June 2023

NOT A BAD AREA TO LIVE IN

---

Many years ago I lived on Carlingford Road off Lower Drumcondra Road and it was a great experience. The area is well services and while the city centre may be nearby there is no real necessity to leave the Drumcondra area. The only downside, as far as I was concerned, was that the area was over-loaded with fanf whenever there was a match or event in Croke Park … my front porch was frequently used as a toilet.

Drumcondra House was purchased by Rev. John Hand and in 1842 All Hallows College was established.[19] Daniel O’Connell played a part in the purchase of Drumcondra House for All Hallows, from Dublin Corporation. Designed by the architect Sir Edward Lovett Pearce and was built in 1726 for Sir Marmaduke Coghill, from the nearby Belvedere House. The Coghills rented out the house for a time. All Hallows was sold to Dublin City University by the Vincentian Order in 2016.

One of the main sights of Dublin is Croke Park, where Ireland’s national games of Gaelic football and hurling may be seen. It has a capacity of 82,300 people, it is one of the largest sports stadiums in Europe. ‘Croker’ (as it is colloquially known) is the headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association and also houses the official GAA Museum (on St Josephs Avenue, which is off Clonliffe Road). The stadium hosts the finals of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship and All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship. The stadium is a 20-minute walk from Dublin city centre or a 5-minute bus ride.

Fagan’s Public House, Drumcondra Road Lower, where Bertie Ahern took U.S. President Bill Clinton in September 1998. Kennedys Pub on Lower Drumcondra Road is one of the oldest pubs in Drumcondra, predating Fagans by a number of years. Formerly called McPhillips, it has been named Kennedys since 1961.

Tolka Park, the home of League of Ireland side Shelbourne since 1989, is situated on Richmond Road. The site has been used as a soccer pitch since the 1920s, initially by Drumcondra Football Club (Drums) and from 1972 by Home Farm Football Club.

The National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) at Whitworth Road was previously Drumcondra Hospital and is located adjoining the cemetery of St. George’s, whose former parish church is located at Temple Street.

---