Lucan, Dublin

Lucan Leamhcán
Town
Lucan Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 53°21′16″N 6°26′55″W / 53.3544°N 6.4486°W / 53.3544; -6.4486Coordinates: 53°21′16″N 6°26′55″W / 53.3544°N 6.4486°W / 53.3544; -6.4486
Country	Ireland
Province	Leinster
County	Dublin
Council	South Dublin
Dáil Éireann	Dublin Mid-West
European Parliament	Dublin
Population (2016)
• Urban	32,134
Time zone	WET (UTC+0)
• Summer (DST)	IST (WEST) (UTC-1)
Irish Grid Reference	O029352
Website	www.sdcc.ie

Lucan (Irish: Leamhcán, meaning "place of elms") is a suburban town in West Dublin. It is located 13 km from Dublin city centre and is situated on the River Liffey and River Griffeen. It is located just off the N4 road and is close to the county boundary with County Kildare. It is also connected by road to Clondalkin, Palmerstown and Dublin city centre.^[1]

History

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1821	1,162	—
1831	1,229	+5.8%
1841	562	−54.3%
1851	578	+2.8%
1861	552	−4.5%
1871	523	−5.3%
1881	691	+32.1%
1891	843	+22.0%
1901	972	+15.3%
1911	919	−5.5%
1926	849	−7.6%
1936	867	+2.1%
1946	1,029	+18.7%
1951	1,297	+26.0%
1956	1,594	+22.9%
1961	1,657	+4.0%
1966	2,100	+26.7%
1971	4,245	+102.1%
1981	11,763	+177.1%
1986	12,259	+4.2%
1991	13,931	+13.6%
1996	19,821	+42.3%
2002	33,272	+67.9%
2006	37,424	+12.5%
2011	45,861	+22.5%
[2][3][4][5][6]

In the Irish language, 'leamhcán' means 'place of the elm trees'. Another interpretation "Place of the Marshmallows" is mentioned in Francis Elrington Ball's "History of the County Dublin" (1906), marshmallow being the flower and not the confectionery.^[7] "The name probably comes from a people that travelled by river, as Lucan is the first place that elm trees are encountered if travelling inland from the Liffey.^[7]

There is evidence of pre-historic settlement around Vesey Park, though not much archaeological investigation has been carried out in the area. There is a suggestion that an ancient road that linked into the Tara network ran through what is now modern Lucan village, continuing up the hill towards Esker Cemetery. In an area known as The Hollow just outside the village, there had been several reported sightings of a Bigfoot type creature in recent weeks in August 2016. However the mystery was solved when it was revealed to be a Kerryman who lost his way home after The All Ireland Senior Football semifinal defeat to Dublin.

When Oliver Cromwell came to Ireland, Lucan was a village of 120 inhabitants.

In 1566 Sir William Sarsfield acquired Lucan Manor, and the property became closely associated with the Sarsfield family. Patrick Sarsfield, the Irish Jacobite leader, was born in Lucan and was granted the title Earl of Lucan by King James II.

Currently on the site of Sarsfield's castle beside the town is Lucan House, built around 1770 by Rt. Hon. Agmondisham Vesey, who had married into the Sarsfield family. The circular ground floor dining room is said to have been an inspiration for the Oval Office of the White House. The decorative plasterwork was carried out by Michael Stapleton. Over the years, the house passed out of the Vesey family and since 1947, has been the residence of the Italian ambassador to Ireland. In the grounds of the house is the spa, the waters of which attracted people to the town in previous times.

The influence of the Sarsfield and Vesey families on Lucan is still apparent in the locality. For example, the local Gaelic Athletic Association club is Lucan Sarsfields and a pub in the town bears the name 'The Vesey Arms' aka Kenny's.

The discovery of a sulphurous spa in Lucan in 1758 brought the district into prominence, and it became a mecca for weekend parties from Dublin and the surrounding countryside. A ballroom was erected and subsequently a hotel.^[8]

Most of the structures in Lucan Village were constructed as part of a large redevelopment of the town around 1815.

It is said that the oldest bridge in Ireland, King John's bridge, is in Lucan in Griffeen Park. Griffeen Park is the most popular park in Lucan named after the River Griffeen which flows through it. Griffeen park holds many facilities such as football and GAA pitches, a playground, a leisure centre, and also a skate park.

Transport and access

Old Lucan village is located north of the N4/M4 national primary west/northwest motorway. The southern townlands of Lucan are located close to the N7/M7 national primary south/southwest motorway. The village is approximately 5K west of the M50 Dublin ring road. An outer-orbital distributor called the Outer Ring Road, designated as R136, from the N4 (Woodies) interchange to the N81 Tallaght Bypass was completed in 2008. It is proposed that this will be eventually extended north to Blanchardstown.

