Carrickmines

Carrickmines (Irish: Carraig Mhaighin, meaning "Plateau of rock") is an outer suburb of Dublin in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. The area, still semi-rural, was historically on the border of English control and featured a defensive construction, Carrickmines Castle, which became the subject of national controversy during the building of a late stage of Dublin's M50 orbital motorway.

Carrickmines Carraig Mhaighin
Suburb
Carrickmines Retail Park
Carrickmines Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 53.248°N 6.181°W / 53.248; -6.181
Country	Ireland
Province	Leinster
County	Dublin
Elevation	130 m (430 ft)
Population  (2006)
• Urban	6,088
Eircode (Routing Key)	D18
Area code(s)	01 (+3531)
Irish Grid Reference	O236249

Character

Traditionally a rural area, and today a semi-rural suburban region, Carrickmines is now divided northeast/southwest by the M50 motorway, with, to the northeast, more established residential areas, and to the southwest, including along Glenamuck Road, new retail parks, office buildings, housing schemes and apartments.

Geography

Carrickmines developed as a settlement in the more than 6 km long valley of the same name, which contains the modest Carrickmines River and its tributaries. The Ballyogan, Glenamuck and Golf Streams all merge in the vicinity. Downstream at Brennanstown the river merges with St. Bride's Stream, from Foxrock, to form the Loughlinstown River, which in turn meets the Bride's Glen Stream to form the Shanganagh River, which reaches the sea at Killiney Strand.

Leopardstown lies to the northwest, Foxrock to the north, Cabinteely to the northeast and Brennanstown to the east, Ballyogan to the west, Glenamuck to the south, and Laughanstown to the southeast.

History

Carrickminders

Remains of The Carrickminders camp, January 2004

During the construction of the M50 motorway, Carrickmines gained national notoriety when anti-roads protesters calling themselves the Carrickminders set up camp in the area and delayed the completion of the M50 for two years with legal challenges being taken by Vincent Salafia. The objectors claimed that the underground remains of Carrickmines Castle, an Anglo-Norman fort built in the 12th century on the edge of the Pale, was of national importance. Today, much of the uncovered remains are preserved in tunnels and other structures scattered around the interchange. Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council claimed the action greatly increased the cost of the project, which was eventually completed in August 2005.

Development

Junction 15 of the M50 lies at the centre of Carrickmines. The retail park and developments on Glenamuck Road have converted the semi-rural area into a mix of suburban complex, with shops, offices, apartment blocks and housing estates, and a patchwork of remaining farmland.

Retail park

The retail park at Carrickmines, The Park Carrickmines, contains a mixture of retail and office space. It was sold for €100m in 2006,[1] and reportedly garnered the highest retail park rents in Ireland in 2014.[2] In 2015 it was reported as the best performing Irish retail park by The Sunday Times.[3]

2015 blaze

Further information: Carrickmines fire

On 10 October 2015, a large fire swept through a halting site on Glenamuck Road.[4]

Transport

The LUAS Green Line Carrickmines Park and Ride stop lies in the north-east of the settlement. It is also served by regular Go-Ahead Ireland 63 and 63A services which pass through Carrickmines on their route from Dún Laoghaire to Kilternan.[5]

Carrickmines railway station originally lay on the Dublin and South Eastern Railway's Harcourt Street branch line. It opened on 10 July 1854, but finally closed on 1 January 1959.[6]

Cultural references

Carrickmines is mentioned in James Joyce's novel A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, in which it is described as an area dominated by fields.

See also

• List of towns and villages in Ireland

References

1. O'Dwyer, Peter (2014-07-31). "Nama to sell retail parks portfolio". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 2015-07-30.
2. McNieve, Paul (2014-09-18). "So where to now for Ireland's retail park players?". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. Retrieved 2015-07-30.
3. McCaughren, Samantha (2015-04-19). "Retailers struggle in 'unhealthy' shopping parks". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 2015-07-30.
4. Edwards, Elaine (12 October 2015). "Carrickmines fire: Two children remain in hospital". The Irish Times.
5. "Dún Laoghaire to Kilternan" (PDF). Transport for Ireland. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
6. "Carrickmines" (PDF). Railscot – Irish Railways. Retrieved 2007-09-15.