Firhouse

Firhouse (Irish: Teach an Giúise) is an outer suburb of Dublin, in the county of South Dublin, in the south of the traditional County Dublin, Ireland. It developed from a rural village by the River Dodder, with a second settlement, Upper Fir-house, nearby.^[1] It is just outside the M50 orbital motorway, and in the postal district of Dublin 24 (Eircode routing key D24). It is adjacent to Knocklyon (with which it shares a townland) and Ballycullen, and close to Tallaght. In the historic divisions of local administration, Firhouse is in the civil parish of Tallaght^[1] and the barony of Uppercross.^[2]

Location and access[]

Location[]

Firhouse is located between Knocklyon, Ballycullen, and Tallaght, close to the foothills of the Dublin Mountains,^[3] in an area that was predominantly rural a few decades ago. It is situated on the eastern bank of the River Dodder, 2 km from Tallaght's village centre, and from its eastern end, from Templeogue village. Modern development only began in recent decades, although there were previously a number of mills and the two hamlets.^[4]

Access[]

Firhouse is located by Junction 12 on the M50 motorway and is also served by the Firhouse Road and Killininny Road.^[3] Several Dublin Bus routes reach the area, including the 175,15, 49, 65B and 75, and night buses 49N and 15N.

Etymology[]

The origin of the place-name derives from the Irish(Gaelic) word 'Teach an Giúise' - meaning 'The house of fir' or as it was named: Firhouse. This name came from what was previously the wild forest of fir trees that Firhouse once was. It may also come from a manor that was located at the top of the laneway now joining Scoil Treasa and Scoil Carmel, which belonged to a family called Fieragh with connections to Norway.^[2] Like much of the rest of the area, this laneway, which led up to the main house, was lined with fir trees.)^{[citation needed]}

The Irish place-name is 'Teach an Giúise' ((Chak on gyioo-sha)). Among the local population, the pronunciation of Firhouse is as contentious an issue as the origin of the name, some using "Fir" and some "Fur", though the use on historical maps, which tended to capture phonetic spellings, of "Furhouse", suggests the probable form.

History[]

Firhouse was historically the site of a small rural settlement near the river bank, and another, Upper Firhouse, nearby. Firhouse lay within the townland of Knocklyon, and was owned, over time, by Walter de Ridelford, and later families including the Burnells, the Bathes, the Nugents and the Talbots, eventually being sold by the Duke of Wharton to the famous Speaker Conolly.^[1][2]

In the 13th century, a weir, the City Weir or Great Weir, was made in the Dodder between Firhouse and Balrothery, the district on the north bank opposite, and much of the Dodder's water was diverted to the course of the River Poddle, to supply the then-small Dublin city.^[1]

Handcock referred to "a small dirty village, principally inhabited by stonebreakers" as of the early 1800s.^[1]

While there was no bridge near in a south westerly direction until the 20th century, a bridge was made just north of the village. The settlement grew further in the 19th century, and a number of mills existed in the vicinity, including a paper mill across the river.^[1] As of the early 1900s, the main village comprised 7 houses, two pubs and a forge.^[2]

By the 1910s, the village already extended for half a mile, with a school, church, convent, public house and two smithies,^[4] and the Moscow Dance Hall was built there in the 1930s, operating for about three years.^[2] The population remained small until rapid suburban development began in the 1970s, with large-scale housing development continuing into the 1980s.^[2]

Historical account[]

A brief history of Firhouse (as "Fir-house") is included in "The History and Antiquities of Tallaght in the County of Dublin",^[1] a comprehensive account of the large historic ecclesiastical and later civil parish of Tallaght. Handcock in fact refers to two villages of Fir-house, the main settlement and another he calls "the village of Upper Fir-house."^[1] The scholar Gerry Smyth has written a cultural history of Firhouse in his book Space and the Irish Cultural Imagination.^[5]

The Kearneys[]

Firhouse was the site, in 1816, of a disappearance, and the hanging of the three of the Kearney family for the suspected murder involved. Following the disappearance of gamekeeper John Kinlen, a bloody axe was found near the Kearneys' pub in Firhouse and the Kearneys, a father and two sons, were convicted of the killing. A gallows was built at the suspected scene of the crime, outside their pub, for their hanging. When one son, William, fell through the gallows, it was discovered that he was too tall to be strangled by the rope around his neck, so a hole was dug under the gallows, and the hangman then pulled down on his legs and held onto him until he was dead.^[6] No visible reference to this incident can be found in modern Firhouse.