Lucan is located between two major national/commuter railway lines. The original Lucan North (Leixlip) Station on the north/northwest line and Lucan South station on the south/southwest line were closed in 1941 and 1947 respectively. The green field development of the Lucan townlands as a major residential area was predicated on the prime location between the motorways and railways. Adamstown railway station has recently re-opened to serve the area. It is located south of Finnstown, Lucan. This station will also service significant further developments planned to the south of Adamstown townlands and the south/southwest commuter line.

A new Luas line for the town was planned under Transport 21. The town was to be included the Metro West line. Both projects are now abandoned.

Dublin Bus provides several bus services to the area, including the following

• 25 Merrion Square-Dodsboro via Lucan village ^[9]
• 25A Merrion Square-Esker Church via Foxborough,Finnstown Abbey ^[10]
• 25B Merrion Square-Adamstown Railway Station via Foxborough,Finnstown Abbey ^[11]
• 25D Merrion Square-Adamstown Railway Station via Newcastle Rd^[12]
• 25N Westmoreland Street-Adamstown^[13]
• 25X UCD Belfield-Dodsboro via city centre,Lucan village ^[14]
• 66 Merrion Square-Maynooth (straffan Road) via Lucan village,Leixlip ^[15]
• 66A Merrion Square-Leixlip (Captains Hill) via Lucan village,Leixlip ^[16]
• 66B Merrion Square-Leixlip (Castletown HP factory) via Lucan village,Leixlip ^[17]
• 66N Westmoreland Street-Leixlip (Louisa bridge)via Glen Easton ^[18]
• 66X UCD Belfield-Maynooth/Captains Hill/Castletown via Lucan By-pass ^[19]
• 67 Merrion Square-Maynooth Railway Station via Lucan village,Celbridge ^[20]
• 67N Westmoreland Street-Maynooth via Celbridge ^[21]
• 67X UCD Belfield-Celbridge (Salesian College) via Lucan By-pass ^[22]

Feeder routes such as the 239 from Liffey Valley shopping centre to Blanchardstown via the north of the town along the Strawberry Beds also run. Dublin Bus provides Nitelink services with the 25N serving south Lucan and the 66N serving Lucan village. Some independent bus operators also serve Lucan.

Lucan has an airport, Weston Airport, located to the west of Lucan near the Dublin/Kildare border. This expanding facility conducts pilot training and serves privately owned light aircraft and helicopters. It new terminal is located south of the M4 to the east of the Dublin Celbridge Road and Kildare border.

Culture and identity

Lucan is generally considered in two parts - old and new Lucan. Lucan consists of the main town of Lucan, containing smaller roads and shops, the local CBS, national schools, St. Mary's Church and housing estates such as Esker Lawns, Lucan Heights and Beech Park, Authur Griffith Park, Hillcrest, Woodview, Airlie Heights, Dodsboro, Ardeevin, Kew Park, Vesey Park, Roselawn, Esker Cotteges and other single dwellings along Lucan road and Newcastle road and in Mill bank which is north of the village, all resting in the Liffey Valley. New Lucan is considered to be the majority of the newer housing developments which were built during the Celtic tiger housing boom.

Lucan has undergone enormous change since the early-1990s. After the building of the M50 motorway and N4 interchange, and the staggering increase in house prices and jobs during the Celtic Tiger era of the 1990s and 2000s, Lucan quickly became one of the more reasonably priced areas in the south Dublin area. Given its easy access to Dublin City and relatively modest house prices compared to older more established areas in closer proximity to Dublin City many thousands of homes were built in a matter of years. Building development is still ongoing on a large, albeit massively reduced scale today. Where once it was considered as a completely separate satellite town of Dublin, Lucan is now perceived as part of the Dublin urban area (although the M50 motorway ensures that the two do not physically merge with each other), and it is the first town one meets when leaving Dublin on the N4.

With the large population increases came jobs and high-profile retail developments, but traffic congestion has become a problem. Upgrade schemes are complete for both the N4 and N4/M50 interchange to help remedy these problems.

Lucan is one of the strongholds of Indian community settled in Ireland, who came to Ireland for various job purpose mainly in nursing field. There is a club called Kerala House in Lucan Village that conducts various cultural programs especially Keralite Cultural Programs and religious festivals of various religions/Christian denominations in India like Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Christians, Indian Orthodox Christians, Syriac Catholics, Indian Catholics, Malankara Catholics, Latin Catholics, Syriac Marthomites, Islamic, Hindu etc.

