Santry

Santry Demesne (also referred to as Santry Park or Santry Woods) is a demesne situated within Santry, in the administration of Fingal County Council and adjacent to Morton Stadium, the national athletics stadium. It contains a walled garden, a lake, monuments and has the Santry River going through it. The stadium was the venue for the European Cross Country Championships in 2009.

Where the new Santry Demesne public park is situated, on part of the estate lands, was once a palatial old house and gardens, built in the 18th century. This was once the largest house in north County Dublin and people travelled from far and wide to be received by the owners, the Barry family.[7] A number of hints of the house still exist in the park, including the house foundations, front steps, tree avenue and walled garden. A small bend in the Santry River (which forms the boundary of the park today) was widened to create a small pond for the boating pleasure of Georgian ladies and gentlemen who resided at, and visited, the house.

In 1912 King Victor Emmanuel of Italy presented the Barrys/Domvilles with a gift of 16 foreign tree species.[8] The house fell into disrepair, initially at the turn of the 20th century as the estate proved not to be economically viable but ultimately after the Domville family departed Ireland post-independence in 1921. It came into the possession of the State, which intended to repair it and use it as a mental asylum. This plan was shelved by the start of World War II; the need to increase security around Dublin Airport meant it was used as an army depot, and part of the gardens as a firing range. There are many theories locally about what happened next but it appears as if soldiers of the Irish army caused a fire and the house was severely damaged in 1947, followed by demolition shortly afterwards.

In 1972, part of the demesne was sold to Trinity College Dublin, and was developed with sports grounds, as well as a book storage facility for its library system.[9]

As of 2010, the walled garden was leased to a community group to run as a Community Garden; the 4-acre plot is divided into three sections an ornamental section, heritage and kitchen garden.[10] Several varieties of plants, vegetables and fruit are grown by the 90 volunteers in the garden, since 2013 there is also a bee apiary.

A number of tree species in Santry include native trees such as oak, ash, beech and rowan, as well as the more exotic Spanish chestnuts, Californian redwood (Sequoias), Italian walnut, Lebanon cedar, Horse chestnut, Sweet chestnut, Beech, Evergreen Oak, and Chinese Pines.

Santry Court was a Jacobean-type early 18th-century house of red brick and stone facings built in 1703 by Henry Barry, 3rd Baron Barry of Santry, commonly called Lord Santry. Two storeys high over a tall basement, and with a dormered attic behind the roof parapet. The dormer windows alternated with segmental and triangular pediments. The facade was 9 bays wide on the entrance front with a pedimented breakfront. The front door with segmental pediment and Corinthian columns at the top of a huge flight of steps. Originally the front door was at basement level (the door was relocated to Dublin Castle). The parapets were partly balustraded with urns at each corner. Curved sweeps and wings were added later, probably 1740–1750. The garden front was also of 9 bays with the wings beyond. The house had a large hall, with a sandstone mantlepiece, and unusually high doors, a staircase of wood with barley sugar balusters, Corinthian newels, and carved acanthus decoration (similar to those at Saunders Grove and Mount Levers). The dining room with plaster panelled walls and a plaster ceiling in low relief, mahogany door frames and dado which were a later addition. The window shutters of oak were probably original. The study was panelled in pine and had a good Adam-style mantlepiece. The morning room had very deep window seats in oak, and a corner fireplace. The attic rooms were unusual insofar as the corridor was around the perimeter and the staff bedrooms internal. A domed temple (garden pavilion) was removed and is retained at Luggala, County Wicklow. A bridge over the river had balustrades and lions. After being gutted in a fire in the 20th century, the house was eventually demolished.

