south dublin Archives - EXCELLENT STREET IMAGES

BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY 1 MAY 2023

Sandymount Strand is a large strand on the east coast of Ireland, adjacent to the village and suburb of Sandymount in Dublin. It is part of South Bull – a major component of the south side of Dublin Bay, and part of the Dublin Bay Biosphere Reserve. South Bull is a mirror to the North Bull sandbank, which grew into North Bull Island.

Sandymount Strand is a popular place for locals to take a walk. People, and in the past – there is no longer public vehicular access – cars, have been occasionally trapped by the incoming tide. A large inlet of water that remains even at low tide is known locally as “Cockle Lake”.

Residents of Sandymount are calling for an independently led taskforce to manage a number of major projects planned along the Strand Road over the coming years. They are currently facing 12 months of disruption due to Irish Water replacing a century-old 3km water pipeline in the area.

Late last year Sandymount residents were threatening legal action against Dublin City Council for allowing “dangerous and damaging” noise levels on the coastal Strand Road.

The road is the loudest in the city according to the council’s own monitoring equipment and has breached levels which “threaten health” under the council’s noise policy.

The road that runs along Dublin Bay has been the focus of a long-running dispute over the council’s plans to install a cycle path, which would require a one-way traffic system on the road.

In March of 2023 Eirgrid announced that options for the installation of 50km of underground electricity cables across Dublin were likely to cause traffic disruption for up to five years.

The Powering Up Dublin project will require a “considerable amount of roadworks”, EirGrid has said, and will have the widest impact on the south of the city with disruption in Sandymount almost inevitable.

2 APRIL 2023

All going well I will visit Dalkey again on Wednesday and explore the area in greater detail … I am assuming the the the weather will be suitable.

One of the patron saints of Dalkey is St. Begnet, a probable seventh-century figure. A ruined church and a holy well on Dalkey Island are named for her, as is another ruined church near the town centre.

The main settlement was founded as a Viking community and became an active port during the Middle Ages.

Dalkey developed increasing strategic value as a port for bulk shipments bound for Dublin during the 15th century. The channel between Dalkey Island and the mainland provided ideal conditions for unloading galleons carrying heavy cargo due to its depth (relative to Dublin Bay) and its sheltered position. The treacherous shallows of Dublin Bay prevented direct shipments into the city centre, making Dalkey an ideal access point for trade.

Although seven 15th-16th century castles were originally built in the area, by 1837 it was noted (in Samuel Lewis’s Topographical Dictionary of Ireland) that:

Four of its ancient castles have been entirely destroyed, and the remains of three others which have been long dismantled, convey striking indications of their former importance; one has been converted into a private dwelling, another is used as a store, and the third as a carpenters shop.
Dalkey’s remaining Norman castle is now in use as a heritage centre and town hall.

south dublin

STRAND ROAD AND SANDYMOUNT STRAND

RANDOM IMAGES OF DALKEY VILLAGE