Lucan House is a seven bay two storey over basement country house. It was built in the late eighteenth century, when Agmonisham Vesey cleared the previous residence and commenced construction in 1772. The architecture is in part the work of Agmondisham and also William Chambers with Michael Stapleton responsible for the plasterwork. The estate passed through the Sarsfield, Vesey and Colthurst families through marriage and in 1954 became residence of the Italian Ambassador. The remainder of the estate land is now Liffey Valley Park.^[23]

Local Attractions

Griffeen Valley Park

The Griffeen Valley Park runs along the Griffeen River, with some smaller outlying park areas among housing developments to the West. The main area of the park is split by the Lucan Bypass, with Vesey Park on one side and Griffeen Park on the other. The most important feature of the Griffeen Valley Park is the old woodland in Vesey Park that was retained when the park was formed. This woodland is most extensive along the Griffeen River and contains mature deciduous and coniferous trees. The most important area on the river is the wet woodland containing the most extensive fern and bryophyte growth recorded in the five parks surveyed. The woodland also provides the habitat for the protected species Hypericum hirsutum.^[24]

Education and Library

Lucan has a number of schools, including an Educate Together primary school, Lucan Community College Esker, Scoil Áine & St. Thomas's Primary schools (Esker, mixed VEC school), Coláiste Phádraig (a Christian Brothers secondar school), St. Joseph's Girls school, St. Mary's Boys National School, St. Mary's Girls Primary School, St. Andrew's (mixed) National School and Divine Mercy National School (mixed primary),Schoil Mhuire (mixed primary) and there are two Irish speaking primary schools Gaelscoil Eiscir Riada and Gaelscoil Naomh Pádraig (mixed) and an Irish speaking secondary school Coláiste Cois Life. Many students living in Lucan attend Confey College in Leixlip and Adamstown Community College, Adamstown.There is also the International School of English (ISE) for those wanting to learn English as a 2nd or 3rd language situated in the heart of Lucan village.

Divine Mercy National School

Diving Mercy, formerly called Archbishop Ryan Senior National School, is a seconday school built in 2005, home to 631 students.

Lucan Library

Lucan Library is a part of a network of libraries in South Dublin. The library has been a part of Lucan Shopping Centre and the Lucan community since the shopping centre opened. Your library card is your passport to everything the library offers - it is a FREE service and there is something for everyone. The library offers thousands of books, eBooks, DVD's, CD's, a reference and Local Studies section, magazines and digital collections. You have access to computers, WIFI and the internet. The library also offers a photocopying and printing service. Lucan Library also provides a wide range of events throughout the year. These include pre-school and children's activities, computer and language classes, book festivals, lectures, arts and crafts and online reference and language services. All events are FREE to attend. Joining the library is also easy. Some photo ID and some proof of address is required.^[25]

Media

In December 2013 Impression Design & Print launched a free magazine in Lucan (The Lucan Link, shortened to The Link). http://www.thelinkdirect.ie/ The magazine is distributed free to 15,000 homes every month, a further 1,000 copies are distributed to business addresses in Lucan. It usually contains items of local interest and offers from local business's and has been of great benefit to the business community in Lucan.

In February 1967 the Lucan Newsletter was first published. The Lucan Newsletter is a journal of local events for the area with the function being to provide a platform for the various organisations of the area to publish news of their forthcoming activities and to report on their meetings. The journal is produced and published weekly by volunteers.^[26]

Liffey Sound Communications Co-operative Society Limited, a not-for-profit, runs Liffey Sound FM which is Lucans community radio station. Liffey Sound FM is another local media source run entirely by volunteers.^[27] The station has been broadcasting since July 2006.

Other local media sources include weekly newspapers the Liffey Champion which is a local newspaper for the Lucan area of South Dublin and North Kildare, The Echo which is published in Lucan as the Lucan Echo and the Lucan Gazette.

Lucan Life started in March 2014 and is the main Lucan Facebook page with over 11,000 followers sharing photos, news and events in Lucan.

Employment

The area is primarily a residential one, though employment does exist. One of the major employers within the region is the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre in North Clondalkin, though there are a number of other businesses in the area. There are major businesses in the nearby areas of southwest Dublin such as Citywest and Tallaght. Intel and Hewlett-Packard are also major employers, located nearby in Leixlip, Co. Kildare, with further employment close by in Blanchardstown, in Fingal, such as eBay's European operations. There are various nursing homes in Lucan including Lucan Lodge Nursing Home at Ardeevin Drive, Lucan Village which can accommodate 72 residents and employs more than 70 people. Lucan is mainly a large commuter town with the majority of the working inhabitants travelling into Dublin on the bus or by car. Lucan is also home of many different public houses, six of which are all located in Lucan village. These pubs are a good source of employment as they need staff to run day time and also night time shifts.

