SANDYFORD

'Sandyford' (Irish: ''Áth an Ghainimh'' - this is a literal translation from the word Sandyford, as ''Ath an Ghainimh'' means ''ford of the sand''! Previously the Irish for Sandyford was Taobh Na Coille which means ''beside the woods'', fitting given that Sandyford nestles between the Dublin Mountains and Dublin city which would have been surrounded by woodlands), Dublin, Ireland, formerly a village, is now a suburb, part of the conurbation of Greater Dublin, in the county of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. A major part of Sandyford is comprised of the Sandyford Industrial Estate (SIE) and related developments.

Contents

Location and access

Business and Commerce

Companies at Sandyford Industrial Estate

Microsoft

Other companies

Enterprises elsewhere in Sandyford

Politics

Sport

Residents

See also

External links

Location and access

Sandyford village itself lies just south of the M50 motorway, accessed from Junction 13, while the industrial estate is just north of the motorway. The depot for the Luas "Green Line" is at one edge of Sandyford Industrial Estate, as are two stops, ''Stillorgan'' and the terminus ''Sandyford''.

Business and Commerce

Sandyford Industrial Estate (SIE), lying north of the M50 and accessible from Junctions 13 and 14, is one of the biggest centres in Ireland for light industry, warehousing and offices. It is home to over 200 major national and multinational companies. Recent developments in and around the estate include the construction of hotels, apartment blocks, shops and a private hospital.
The area is fast becoming a hub for the Insurance Industry with many brokers and Financial services businesses in the area,
including companies such as 123.ie and Richardson Insurances.

Companies at Sandyford Industrial Estate

Microsoft

The offices of Microsoft Ireland, which employ approximately 1,200 people, are located here. This is the EMEA Operations Center, located in Ireland since 1985, and carries out a variety of activities including development and translation of Microsoft products.

Other companies

★ American Airlines

★ Canon

★ Barclaycard

★ Novell

★ Vodafone Ireland

Enterprises elsewhere in Sandyford

★ The Irish Management Institute (IMI) has its headquarters in a parkland setting in northern Sandyford. The IMI has the most extensive management training facility in Ireland, and has residential capacity. It offers full-time and part-time courses up to degree level, and customised programmes in business management.

★ The Irish Mint, a section of the Central Bank of Ireland, which has been in operation since 1976, is also located in Sandyford.

Politics

Sandyford is part of the South Dublin Constituency.

Sport

Sandyford is home to Meteors Ladies Basketball Club. The club was founded in 1965 and celebrated its 40th Anniversary in 2006. [1]
Naomh Olaf's Gaelic Athletic Association Club is located in the SIE. It was founded in 1981. [2]
Sandyford is also well known for its cricket team, Sandyford Cricket Club, details of which can be found at [3]. The club attracts many people from all walks of life and many parts of the world.

Residents

Famous residents of Sandyford include radio personality Ray D'Arcy, singer/songwriter Paul Brady and retired comedian Hal Roach, while David Kennedy, the former Formula 1 driver and RTÉ and Setanta Sports commentator lived for many years on Sandyford Road.

See also

★ List of towns in the Republic of Ireland

External links

★ Map of Sandyford

★ View of the Sandyford Area