' parish lies south of the River Liffey. A single townland, situated north of the river in the Phoenix Park, is part of the barony of Castleknock.

• Saint James' (part of Phoenix Park); the eastern part containing the Magazine Fort, the Zoological Gardens, the Wellington Monument and the Criminal Courts of Justice.

Magazine Fort, part of the townland of Phoenix Park

Civil parish of Saint Judes'

The bulk of Saint Judes' parish lies south of the River Liffey. A single townland, situated north of the river, is part of the barony of Castleknock. It was carved out of the parish of Saint James'.

• Longmeadows which is the strip of land between the Park walls and the river from its narrowest pinch point to Islandbridge on the South Circular Road.

View from the Liffey of the townland of Longmeadows

Civil parish of Ward

Townlands in the parish of Ward: Cherryhound, Irishtown, Killamonan, Newpark, Spricklestown, Ward Lower and Ward Upper.

Townland	Acres	Image Description	Image
Cherryhound	112	Roundabout at the M2
Newpark	351	The White House Pub and Restaurant on the N2 road.
Ward Lower	285	Milestone
Killamonan	76	Horses grazing February 2008

See also

• List of subdivisions of County Dublin

References

From "Irish placenames database". logainm.ie (in English and Irish). Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Retrieved 25 April 2014.:

Civil parishes

Townlands of Cloghran

Townlands of Clonsilla

Townlands of Mulhuddart

Townlands of Saint James's

Townlands of Castleknock

Townlands of Ward

Townlands of other parishes

Other sources:

External links

• Local Government Act, 2001
• Walsh, Dennis (2003). "Barony Map of Ireland". Archived from the original on 15 January 2007. Retrieved 13 February 2007. Source given is "Ordnance survey".