Raheny, Dublin, Ireland  (Rath Éanna, Baile Átha Cliath, Éire)

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Virtual Raheny - Touring Online


As you travel with us to see some parts of Raheny, click on any of the pictures, which are small on this page for ease of reading and to speed loading, for a larger view. All pictures have text alternates for slower connections and those with limited vision.

From the crossroads

Coming out from Dublin city along the old Howth Road, we enter the modern district of Raheny at the crossroads Four-way crossroads, seen from the south where four districts meet (Raheny on the east meets Killester to the west and both touch Clontarf to the south and Artane to the north). This was historically simply a direct road from Dublin City towards Howth, with the coastal and inland road connections added over the last century.

We look back from the crossroads into Killester Back to Killester, whose church Church of St. Brigid, Killester holds a relic of St. Brigid, second patron saint of Ireland. Then to our left we glance inland, to Artane Towards Artane along Brookwood Avenue, a road which only came into being in the 1950's. Turning to our right, we look towards Clontarf Towards Clontarf, with the region's Citizens Information Centre on our left. Heading down this road a little, we pass alongside St. Brigid's Boys National School and the Little Sisters' Sybil Hill Residence for the elderly Sybil Hill Residence and turning back at the entrance to the main avenue of St. Anne's Park, we pass St. Paul's College and the site of St. Paul's Swimming Pool St. Paul's Swimming Pool sign, now developed for housing.

Back at the crossroads, we look into Raheny Into Raheny and moving forward, past the lands of Belfield, we reach on our left the first of Raheny's two service stations Texaco Service Station, where once stood Rosevale House, after which the adjoining apartment complex is named. Heading on, we pass over the Naniken River at the site of Ballyhoy Bridge (the bridge is now concealed under the road) and move past the entrance Entrance to St. Anne's to St. Anne's St. Anne's entrance stone, a housing estate built by the city authorities on part of the St. Anne's Estate lands, the greater part of which now form St. Anne's Park, Dublin city's second largest municipal park (the biggest being nearby North Bull Island).

Going gently uphill now, we pass the former site of the Glebe House, home of Raheny's (Church of Ireland) Rectors for many years, and the access to Ennafort Ennafort entrance sign. This is also one way to Harmonstown DART station. On our right, the path and St. Anne's are sheltered by a range of bushes and then a tree avenue Tree-lined Howth Road. To our left we will see Glena Lodge, with a modern rear extension larger than the house and then Howth Road by Raheny House we reach the site of the house known successively as Ballyhoy, The Cottage and Raheny House, which, extended, now serves as a retirement home (formerly Dublin's Garda Retirement Home).

Into the village heart

We are now looking towards the village centre Howth Road approaching village centre and moving on, we pass the beautiful All Saints ChurchAll Saints Church (CoI)All Saints Church on our right All Saints Church, view with noticeboard, then its grounds, in which the current Rectory, Johnson Hall and the pleasant All Saints Lodge sit, and on our left Cill Eanna Cill Eanna entrance and then Raheny Gardens (now part of Howth Road), a cul de sac of houses built for ex-servicemen. We are now in the village centre, moving alongside Raheny Shopping Centre Raheny Shopping Centre, western part, whose main unit is the Supervalu Supermarket Raheny Shopping Centre, eastern part, with a large car park below, and in whose grounds AIB have their building AIB building, on the banks of the Santry River. Meanwhile to our left is the older shopping precinct, with a range of commercial offerings and a car park Old Raheny shopping precinct, with its car park.

Crossing Raheny's main river, the Santry R. Santry at the Scout Den (discussed further on the Features page) on the recently remodelled bridge New Raheny Bridge, we see on our left the old Church lands, with the Scout Den (73rd Unit C.S.I.) Scout Den and its grounds , which also host Raheny Shamrocks, a leading athletics club. Moving on and up to the village centre, we come to the former Credit Union building Raheny and District Credit Union. St. Assam's Church, the former Catholic Parish Church, St. Assam's Church, former church of the Catholic Parish of Raheny is now on its own plot and hosted St. Joseph's Youth Club for many years, before being sold to the Credit Union. Facing all these is the current Catholic Parish Church, that of Our Lady Mother of Divine Grace, Church of Our Lady Mother of Divine Grace, south view one of the dominant features of Raheny Church of Our Lady Mother of Divine Grace, west view 1, in its broad grounds, including substantial car park RC Parish Church, car park focus. The Credit Union (merged with those of Artane and Coolock in recent years) is temporarily housed in a building in church grounds. The church lands once held the Holy Well of St. Assam.

