Lucan, Dublin


Lucan is a suburban town and village located roughly 12km west of Dublin City Centre on the River Liffey. It is located near the Strawberry Beds and Lucan Weir, and at the confluence of the River Griffeen. The majority of the area lies under the jurisdiction of South Dublin County Council while a small portion north of the River Liffey, including Laraghcon, Westmanstown, St Catherine's Park and Lucan Demesne, lies within the jurisdiction of Fingal County Council. Main road access to Lucan is from the N4, and the M50 motorway at Junction 7.

Etymology

In the Irish language, 'leamhachán' refers to the marsh-mallow plant, used up to modern times in folk medicine and sweet manufacture, and so the name could be rendered as "place of marsh-mallow plants" or "land abounding in marsh-mallows." The plant grows in the Liffey Valley and surrounds, as recorded in the 1837 Ainmleabhar Paróiste, reported by Jackson. In 1615, the placename was described as meaning 'a marshy place'.

History

Early history

There is evidence of prehistoric settlement in Lucan as the features that attracted early people such as river access, fishing, well-drained soil and hunting were all around. There is significant prehistoric activity in the Cooldrinagh townland of Lucan, with early Mesolithic flints found in significant quantities, as well as the remains of two small kerbed passage tombs. In the area around Vesey Park there are remains of a hillfort that may have been the house and enclosure of an early lord of Lucan in medieval times. This enclosure also contained a souterrain, excavated in the 18th century by George Petrie and of which, some of the finds are in the National Museum of Ireland.

Sarsfields and Veseys

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 the castle that had occupied the manor grounds and was granted the title Earl of Lucan by King James II.
Lucan House was built on the site of Sarsfield's castle in 1772, by the Rt Hon. Agmondisham Vesey, who was descended from 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 1942, 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 area. For example, the local Gaelic Athletic Association club is Lucan Sarsfields and a pub in the village bears the name 'The Vesey Arms'.

Spa

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.

19th century onwards

Most of the structures in Lucan village were constructed as part of a large redevelopment around 1815. Later, Lucan was a terminus on the combination of tram lines serving Lucan and Leixlip from Dublin city centre.

Transport and access

Lucan village is located north of the N4/M4 national primary route to the west and northwest of Ireland. The village is approximately west of the M50 Dublin ring road. An outer-orbital distributor called the Outer Ring Road, designated as R136, from the N4 interchange to the N81 Tallaght Bypass, was completed in 2008.
Lucan is located between two major national/commuter railway lines. The original Lucan North Station on the north/northwest line, and Lucan South station on the south/southwest line, were closed in 1941 and 1947, respectively. The greenfield development of the Lucan townlands as a major residential area was predicated on the prime location between the motorways and railways. Adamstown railway station re-opened in 2007 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.
In 2018 it was announced that the Luas is planned to be extended to Lucan under the governments 'Project Ireland 2040' transport plan.
Dublin Bus provides several bus services to the area, including:
Feeder routes, such as the 239, run through Lucan from Liffey Valley shopping centre to Blanchardstown. Dublin Bus provides Nitelink services with the 25N serving south Lucan and the 66N serving Lucan village. Some independent bus operators also serve Lucan.
Weston Airport is located to the west of Lucan near the Dublin/Kildare border. This facility conducts pilot training and serves privately owned light aircraft and helicopters. Its new terminal is located south of the M4 to the east of the Dublin Celbridge Road and Kildare border.

Features

King John's Bridge

It is said that King John's bridge, in Griffeen Park in Lucan, is the oldest surviving bridge in Ireland.

Lucan House

Lucan House is a seven-bay two-storey over basement Palladian country villa. Agmonisham Vesey cleared the previous residence and began construction in 1772. The architecture is the work of Vesey and William Chambers, with Michael Stapleton responsible for the plasterwork. The estate passed through the Sarsfield, Vesey and Colthurst families through marriage and also was once the resident of Charles Hugh O'Conor, the third son of Charles Owen O'Conor and then, in 1954, it was purchased by the Italian Government for use as the residence of the Italian Ambassador to Ireland. The remainder of the estate land is now Liffey Valley Park.

Amenities

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.

