Finglas

Finglas is a residential suburb on the North side of Dublin City in the Republic of Ireland. A couple of miles from Dublin Airport, it is on the N2 road to Slane. The name Finglas (Fionn-ghlas in Irish), meaning a clear streamlet, is derived from the rivulet which flows through the village and joins the Tolka at Finglas bridge.

Finglas first appeared in history as the site of a Celtic abbey, the origin of which has been associated, from early times, with the name of St. Cainnech, or Canice, the patron of Kilkenny, indeed several primary schools and churches in the area have been named after him. According to an ancient legend, the ground on which Finglas stands had been sanctified by St. Patrick, who is said to have uttered from it a prophecy that a great town would arise at the ford of hurdles in the vale beneath.

Finglas was developed to re-house a lot of North Inner-City Dublin inhabitants in the early seventies and eighties.

St. Canice, who is the patron saint of Finglas, was born on Glengiven in Co. Derry. He founded an Abbey in Finglas in 560 AD. The Nethercross from the first abbey can be seen today in the old graveyard.

Although it is much safer than it once was, parts of Finglas are still notorious for high levels of violent and gangland criminal activity.

New Finglas

Like her neighbouring Ballymun Finglas has enjoyed a massive regeneration in recent years and continues to do so to this day. Many dilapidated areas of the village have been torn down and much of the local unused land has been levelled. The old dairy plant in southern Finglas which had been left derelict for many years has made way for several modern apartment blocks, the adjacent land also being used to construct Prospect Hill. The Ardmore Hotel has also been built in this region. There are many other residential, retail and commercial development projects currently underway.

Trivia

• Following the Battle of the Boyne, Finglas was used as a stopping ground for William III of England en route to Dublin city.
• Finglas is the spiritual home of Rugby Union club Unidare RFC.
• Finglas has been the home of many public figures such as:

• Footballers Ronnie Whelan, Frank Stapleton, and Stephen Kelly
• Aslan musicians Christy Dignam & Joe Jewell
• Comedian Brendan O'Carroll
• Actor Colm Meaney
• The lead singer of U2 Bono (Paul Hewson).
• One of Ireland's best writers and poets Dermot Bolger.
• Dermot Bolger's novels "The Woman's Daughter" and "Night Shift" are set in Finglas.

This article is licenced under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Finglas".

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