Diagonally opposite the new church are the ruins of old St. Assam's Church Old St. Assam's Church, remaining gable, the heart of the village. Old St. Assam's Church, looking across the centre of Raheny Within this site, which takes in the church and its graveyard, local tradition places a church for over a millennium, perhaps going all the way back to St. Assam or Assan himself! The crossroads between the churches is the centre of Raheny Raheny village centre. Today it features the Millennium Clock West across the village centre, with the Millennium Clock, added by the Raheny Business Association, Federation of Raheny Residents and others to celebrate 2000 and beyond. From here, we can look down into the old village Down from Raheny centre into old village (Main St.) - this is Main Street, and links to the road to the coast and Bull Island. We can also see up to the railway station Down from DART station to village centre and beyond, and of course along the path of our tour, back towards the city and on towards Howth.

The rath (early fortress) from which Raheny takes its name lay under parts of all the items discussed in the previous two paragraphs, from the river across Howth Road and down Main Street and curving round the site of old St. Assam's. Exploratory digs during the 20th century uncovered substantial traces, though the earthen banks and stones were long since eroded for other local use. It is estimated the rath may have had a diameter of over a tenth of a kilometre.

Just behind the old church and on the same "island" is the old schoolhouse The old schoolhouse (1787) , built in 1787 by Samuel Dick, a well-to-do merchant who lived at Violet Hill (later Edenmore and now St. Joseph's Hospital). After Samuel Dick died (1801), this was funded by a Trust (the successor to which still exists) providing an income for "an endowment for a school in Raheny for poor children of all persuasions". This Trust's chief income was the profit from the rent on the eight sturdy cottages Sample of Raheny's Crescent of Raheny's famous (and preserved) Crescent Raheny's Crescent, which lies just up from the central crossroads. One house was sold with Court permission to fund some capital works on Springdale NS, but the rest remain rented from the Trust.

East of the old church is the Village Plaza, on which stands the Hayes Memorial Cross The Hayes Memorial Cross. Opposite is the large Windsor Motors Windsor Motors, Raheny campus and then beyond on the right is Raheny Library Raheny Library (entrance), ever popular with visitors from miles around. On the left we then come to the Bank of Ireland Bank of Ireland, at the entrance to St. Assam's and Rathmore Park Entrance to St. Assam's and Rathmore Park, followed across the road by the former Post Office (later Spar), now a chemist with adjacent dog grooming and hardwareRaheny Post Office and Spar.

East to the coast and Howth

The road then sweeps on Howth Road out of village centre towards Howth, passing a turn for Avondale and Maywood on the right, then one for St. Assam's and Foxfield on the left Turn for St. Assam's and Foxfield, which leads to the St. Assam's shops. Passing through a set of traffic lights, we are at the main entrance to Maywood and Bettyglen (Old Bettyglen - the new estate can only be reached from Watermill Road), to the left Main turn for Maywood and Bettyglen, which leads down tree-lined Maywood Road Maywood Road trees.

A little further along, there is the former Shieling Hotel The Shieling Hotel, a remnant of older days and until its closure the only hotel for quite a distance and Raheny's second service station, once known as Foxhall Service Station Foxhall sevice station (Shell), later Topaz, just before the entrance to Orchard Road and Fox's Lane, once part of the main road Fox's Lane and the site of Raheny-by-the-Sea. Today it still hosts Raheny's surviving thatched cottage Fox's Lane. Opposite is another entrance to Foxfield and just after, also on the left, the former Foxfield House, now called Berehaven. The road then crests and descends Blackbanks Looking back up Blackbanks, passes a last turn for Foxfield and Kilbarrack and merges with the James Larkin coast road as Raheny draws to a close by the sea Raheny meets the coast road, facing Howth Raheny meets the coast road.

The road itself continues through Kilbarrack, past Bayside, and on to Sutton and then Howth, with a turn for the coastal route to Portmarnock and Malahide at Baldoyle.



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