COOLOCK

'Coolock' (''An Chúlóg'' in Irish, "The Little Corner") is a large suburban area on Dublin city's Northside in Ireland. Coolock is crossed by the Santry River, a prominent feature in the middle of the district, with a linear park and ponds.
Coolock is also the name of the Barony which accounts for most of north Dublin city, from the coast in and stretching out to Swords.

Contents

History

Nature

Religion

Localities

Businesses and Amenities

Transport

See also

History

Coolock has a history dating back over 3,500 years – a bronze-age burial site in the area dates back to 1500 BC. The settlement grew up around a small early-Christian church. A Catholic church, St. John's, was later built in the area (see Parish of Coolock (Roman Catholic) and Parish of Coolock (Church of Ireland) for more).
Coolock remained a small village until the 1950s, when it began to be developed as part of Dublin's suburbs, with lands around the village´being further developed over time, notably Bonnybrook and Kilmore West.
The civil parish of Coolock takes in the land between the Tonlegee Road (as far as Donaghmede) and the Malahide Road, as well as the lands on either side of the Malahide Road from Darndale to Artane, and the lands either side of the Oscar Traynor Road on the approach to Santry.

Nature

Coolock lies at the centre of majority working class, Northside suburbs and areas such as Kilbarrack, Donaghmede, Darndale, Belcamp and Priorswood, and includes localities such as Clonshaugh, Kilmore, Bonnybrook, Cromcastle Court and Ayrfield (see below). Some of these are the sorts of area whose people and mannerisms have been immortalised in Roddy Doyle's Barrytown trilogy, which is based on the Kilbarrack area.
The Coolock area encompasses parts of three Dublin postal districts - Dublin 5, Dublin 13 and Dublin 17. However, only the Dublin 17 area lies entirely within Coolock.
Recent developments around the Clare Hall housing estate, which lies on the border between Coolock and Donaghmede, have brought a more middle class element. Coolock also neighbours the more middle class Santry, Raheny and Clontarf, and the until-recently rural, now fast-developing Balgriffin.
At the Belcamp end of the district is a Traveller settlement near Tesco's new Clare Hall Shopping Centre. A much larger settlement lies a little further down the N32, in the northern part of Darndale.

Religion

Coolock has given its name to religious divisions over a long period, and the primary ones are discussed at Parish of Coolock (Roman Catholic), and (from the Act of Supremacy), Parish of Coolock (Church of Ireland). Both Catholic (multiple) and Church of Ireland buildings stand within the area today.

Localities

★ 'Ayrfield' is a small area beginning with the north side of the Tonlegee Road that is historically part of Coolock even though it now has a different postal code from most of the district - Dublin 13 (which includes Baldoyle, Bayside, Donaghmede, Sutton, and Howth). It is located near the Edenmore part of Raheny, Donaghmede and Darndale and contains several estates such as Rathvale, Limewood, Millbrook, Slademore, Ard na Greine and Foxhill. Ayrfield has one primary school, St. Pauls Junior and Senior National School, and opposite the school is St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church. The main access road, Blunden Drive, is the home of Ayrfield Credit Union, Ayrfield Community Centre and O'Tooles GAC clubhouse and playing pitches. It is also home to Ayrfield United F.C. which has pitches beside the credit union.

★ 'Bonnybrook', a locality within the core of Coolock, above the original village, is the site of the main shopping centre.

★ 'Clonshaugh', a locality to the north of Northside Shopping Centre.

★ 'Greencastle', a locality within the core of Coolock, above the original village.

★ 'Kilmore' as a whole is a large area west of the Malahide road and east of the M1, where Coolock meets Artane/Beaumont. In June 2007, additional funding for Kilmore West Community Centre, Coolock, was announced by Deputy Finian McGrath.

Businesses and Amenities

★ Northside Shopping Centre, Ireland's first covered shopping centre, situated near the northern fringe of the M50, with more than 70 outlets

★ Woodies DIY, Atlantic DIY

★ Headquarters of Cadbury Ireland

★ Chivers

★ Formerly Tayto Crisps, Ireland's largest factory for potato chips, which closed in 2005

★ UCI cinema, Power City and Coolock Leisureplex

★ Parnells GAA club

★ Beechlawn Rovers Football Club

★ Jonathan Murphy Youth Center (founded in 2005)

★ Beep Club

★ Chanel College, a large secondary school and adult education source, founded in 1955

★ Santry River Linear Park

★ The Stardust Memorial Garden which is dedicated to the 48 people who lost their lives in the Stardust nightclub

★ Richie O'Neill Memorial Walk
Coolock is also a centre of local government activity, with a Dublin City Council major centre, NEAR FM community radio station, Health Services Executive centre and recycling centre.
The estate of Clare Hall lies between Coolock and Donaghmede, including a small shopping precinct, and adjacent is a Tesco-owned centre which is now called Clare Hall Shopping Centre.
BLERRRRRN!!!!!!

Transport

Coolock is serviced by the following Dublin Bus routes:

★ 17A (Kilbarrack and Finglas)

★ 27 (City Centre and Darndale)

★ 42 (City Centre and Malahide)

★ 43 (City Centre and Swords).

See also

★ List of towns in the Republic of Ireland