Heritage – Rathcoole Community Council

Chronological History of Rathcoole

1950 - 2020 years

A monument for Two Communities

By Maurice O’Connell

In July 1997, South Dublin County Council and its consultants, Artworking, invited three directors
of national visual art organisations to propose artists for two Per Cent for Art commissions. A new
park under construction between Rathcoole and Saggart and St. Finians Park, Lucan would provide
sites for these works. The Council intended these as a pilot project that might lead to longer term
public art programming. Creative engagement with the site and an ability to effectively engage
with recipient communities were the main criteria. A shortlisting and presentation process led to
the selection of Patricia McKenna and Maurice O’Connell.

History of Rathcoole Community Centre and Council

Mud Cottage, a casualty of progress.

One of the casualties of progress, in terms of the current road works on the Dublin-Naas Dual Carriage [N7], was a little mud-walled cottage which nestled just below the level of the road a few hundred yards north of the Athgoe junction at Colmanstown, Co.Dublin.

I have already dealt with the history of the old castle and graveyard nearby in the volume LVI, No 1 [Spring 2000] of this journal.

Coolamber and Beechwood Estate Local History Remembered

By Bill Attley (1960-2020)

The lands that both Coolamber and Beechwood lawns estates are built on, were formally owned by the Shields family. Of which there was two sisters and one brother ( Reggie, Maud, Florry) who also owned the land where Maple Grove was built. (a small portion of these lands belonged to the Whelan family who were related to the Shields family and who also had the land at the other side of the N7, which runs down Tay Lane and ended opposite Taffee’s.)

The Rathcoole Playing Fields

A brief History by Paddy Gavin (1960-2020)

It was 1960 I came to live in Dublin, and it was 1962 before I ever passed through the village of Rathcoole. On the main street then, there were three road junctions, the first as one traveled south westwards lead into Stoney lane. The next was Tay lane junction leading north towards Newcastle and third junction led to Kilteel as well as to the National school. Rathcoole then was generally described as a country village, with a population of about 400 some 10 miles from Dublin city, on the Cork road but within County Dublin with its main street over 400 feet above sea level.

1852 Rathcoole Thoms Almanac Directory

Bridgets Well Tay Lane p2 1950s

1900 - 1950 years

Winifred Mabel Letts (1882- 1972)

Was a poet, novelist, and playwright married to William Verschoyle of Saggart. (She is buried in Rathcoole Churchyard).

(Article by Mervyn Ennis, Saggart Heritage group)

Winifred Mabel Letts was born on 10 February 1882 in Broughton Salford, Manchester of an English father (Rector Ernest Letts) a clergyman, and an Irish mother (Isabel Mary Ferrier). She spent many childhood holidays in Knockmaroon, located on the edge of the Chapelizod side of the Phoenix Park, Dublin, which was her mother’s home. Winifred was educated initially in Bromley in Kent and at 16’ she persuaded her parents to allow her to move from Bromley boarding school to attend Alexandra College in Dublin.

THE JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF IRELAND FOR THE YEAR 1943

VOL. LXXIII, PART III (VOL. XIII, SEVENTH SERIES)

RATHCOOLE, CO. DUBLIN, AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD.

Notes on Place-names, Topography and Traditions.

By Liam Ua Broin, Member.

OLD maps of the Rathcoole neighbourhood, a list of which is given on pages 96-97, have preserved a number of local place-names : some of these are still remembered, others have been altogether lost. In the following paper I have noted the more interesting of these names, and an attempt has been made to offer an explanation of some of them ; I have inserted some local traditions, and details about such matters as the building of roads and bridges. The reader may be referred to the Ordnance Survey Letters for County Dublin for information collected in the year 1838 by Eugene O Curry about some of the antiquarian remains in the district.
Read the whole article

First Transatlantic Flight From Ireland to USA

First East-West Atlantic Crossing, Bremen Aircraft

In 1928 on April 12 the name South Dublin runway Baldonnel Airdrome echoed across the world when Commandant James Fitzmaurice joined Baron Húnefeld and Hermann Kóhl in their Junckers W33 “Bremen Aircraft” as they took off on what would be the first east-west aircraft crossing of the Atlantic.
Almost 37 hours later the trip landed to a rapturous welcome on Greenly Island in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in Newfoundland, Canada.

