Castleknock () is a civil parish and a townland located in the south-western corner of the modern county of Fingal, Ireland. The civil parish is part of the ancient barony of Castleknock. It is centred on the suburban village of Castleknock. The townland of Castleknock itself is the location of the eponymous "Cnucha's Castle" – Castleknock Castle. The town with the biggest population in the parish is Blanchardstown. In geology, the parish rests on a substratum of limestone and comprises 2943 statute acres, the whole of which is arable land.
History In 1831, there were 4251 inhabitants in the parish of whom 3409 were Catholics.John D'Alton, The History of the County of Dublin, p. 555, 1838. Lewis' Topography of Ireland of 1837 reported the same number of inhabitants. Lewis recorded that Abbotstown demesne was the most notable seat in the parish. It was the residence of the Falkiner baronets who later married into the neighbouring Hamilton family. In 1897, Ion Trant Hamilton was ennobled as Baron HolmPatrickKidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
Ecclesiastical parishes Like all civil parishes, this civil parish is derived from, and co-extensive with a pre-existing ecclesiastical parish of the same name, as used in the Church of Ireland.John Caillard Erck, The ecclesiastical register: containing the names of the dignitaries and parochial clergy of Ireland: as also of the parishes and their respective patrons and an account of monies granted for building churches and glebe-houses with ecclesiastical annals annexed to each diocese and appendixes: containing among other things several cases of quare impedit, (1927), p. 113 Along with other civil parishes in Ireland, its use as a unit of the local administrative unit was gradually replaced by the creation of Electoral Divisions in the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898. The parish formerly belonged to the priory of Malvern, in Worcestershire. In 1773, an act of the Privy Council united the parish with the curacies of Clonsilla and Mulhuddart. The living (of the ecclesiastical parish) was a vicarage in the Diocese of Dublin which was: "... endowed with a portion of the great tithes, and united to the prebend of Castleknock and the rectory of Clonsillagh and curacy of Mullahidart, with cure of souls: it is in the patronage of the Bishop."Lewis, Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837 In 1837, the tithes amounted to £560.
In the Church of Ireland, the Archdiocese of Dublin unites Castleknock and Mulhuddart in the "Grouped Parishes of Castleknock and Mulhuddart with Clonsilla".Church of Ireland - Grouped Parishes of Castleknock and Mulhuddart with Clonsilla There are three extant church buildings that are still in use by the grouped parish: St. Brigid's, Castleknock, situated in the centre of Castleknock. The building – a listed national monument – was completed in 1870.Saint Brigid's Church of Ireland Church, Castleknock Road, CASTLEKNOCK (WITHOUT PHOENIX PARK), Castleknock, Fingal - Register number 11362003 It was rebuilt by a loan of £1000 from the Board of First Fruits and large subscriptions, in 1810. It features a three-stage tower to the west gable with a Gothic tympanum at the entrance and a stained glass window by Harry Clarke that is dedicated to Saint Hubert. St. Thomas', Mulhuddart, situated on the Kilbride Road near Hollystown Golf Club. The building – a listed national monument – was constructed in 1870.Saint Thomas's Church of Ireland Church, Ratoath Road, HOLLYSTOWN, Fingal - Register number 11346001 It features a polygonal bell tower in the south corner. St. Mary's, Clonsilla, situated at the western end of the Clonsilla Road near Clonsilla railway station. The building – a listed national monument – was constructed in 1846.Saint Mary's Church of Ireland Church, CLONSILLA, Clonsilla, Fingal - Register number 11353005 It features stained glass windows by Evie Hone.
In the Catholic Church, the Archdiocese of Dublin divides the civil parish between the following ecclesiastical parishes: "Our Lady, Mother of the Church", Castleknock. Parish of Our Lady, Mother of the Church, CastleknockCatholic Church - Our Lady, Mother of the Church parish "St. Brigid's", Blanchardstown. Parish of St. Brigid, BlanchardstownCatholic Church - St. Brigid's parish "St. Thomas, the Apostle", Laurel Lodge / Carpenterstown. Parish of St. Thomas the Apostle, Laurel Lodge / CarpenterstownCatholic Church - St. Thomas the Apostle parish
Gallery of church buildings
Location and composition The whole parish is within the Dublin 15 postal district. Most of the territory of the parish is within the county of Fingal and administered by Fingal County Council with the exception of three townlands that are in the city proper and administered by Dublin City Council. The core of the parish is centred on the townland and village of the same name. To the north of the parish, the Huntstown Power Station and Corduff sub-supply station are located. The townland at this northern extremity of the parish is Huntstown, not to be confused with Huntstown and Littlepace in the neighbouring parish of Clonsilla. To the south, it is bounded by the River Liffey and Chapelizod. To the west, it is bounded by the civil parish of Clonsilla which is the location of Blanchardstown Shopping Centre. To the east lies the 8th lock of the Royal Canal in the townland of Pelletstown and the Cabra Gate of the Phoenix Park.
Populated places Populated places in the civil parish include: Blanchardstown, Castleknock, Ashtown, Cabra, Corduff, Laurel Lodge.
Townlands Within the civil parish of Castleknock, there are 22 townlands per the table below. For convenience, the table groups the townlands by their location in one of the modern local authority areas.
Modern Local Authority Area Name in Irish & Name in English Acres Image Commons CategoryDublin CityBaile PheiléidPelletstown259Moorings on the Royal CanalAn ChabrachCabra457Primary Care Centre, Navan Road Caisleán Cnucha(cuid de Pháirc an Fhionnuisce)Castleknock (part of Phoenix Park)787Deer by papal crossFingalBaile an AbaAbbotstown101Abbotstown cemeteryBaile an ÁsaighAshtown278Martin Savage memorialBaile an ChairpintéaraighCarpenterstown166Stone placenameBaile an DéanaighDeanestown173Waterville ParkBaile an DiosualaighDiswellstown418Diswellstown streamBaile an HuntaighHuntstown299Baile an PhóirtéaraighPorterstown219Scoil ChoilmBaile BhlainséirBlanchardstown454Spire of St. Brigit's churchBaile MhistéilMitchelstown154Car dealershipBaile ScriobailScribblestown272Former Rathborne's Candles factoryBaile SheáinJohnstown 67Caisleán CnuchaCastleknock1020St Bridget's well. Former bank.CeapachCappoge or Cappagh698Halting site on Cappagh RoadCnoc na gCaorachSheephill349F.A.I. headquartersAn Chorr DhubhCorduff353St Patrick's churchDún SincheDunsink423Dunsink observatoryPáirc AnnaAnnfield 19Apartment buildingsSnugboroughSnugborough 53Steach GobAstagob 93Weir by the Wren's Nest
Gallery
References From
From official parish websites
From
From
Other sources