Monkstown, County Dublin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Monkstown
Baile na Manach

Location

Statistics

Province:

Leinster

County:

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County

Post town:

Blackrock

Population ()

Monkstown village.

Monkstown (Irish: Baile na Manach) is a village in the south Dublin suburbs, located in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County, Ireland. It is located on the coast, between the towns of Blackrock and Dún Laoghaire. The DART stations of Seapoint and Salthill and Monkstown serve the village.

Amongst the lands with which it had been endowed were those of Carrickbrennan, now forming the greater part of the civil parish of Monkstown.

1 History
2 Noted buildings
3 Culture
4 Education
5 Famous residents
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

[edit] History

In 1539, King Henry VIII awarded the Monkstown lands to Sir John Travers, Master of the Ordnance in Ireland. John Travers lived in his Castle at Monkstown from 1557 to his death in 1562 and buried in the Carrickbrennan graveyard where the property fell to James Eustace 3^rd Viscount Baltinglass through his marriage to Mary Travers. In 1580, the Castle was used as a rebellion stronghold when it was awarded to Sir Henry Wallop the Vice Treasurer of Ireland. The lands were later returned to Mary, widow Baltinglass who later married Gerald Alymer. On her death in 1610 the Castle was transferred to the Chevers family through the marriage of Mary Travers's sister Catherine to John Chevers, and the property passed directly to his second son Henry Chevers, who married Catherine, daughter of Sir Richard Fitzwilliam. Henry and Catherine Chevers lived with their four children (Walter, Thomas, Patrick, Margaret). Upon the death of Henry in 1640, the castle and lands were passed to Walter Cheevers. Walter and family were given command to vacate Monkstown in 1653 by the Cromwellian Commissioners, and transplanted to Killyan, County Galway. In 1660, Walter Cheevers was restored to his estate at Monkstown Castle, until his death in 1678. Monkstown was later purchased by Bishop of Armagh Michael Boyle where his son enlarged the castle making it one of the finest residences. The Shivers family of America trace their lineage to Thomas Chevers brother of Walter Chevers of Monkstown, through the Cromwellian warrant, authorized on 26 November 1653 for Captain John Whittey to transport the Thomas Chevers family to America.

Monkstown is first mentioned in 1450; Tenants Cistercians at Carrickbrennan, Villa Monachorum.
Records of the Abbey of the Blessed Virgin Mary 1640.
Forfeiting Proprietors under the Cromwellian Settlement 1657.

[edit] Noted buildings

Monkstown Castle, viewed from the east.

Monkstown Castle, viewed from the north.

The town has two old established churches, Saint Mary's Church of Ireland (1831) and Saint Patrick's Catholic Church (1866), both on Carrickbrennan Road. Also established in the modern era are Saint John's Church of the Society of Saint Pius X located at Gamble's Hill, the Kingdom Hall of the Jehovah's Witnesses at Monkstown Farm, and the Meeting Hall of the Society of Friends at the junction of Packenham Road and Carrickbrennan Road.

Monkstown Castle, which was probably built in the 12^th or 13^th centuries, was erected by the monks of the abbey of the Virgin Mary, near Dublin.

Monkstown is also noted for its beautiful coastline, which displays many historical buildings of the Georgian and Edwardian periods. One of the most notable buildings of the Salthill and Monkstown area is a Martello Tower, located at Seapoint beach.

[edit] Culture

Monkstown has a locally known puppet theatre named Lambert Puppet Theatre, it is a family run business. Every year the puppet theatre hosts an international puppet festival. It used to run series on national television, RTÉ. Michael Jackson once saw a puppet show in this theatre. Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, an organisation promoting Irish culture (particularly Irish traditional music), has its headquarters in Monkstown, as does BirdWatch Ireland.

[edit] Education

A Gaelscoil is located in Monkstown, Scoil Lorcáin, which teaches all classes through Irish. A primary school, Monkstown Educate Together National School (METNS) and a Congregation of Christian Brothers School, CBC Monkstown Park, and Holy Family National School are also located in the Monkstown area.

Christian Brother's College consists of two schools; a preparatory school with over 500 students and a secondary school with more than 700 students. CBC caters for boys from junior infants through sixth year.^[1]