Shopping

There are numerous places in Lucan in which locals can shop, with a main street full of shops such as newsagents like Centra, bookmakers, banks, charity shops, IT shops and cafés. Local supermarkets include: SuperValu, formerly Superquinn,is located in the Lucan Shopping Centre. The rest of the centre contains a Dunnes Stores, Peter Mark, McDonald's along with a Community Library. Tesco in Hillcrest, which has a Domino's Pizza beside it. Lidl's campus contains the Penny Hill, a Eurospar and a taxi company.

Liffey Valley Shopping Centre and Blanchardstown Centre are only a short drive from Lucan Village, while Lucan's inhabitants are only a 20-minute drive away from Dublin City.

Accomodation in Lucan

The Lucan Spa Hotel

The Lucan Spa Hotel is a traditional Irish family hotel and is located on the N4, just off the M50, 15 minutes from Dublin Airport and 20 minutes from Dublin city centre. The Lucan Spa Hotel offers spacious and comfortable rooms. These luxurious rooms all have en suite bathrooms and satellite TV. Wireless internet access is available throughout the hotel.The Earl Bistro serves breakfast in the morning and a lunchtime carvery menu. The charming Hanora D Restaurant has an evening a la carte menu, whilst The Ballynetty Bar offers bar food.The hotel has become one of the most exclusive wedding venues in recent years following the redevelopment of the wedding facilities, including the brand new Boyne Suite Banqueting Area.^[28]

Lucan Lodge Guest House

Lucan Lodge is a modern guest house located in Weston Way, Lucan, Co. Dublin. Accommodation is affordable from €35 per night upwards. All rooms have an en-suite with cable TV and tea and coffee. Internet, phone and fax facilities are available. There are various types of rooms from Single’s & Twin’s to Doubles & Treble’s to Family. They also have a room which caters for disabled guests.^[29]

Local Organisations and Charities

Pieta House

Pieta House opened its doors a decade ago with Lucan in County Dublin the centre of operations. In the intervening years they have seen and helped over 20,000 people in suicidal distress or engaging in self-harm, and established eight subsequent centres, three in the greater Dublin area- Ballyfermot, Tallaght and Finglas and five further centres to cater for the rest of the country in Limerick, Cork, Tipperary, Galway and Kerry. In 2003, founder and former CEO, Joan Freeman a practising psychologist, closed down her own counselling business and dedicated her time to finding out how she could help people who were suicidal - what would be beneficial to them and help them get through their dark time. After three years of research, she opened up Pieta House, which quickly became a respected and recognised service for those who were suicidal. From humble beginnings, Pieta House has grown to almost 180 therapists and administration staff, and the demand for the service hasn't let up. To that end, in 2015 alone, in excess of 5000 people came through the doors suffering from suicidal ideation or engaging in self-harm.^[30]

Lucan Disability Action Group (LDAG)

Lucan Disability Action Group is located in Unit 24, Hills Industrial Estate, Lucan, Co. Dublin. It was established in October 2000 to address the needs of people with a disability in the Lucan area, by eight members of the local community. They felt there was a need to have an organization in place that would focus on the issues and needs of people with disabilities in the greater Lucan and Dublin area. Joe T. Mooney spearheaded this group and continued to lead it with enthusiasm and great vision until his untimely death in 2015. Through the knowledge and personal experience of its members, Lucan Disability Action Group, is acutely aware of the difficulties faced by people with a disability in counteracting the marginalization, exclusion and disempowerment, which many people with a disability have experienced. LDAG members are also aware of the issues in relation to unemployment and marginalisation in general, as 70% of Irish people with a disability are unemployed.^[31]

Sport

GAA

Lucan has a Gaelic football team, Lucan Sarsfields, it was founded in 1886 and is located on the 12th lock. Sarsfields currently have two county representatives on the football team and four on the hurling team. They won the u/21 Dublin Football Championship and a Minor double of Football and Hurling in 2005. Lucan Sarsfields U21 B team won the Callum Sally Cup in 2005 and again in 2009. The Dublin Hurling captain Johnny McCaffrey, plays for Sarsfields. Westmanstown Gaels are also located nearby at the Westmanstown Sports Centre. They are a GAA team.

An Irish-language GAA club Na Gaeil Óga CLG started a juvenile structure in the area in September 2014 and are currently based in a Gaelscoil and a Gaelcholáiste in the area, Gaelscoil Naomh Pádraig and Coláiste Cois Life.^[32]

Football

Several football teams play in the area, such as Arthur Griffith Park FC, Beech Park, Esker Celtic, Ballyowen Celtic and Lucan United FC.