The house was built by the 3rd Lord Barry of Santry in 1703. Steps and wings were added by Henry Barry, 4th Baron Barry of Santry 1740–50, who was a member of the Hell Fire Club, and was convicted of the murder of a porter at an inn in Palmerstown in 1739. He received the death penalty but was reprieved and lost his title. After the death of Lord Barry of Santry in 1751, the estate was inherited by his uncle Sir Compton Domvile, 2nd Baronet. It remained with the Domvile family until the death in 1935 of Sir Compton Meade Domvile, 4th Baronet, when the estate passed to his nephew Sir Hugo Poë, who assumed the surname Domvile.

The Swiss Cottages that are still associated in memory with Santry are largely no longer extant. The cottages were built in 1840 by Lady Domville who, after a visit to Switzerland, decided to build 11 Swiss-style cottages for the farm workers and estate staff. Unfortunately, 10 of the 11 cottages were demolished due to their dilapidation. While the last remaining cottage still stands in Santry, it is not in its original conception and the building was adapted into an office block in 1984 and today houses a pharmacy. Morton Stadium now stands on the site of what were the gardens at the rear of the house. The only contemporary reminder of the Swiss Cottages is found in the name of a local pub, ‘The Swiss Cottage’. In 2019 The Swiss Cottage pub was demolished, and work commenced on a new apartment complex on the site.[11]

Originally built as a mill circa 1700, on the Santry River, to the northwest of Santry Demesne, on the old Ballymun Road, the Charter School was established in 1744 by The Incorporated Society for Promoting English Protestant Schools in Ireland, supported by Dublin Corporation and on land sourced from Luke Gardiner, with a house provided by Archbishop Hugh Boulter.[12] The School closed in 1840, and the building was renamed Santry Lodge.

By 1930, Dublin had experienced being the capital of the newly independent state for roughly a decade. The citizens housing council released two reports in the 1930s that demonstrated the extent of the issue and Dublin Corporation were aware that the slums were not being cleared as rapidly as they wished. In 1938, Dr Hernon, the city manager, disclosed a five-year plan that would result in an additional 12,000 dwellings built at a cost of about £7.5m. This was said to be roughly half of what had been suggested by the citizens housing council but it was believed that it was an enthusiastic target. The corporation came to the conclusion that 17,000 families needed to be relocated. The foundation of the five-year plan was the assumption that, 12,000 dwellings was the maximum that could be accomplished with the resources available, and in the city manager's judgment, it was impractical to commit to committing to 5,000 dwellings each year as indicated by the citizens housing council.[13]

There were only a few smaller settlement clusters where development had already begun in places such as Larkhill, which would eventually grow into significant suburbs. The first phase of a housing programme for 1,500 homes over a five-year period was proposed, with construction beginning at Cabra West, Rutland Avenue, Donnycarney, Sarsfield Road, Crumlin, Ellenfield, Larkhill and Terenure. Additional homes would be constructed to these, and schools, shops, churches, libraries, and other amenities would be made available. A £7 million total budget was planned. These ideas were important and were believed to have a significant impact on the city but there was no overarching plan in place. There was no clear vision for the city and no idea of the ideal type of urban setting. There were no agents of development other than the corporation, and no system was proposed to mediate the complicated connection between public and private actors. By 1943, Dublin corporation had only created a ‘sketch’ plan as  required by the 1934 law.[13]

The Larkhill scheme was an addition to the ongoing Ellenfield project. Both were near the upcoming Associated Properties’ Wadelai development. A total of 537 homes were to be constructed in Larkhill. The total number of dwellings built in Larkhill, which was completed 1939, was slightly higher than anticipated. Larkhill construction was relatively modest, and an independent development with straightforward access to the major thoroughfare, but local circulation was controlled to lessen through traffic. The houses that were built were a mixture of short terraces with different lengths. With the Larkhill development, it was a comparable experience. Within the confines of Larkhill Road is a development that is somewhat oblong and tear-shaped. At the peak of the Larkhill project along Glendun Road, a sizeable semicircular park was created. It was also intended to add to the construction that had already been done along Larkhill and Ellenfield.[13]