1928 Transatlantic Flight Of The Bremen Aircraft

See video

1913-1921 Record of Doctor Clark

Census of Ireland 1901/1911 and Census fragments and substitutes,
1821-51

Click here to go to the Historical Census link

1850 - 1900 years

Fatal Altercation in Saggart
Irish Times report
16 june 1891

1865 map of Rathcoole main street Ordinance Survey 1:2,500 held in SDCC Tallaght Library
wm_25OS_Rathcoole.jpg (6560×2464) (southdublinlibraries.ie)

1852 Rathcoole Thoms Almanac Directory

1844-1864 Griffiths Valuation Rathcoole Main Street

People who lived on Main Street village of Rathcoole 1844-64 Griffiths Valuation Map of Rathcoole main street land area is marked as area 72 on the map below

Rathcoole in 1844 had a National School at Dublin end of Town opposite Church sponsored by David La Touche and a Glebe house beside the church. A Dispensary with doctor funded by chartable donations was located in centre of town. At Nass end of town, Police barracks, animal pound and poitin still which was a lodging house for Drovers can be seen. St Bridgets well (St bridget was said to have drunk from the well on her way to Nass) can be seen marked in the grounds at the rear of the then vacant Mercer school being rented by William Borne from Mercer Charity Trust. Below is extract from ledger, showing who resised in each house, who owned the property, details of the holding and land size in acres, roods and perches.
Map and Residente list click here

Click here for the Historical Map of Rathcoole.

Click here for the Historical Census link.

1750 - 1850 years

1846 Rathcoole Dispensary Report

Transcribed from A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1840 by Samuel Lewis

RATHCOOLE, a post-town and parish, in the barony of UPPERCROSS, county of DUBLIN, and province of LEINSTER, 8 miles (S. W.) from Dublin, on the road to Naas; containing 1409 inhabitants, of which number, 602 are in the town. This place, anciently called “Radcull,” appears from, various records to have been incorporated prior to the time of Hen. III., and to have had burgesses. In the 24th of that reign (1240), it is recorded that “Lucas, Archbishop of Dublin, grants to the burgesses of Radcull common of pasture and turbary in the mountain of Slescol with his men of Newcastle near Lyons, at 4s. per annum.”
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1744-1826 Mary Mercer Trust Charter School

In the main street in Rathcoole stands Glebe House now in poor condition awaiting planning decisions re its future, many remember it as the Winter Home of Duffy’s Circus and Mc Cormac Amusements in the 60’s and 70’s .and before that, as the name suggests it was the Church of Ireland Rectory for the vicar of Rathcoole Church for many years. However the building has much longer and more interesting history, it was in fact the location of Rathcoole’s Mary Mercer Trust Charter school for Girls from 1744 till 1826 prior to their move to Castleknock.
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Kennedy Family Johnstown Estate History

In the graveyard, there’s a structure near the front boundary wall with iron doors and a family
crest over the entrance. This is the Kennedy family crypt which was constructed in 1828, and
its high visibility is testament to the high esteem in which the Kennedy family was held in
these parts over the years since the first interment in this vault took place.
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Magazine article on Swiftbrook Mill
The Worlds Paper Trade Review 25 August 1911 Lowest Q.
Click here to read

from southdublinlibraries.ie

Click here for the Historical Map of Rathcoole.

1700 - 1750 years

Jonathan Swift connection with Rathcoole

In 1713 Dean Swift (portrait below) who was waiting his promised appointment to Dean of St Patricks Cathedral wrote to the letter below to the then Archbishop William King of Dublin (portrait below).

Jonathan Swift Letter 1713
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Rathcoole Church similar to Newcastle Church was built in early 1700’s on the foundations of earlier churches that date back to medieval times and the church is linked through the centuries with St Patricks Cathedral.