Strawberry Beds

Situated on steeply banking south-facing slopes in a sheltered valley, the area got its name from the strawberries which were grown there as a commercial crop for nearly 250 years.[4] The strawberry crops were transported to Dublin's nearby fruit and vegetable markets for sale as well as hotels, restaurants and homes. However, it was for the sale of strawberries with fresh cream served on cabbage leaves to the travellers, daytrippers and locals that visited the area that the Strawberry Beds was renowned.[4]

During the 19th and early 20th centuries it was popular for Dubliners to travel by horse and carriage on Sundays from Carlisle Bridge (renamed O'Connell Bridge in 1882) to the Strawberry Beds at a fee of 3 pence per person.[5] These routes "were so well patronised that it was not an infrequent sight to see a procession of these vehicles, amid blinding clouds of dust, extending the whole way from Parkgate Street to Knockmaroon".[6] It was noted that the "strawberry vendors, pipers, fiddlers, and publicans reaped a rich harvest [on such days], the sounds of revelry filled the air, and when the shades of night had fallen, numerous involuntary dismounts were made from the cars on the homeward journey".[6] In the era before air travel, the area was also a destination for newly-wed Dublin couples on their honeymoon.[7][8][9]

Much of the property in the area remained in the private ownership of the landed Estates until the late 1800s when the change in land ownership brought about by the Irish Land Commission legislation fostered a proliferation of private land ownership. Many of the individual holdings along the Lower Road are still evident.[10]

The locality is served by three public houses; The Wren's Nest, The Strawberry Hall and The Angler's Rest.[15]

The Strawberry Hall public house dates from post-1836 [16] and The Angler's Rest Hotel was built in the late 1800s. A shebeen existed on the site prior to the building of the public house.[17] The history of the Wren's Nest pub can be traced back at least five generations to the early 1800s from which point it came into the ownership of the current family.[5] In the 1970s during renovation work a pitch pine beam in one of the main walls of the house was found to have the year 1588 carved into it, leading to speculation that the pub dates from this period.[5][15]

The National School at the bottom of Somerton Hill was built in 1909.[10]

As of 2022, no bus or rail services serve the locality directly. The area is accessible by private car, bicycle or by foot. A bus route named the number 80 operated from 1940 to 1980 (approx.) operating from Aston Quay to Luttrelstown gates. It ran every two hours, although often less frequently. The service ended in the early 1980s due to the affordability of the motorcar.[18]

In an 1836 Ordnance Survey map of the area, two ferries are depicted as operating on the Liffey.[16] One was situated at the bottom of Knockmaroon Hill and the other was a half-mile upstream of the current Farmleigh Bridge. It is suspected that the ferry at this site was a private operation for the Guinness family as they owned land on the south bank of the river. The iron bridge eventually replaced the ferry. On the same map, a ford was shown across the river at the site of the current Strawberry Hall pub but its use was dependent on river conditions. Then, as now, the river can only be crossed safely at the bridges in either Lucan or Chapelizod. The cobbled flagstones which were placed on the riverbed to assist the horses and carts are still present to this day.[16] Ferries continued to operate as a reliable means for foot passengers to cross the river in flood times as the boatmen and women were well acquainted with the river flow. Some of these ferries continued in operation up to the 1960s.[19] Many local families also had their own boats to cross to the south bank.[20]

Former or current residents of the area have included:

• Delia Murphy (1902-1971), singer and collector of Irish ballads.

• "The True-Lovers' Trip to the Strawberry Beds", c.1854 is a song about Dublin depicting a trip to the favourite courting spot of the Strawberry Beds.[21]
• The Ferryman, a folk ballad written by Pete St John, is also known as The Strawberry Beds.[22]
• A 19th-century version of popular Irish song Rocky Road to Dublin, reported by Manus O'Connor in 1901, references the Strawberry Beds in its lyrics.[23]
• The cover of The Dubliners 1969 album At Home with The Dubliners is a photograph of the band in front of a fireplace in the Wren's Nest public house.[5]

• Troy, Patrick (2013). The Strawberry Beds. Na Ceapóga Sú Talún. Dublin: Original Writing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-78237-127-4.