Besides several local shops, Santry contains a substantial retail facility, the 'Omni Park Shopping Centre', which also features a cinema, IMC Santry (previously called the Omniplex Cinema), and several restaurants. There is also a retail park in Northwood, Gulliver's In addition, Santry is home to the Crowne Plaza hotel, several restaurants, multiple gymnasiums, a track and field stadium, several medical facilities, a go-karting/paint-balling arena, an AIB bank, an industrial estate, a skate park, several B&B's, several pubs, an outdoor 'Astro' soccer stadium and local primary and secondary schools. Santry is just a few minutes' drive from Dublin Airport. The Santry Sports Clinic is located in Santry Demense and provides a wide range of mainly sports-related orthopaedic therapy.

Santry is served by Holy Child National School (infant class boys, girls to 6th class) and Holy Child Boys National School in Larkhill, and Gaelscoil Cholmcille, and for second level: Margaret Aylward School, Whitehall House, St. Aidan's C.B.S., Plunket College and Clonturk Community College. Our Lady of Mercy College in Beaumont, Maryfield College, Rosmini, Dominican College Griffith Avenue and Trinity Comprehensive School in Ballymun would also serve some of the population of Santry.

Santry is part of the Whitehall-Larkhill-Santry Roman Catholic parish, served by the Church of the Holy Child, opened in 1944,[14] and by Blessed Margaret Ball church[15] opened in 1994 (named after one of the Dublin Martyrs). The Church of Ireland community are served by St. Pappan's Church, which is part of the Santry, Glasnevin(St. Mobhi's) and Finglas (St. Canice's) Grouping of Parishes,[16][17] in Santry village (the former St. Pappin's or St. Pappan's Catholic church was just off Santry Avenue in Ballymun, built in 1846 during the famine times. Workers were paid in food and the land was provided by the Domville family of Santry Woods; it is now a nursing home. This had replaced an earlier St. Pappan's Catholic church on Santry Avenue built in 1797). There is an old graveyard beside St. Pappan's and a parish hall. While Blessed Margaret's (a chapel of ease for Whitehall church) was being developed, the St. Pappan's Parish Hall was used by the Catholic community for weekly mass. At one point, St. Pappan's Catholic Church in Ballymun, shared seats with St. Pappan's Church of Ireland, and they moved the seats between the churches between services.[18]

A more recent development is the Dublin Christian Life Church, in Schoolhouse Lane, a Chinese Christian community.[19][20] Another new church is the Christian Fellowship Church, off Coolock Lane.[21]

Santry is the base of a number of sports clubs such as the association football clubs St. Kevin's Boys Club established in 1959[22] who play in Shanowen Road, Ellenfield park, Albert College park, Coolgreena and off the Old Airport Road and Lorcan Celtic established in 1987[23] who play in Lorcan Green. Sporting Fingal F.C. played their home games at the Morton Stadium during their three seasons in the League of Ireland, from 2008 to 2011 when they disbanded.

Clonliffe Harriers Athletic Club is based in the Morton Stadium in Santry, which they built in 1955.[24]

Trinity College has sports grounds on a former part of the Santry Demense off Santry Avenue; this includes facilities for rugby, soccer, Gaelic football, hurling and hockey pitches.[25]

Santry TaeKwon-Do meet in Astro Park.

Greyhound racing and speedway took place at the Santry Sports Stadium (not to be confused with the Morton Stadium.[26]) The greyhound racing was operational from August 1945 until 1951 and the speedway operated from 1948 until 1951.[27][28]

The Greenfield Park Residents Association works on behalf of residents of the Greenfield Estate, which comprises Shanliss, Shanard, Shanowen, Oldtown and parts of Ballymun Road and Collins Avenue, and has a clubhouse on Shanliss Avenue. The Lorcan Estate Residents Association is based in Lorcan Green. The Santry Forum, based in the Santry Community Resource Centre, off Coolock Lane, represents residents in the Santry and Whitehall area.[29]