Walking Tour of Drumcondra with Pat Liddy

Listen to kj's "Drumcondra - A History" on YouTube  

Drumcondra is a busy thoroughfare in inner suburbia. However, it is a surprisingly hidden place and has a rural aspect to it even though it just a mile and a half north of Dublin's city centre.

Drumcondra was just a little village in the 17th and 18th century and the area was then called Clonturk aka Ceann Torc (the headland of the Boar) and later Cluain Torc (possibly influenced by Cluain Tarbh nearby). Eventually this area ended up being called after the village of Drumcondra aka Droim Conrach (Conrach's ridge). The ridge of Conrach encouraged the building of the road here...

Drumcondra Road (M1 Motorway) as we know it today, was not the original main highway to the north of Ireland; Finglas Road was. However, Drumcondra Road is based on top of one of Europe's oldest roads – the Slí Míluachra which converged on Tara. The Sligh Midhluachra was one of 5 Celtic highways built about the 2nd Century B.C thus predating  the Roman roads by several centuries. Built in stone, logs and other firm material, the road had to be wide enough to permit the passing of two chariots.

Lower Drumcondra Road, previously Drumcondra Lane, stretches from the Royal Canal northwards to the River Tolka. Upper Drumcondra Road was known as Santry Lane. It may be possible to spot old milestones along this road, telling the distance from the G.P.O.

The Cat & Cage Pub is one of the oldest Mail Coach pubs left in the country. After leaving Drumcondra, mail coaches were regularly subject to attack by Highwaymen.

Drumcondra Church (Church of Ireland) on Church Avenue aka St John the Baptist Church was built in 1743, paid for by Mary Coghill, to the memory of her brother Marmaduke Coghill. It was built on the site of an ancient graveyard  (in use since medieval times). Many historically famous names (esp. architects) are interred here at Drumcondra Cemetery:

Patrick Heeney (1881-1911) – Composer of Ireland's National Anthem 'A Soldier's Song'

George Semple (1700-1782) – one of the great architects of Dublin (e.g. of St. Patrick's Cathedral, St. Patrick's Hospital and Essex Bridge aka Grattan Bridge).

Captain Francis Grose (1731-1791)  who wrote two famous books on the heritge of Ireland in 1791.

James Gandon (1742-1824)  Dublin's most illustrious and innovative architect  (e.g. The Custom House, the Four Courts, King's Inns in Dublin).

Clonturk House (Ormond Road)

One of several big houses when Drumcondra was very fashionable. Now part of the Rosmini Fathers' School for the Blind. A charlatan named Charles Duval opened pleasure gardens here and a "curative" spa (hence Spa Mount, Drumcondra). Many of the carved stone balastrades in front of Clonturk House originated from the Old Carlisle Bridge in Dublin.

Drumcondra Castle (part of St Joseph's School for the Blind).

Drumcondra House aka All Hallows Missionary College (Gracepark Road aka Goosegreen Avenue) The College was named after All Hallows Priory aka Trinity College.  The Coghill family lived in a house here. Sir Edward Lovell Pearse (who built the House of Parliament aka Bank of Ireland) built this house in 1726 for Sir Marmaduke Coghill who had lived in Belvedere House (now the President's House in St. Pat's College DCU).

SEE ALSO: Dublin 1610 to 1756