Governance and politics[]

Firhouse is in the jurisdiction of South Dublin County Council, with councillors elected within the Firhouse-Bohernabreena electoral area. In the system of council committees, it is in the oversight of the Rathfarnham / Templeogue / Firhouse / Bohernabreena Area Committee.^[7] For strategic planning purposes, the council groups Firhouse in the extensive Templeogue / Walkinstown / Rathfarnham / Firhouse neighbourhood (the other "neighbourhoods" of the county being greater Tallaght and the broad Clondalkin area).^[8]

The district lies within the Dail Eireann constituency of Dublin South-West.^[9]

Amenities[]

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There are two community centres, Firhouse Community and Sports Complex, which is home to various sporting teams and the local Scouting Den, and The Park Community Centre, which lies in Ballycragh Park. The Community and Sports Centre was built by Firhouse Community Council.^[2]

Firhouse also has one main shopping centre, Firhouse Shopping Centre, anchored by a supermarket. There is also a local Credit Union, a post office and a Chinese restaurant, while the local pubs are Scholars, The Speaker Conolly and Mortons, The Firhouse Inn. The area is served by a once-a-week Mobile Library stop.^[10]

Facilities of Knocklyon and Templeogue are within 1-3 km, and those of Tallaght, including local government amenities and a major shopping complex, are within 1-4 kilometres. Firhouse is in the Rathfarnham Garda District.

Education[]

Local primary schools are Scoil Carmel (a Junior National School),^[2] Scoil Treasa,^[2] Holy Rosary, Firhouse Educate Together National School, Gaelscoil na Giuise and there is also a second-level school, Firhouse Community College.^[2]

Scoil Carmel and Scoil Treasa[]

These are National Schools, Scoil Carmel having Junior Infants - Second Class, thus ranging in age from 4 to 8, while Scoil Treasa Third Class - Sixth Class takes 8 to 12 year olds.^[2]

Gaelscoil na Giúise[]

Gaelscoil na Giúise is a multi-denominational, co-educational Irish language primary school, opened in September 2013. The school is located off Ballycullen Drive and Killininny Road, in a purpose-built 16-classroom building, including a 2-classroom Special Needs Unit.

Firhouse Educate Together National School[]

Firhouse Educate Together National School (FETNS), an Educate Together school, opened its doors in September 2013 for Junior Infants.

Firhouse Community College[]

The local secondary school, Firhouse Community College, was established in 1982, launching in September of that year,^[2] and as of 2009 had around 700 students and 60 staff members. The school contains a theatre, physical education hall, a multi-sport arena and a large playing field which is around 800m long and is used for soccer and rugby matches.^[11] The school's 4th years go on an annual trip to an adventure at Delphi in Mayo. They also perform an annual play. Previous plays include Romeo & Juliet, Playboy of the Western World, Macbeth, Hamlet, The Wiz, Smike, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Grease.^[12]

Religion[]

There is a Roman Catholic parish entitled Parish of Firhouse which stretches out as far as Hunterswood and has a church named Our Lady of Mount Carmel.^[2] Various regions of Firhouse belong to the Parish of Ballyboden. Bohernabreena Parish also takes up much of the area, with a church in the mountains and another in Holy Rosary school. Historically the broad area was part of the large post-Penal Law parish of Rathfarnham.

Adjacent to the Dodder valley stood the Victory Center, a Christian theological facility, and subsequent to its closure, a facility of the Church of Scientology opened there in 2017.^[13]

Sport[]

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Firhouse Carmel Football Club (Firhouse Carmel F.C.), based at Firhouse Community Centre, caters for over 300 schoolboys and girls from the local area, in 22 teams. Playing grounds are at Carrigwood and Scholars pitches, and 2005 saw Brian Kerr open the purpose-built changing rooms at the Community Centre after years of fundraising. Local Leinster Senior League side Firhouse Clover also avails of the clubhouse facilities when training at Firhouse Community College.

Ballyboden St Enda's GAA located on the Firhouse Road and St Anne's GAA, located in Bohernabreena, are major clubs in the area, with camogie, hurling and Gaelic football teams.

Firhouse also has a basketball club, and Firhouse Community College has active clubs including GAA and basketball.

Village status and planning[]

Two community groups are registered with the local authority, representative body Firhouse Village Community Council, and civic activity group Firhouse Tidy Towns.^[14]

In 2001 the voluntary group Firhouse Village Community Council was given a mandate at a general meeting to have the title "Firhouse Village" recognised for the area. In pursuing this they obtained EU and National Development Plan grant aid for Firhouse Village Park. While there is no formal definition or legal status of "village" in Ireland, by its name and the fact that grant aid was obtained under the Village Urban Renewal Scheme and E.U. funding, some form of recognition by the local authority that Firhouse was a village in its own right can be inferred, as the Village Urban Renewal Scheme 2000–2006 allocated monies only to villages throughout Ireland outside Dublin City and County.

The most significant planning and development issue to concern Firhouse in recent years has been the decision of South Dublin County Council to grant permission for the rejuvenation of the core area with a mixed development of apartments, offices and retail outlets to be developed around the existing shopping centre. The downturn in the building sector at the same time permission was granted saw this large development being put on hold and eventually the life span of the permission granted expired. The new planning laws that apply to villages that are not served by a rail or Luas line restricted the density of apartments applied for by one of the developers.

See also[]

• List of towns and villages in Ireland.

References and footnotes[]

External links[]

• [1] - Website for 146th Firhouse Scouts.

Coordinates: 53°17′N 6°20′W / 53.283°N 6.333°W / 53.283; -6.333