Boxing

Esker Amateur Boxing Club is an amateur boxing club located in the Lucan area. They are currently one of the most progressive boxing clubs in Ireland and they continue to expand and prosper. They were founded to help cater for the large interest in competitive amateur boxing in the area. In November and December 2013, the club hosted the first ever All Female Amateur Boxing tournament in Ireland. It has grown to become Europe's largest female only boxing tournament with 300 plus boxers expected to register for the 2016 event.

In January 2008, Lucan Boxing Club reformed after a few years break. The club was very successful in its first season back winning the Dublin Junior Club of the Year for the 2008/2009 season.

Tae Kwon Do

Lucan Tae Kwon-Do school has been in the area since 1992 and has recently moved to the Adamstown Educate Together National School. The school is run by 7th Degree Black Belt Instructor Master Val Douglas.

American Football

The Dublin Dragons American Football Team are based in Lucan.

Skateboarding

A skatepark was opened in 2007 beside the local leisure centre, after a lengthy campaign began in the late 1980s by local skaters. There is also a children's playground beside the skatepark.

Rugby

Barnhall RFC is the nearest rugby team to Lucan. They are located in Leixlip.

Athletics

Lucan Harriers Athletic Club are based in Lucan.

Golf

The two main golf courses in Lucan are Lucan Golf Club and Hermitage Golf Club. Both courses boast a rich heritage as each is over 100 years old. There is a healthy rivalry between the courses when they meet in GUI competitions. Both courses are thriving members' clubs.

Liffey Valley Par 3 is a par 3 golf course that is situated between Leixlip and Lucan. It is a popular course which has recently built a pitch and putt course on site.

Basketball

Liffey Celtics Basketball Club is a basketball club for girls aged 7–18, and boys aged 7–13. There are 13 (8 girls & 5 boys) underage basketball teams competing in the Dublin Area Board League and Cup competitions. Training and home matches take place at the Colaiste Cois Life (Lucan), Leixlip Amenities Centre, and Confey GAA (Leixlip). The club has a senior women's team competing in the Basketball Ireland Super League.
Their website is http://www.liffeyceltics.ie

Awards for Lucan

Tidy Towns 2013

In September 2013, Lucan Village took the South Dublin title for Tidy Towns. Lucan Tidy Towns came up trumps in the SuperValu Tidy Towns award contest, winning first place in the South Dublin County Category. Its environmental group received the first prize of €1,000 for their efforts at keeping Lucan a tidy place to live in. Cllr William Lavelle (FG) congratulated Lucan Tidy Towns on yet again winning the South Dublin category in that year's Tidy Towns competition, scoring 278 points. He was an active volunteer with Lucan Tidy Towns during 2013 and assisted with litter picking operations in Lucan Village. Cllr Lavelle was also a chairman of the Lucan Village Network, of which Lucan Tidy Towns is a member.^[33]

Gold Standard Award for Lucan Leisure Centre 2016

On Friday November 11, 2016 Greg Waters and Emer Kavanagh attended the National White Flag Awards in the Hudson Bay Hotel where they were presented with Gold Standard Award for Leisure facilities. Although Lucan Leisure Centre is one of the longest participating facilities in the White Flag audit process nationwide and has, in previous years achieved the Bronze standard it is a massive achievement to be awarded Gold and indicates the efforts being made to provide excellent customer service and activities in the facility.^[34]

Notable people from Lucan

• James Gandon – architect^[35]
• Joanne Doyle – Irish dancer with Riverdance^[36]
• John and Edward Grimes, known professionally as Jedward – singing duo^[35]
• Liam Lawlor – politician^[35]
• Patrick Sarsfield – Anglo-Norman soldier^[35]
• Paul Noonan – singer^[35]
• Paul Gogarty – politician
• Aaron Callaghan – football manager
• Jake Carroll – professional footballer
• Ernest Shackleton – Antarctic explorer
• Derek McGrath – professional footballer
• Conor McGregor – mixed martial artist
• Derek Keating - Politician
• Joanna Tuffy - Politician
• Joan Freeman - Founder of Pieta House

Notes and references

• Note on population: Lucan was officially considered as part of Dublin City from the 1996 census onward, meaning that the census does not list the town's population as a whole, but it is arrived at by adding the Lucan areas (Lucan-Esker, Lucan Heights and Lucan-St Helen's) to provide an overall population. It is also important to note that for planning purposes Lucan and Clondalkin are often considered as a single entity.

External links

• South Dublin County History
• South Dublin County Images
• Lucan Concert Band