Library

Lucan Library is a part of a network of libraries in South Dublin.

Education

Lucan has a number of schools. St. Mary's Boys National School is the oldest school which dates back to 1833. Other schools include St. Mary's Girls Primary School, St. Joseph's Girls Secondary School, Coláiste Phádraig, St. Andrew's National School, Lucan Community College Esker Educate Together primary school, Scoil Áine and St. Thomas's primary schools, Divine Mercy National School, Schoil Mhuire Adamstown Castle Educate Together, St John The Evangelist primary schools and Adamstown Community College There are two Irish-speaking primary schools, Gaelscoil Eiscir Riada and Gaelscoil Naomh Pádraig, and an Irish-speaking secondary school, Coláiste Cois Life.

Media

Lucan has a free magazine, The Link, that contains items of local interest. It is distributed to 15,000 homes and 1,000 copies are distributed to local businesses. The Lucan Newsletter, a venue for local organizations to report on activities and meetings, was first published in 1967, and is produced and published weekly by volunteers. Local newspapers include the Liffey Champion which is a weekly 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 followers sharing photos, news and events in Lucan.
Liffey Sound Communications Co-operative Society Limited, a not-for-profit organisation, runs Liffey Sound FM, the local community radio station. Liffey Sound FM is another local media source run entirely by volunteers. The station has been broadcasting since July 2006.

Economy

In terms of retail, the main street contains the newsagent Centra, bookmakers, boutiques, banks, charity shops, IT shops and cafés. The Lucan Shopping Centre includes SuperValu, Dunnes Store, Peter Mark, and McDonald's, along with a Community Library.
The area is primarily a residential one, but employers in the area include the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, Citywest and Tallaght in southwest Dublin, Intel in Leixlip, Co. Kildare, and eBay's European operation in Blanchardstown.

Local organisations and charities

Pieta House

is a charity, set up by psychologist Joan Freeman, to provide assistance to people experiencing depression and suicidal thoughts. Its main location is in Lucan centre. As of 2015, the combined Pieta House locations were working with more than 5000 people per year.

Lucan Disability Action Group (LDAG)

Lucan Disability Action Group was established in October 2000, to address the needs of people with disabilities in the Lucan area.

Sport

GAA

Lucan has three GAA teams. Lucan Sarsfields, the largest sports organisation in the town, was founded in 1886 and is located on the 12th Lock on the Grand Canal. Lucan Sarsfields 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 in north Lucan at the Westmanstown Sports Centre, which has diversified from its roots as a leisure centre for the Garda Siochana.
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.

Football

Several football teams play in the area: Arthur Griffith Park FC, Griffeen Celtic, Beech Park, Esker Celtic, Ballyowen Celtic, Lucan United FC, and Liffey Valley Rangers FC.

Boxing

Esker Amateur Boxing Club hosted the first ever All-Female Amateur Boxing tournament in Ireland during November and December 2013. It has grown to become the World's largest female-only boxing tournament in 2019 with 19 countries spread over 3 continents attending. Esker Boxing Club have been running a long campaign to build their own permanent clubhouse. They are the largest sports club in Lucan without permanent facilities to work from.
In January 2008, Lucan Boxing Club reformed after a few years hiatus. In its first season back, the club won the Dublin Junior Club of the Year.

Golf

The two main golf courses in Lucan are Lucan Golf Club and Hermitage Golf Club. Both courses are member-run and date back over a hundred years.
Liffey Valley Par 3 is a par 3 golf course that is situated between Leixlip and Lucan.

Basketball

Liffey Celtics Basketball Club is a basketball club for girls aged from 7 up to senior, and boys aged 7 to senior. There are 13 underage basketball teams competing in the Dublin Area Board League and Cup competitions. Training and home matches take place at the Colaiste Cois Life, Leixlip Amenities Centre, and Confey GAA. The club has a senior women's team competing in the Basketball Ireland Super League.

Other sports

Lucan Tae Kwon-Do school has been in the area since 1992, and is run out of the Adamstown Educate Together National School.
A skatepark was opened in 2007 in Griffeen Valley Park, after a lengthy campaign begun in the late 1980s by local skaters.
The Dublin Dragons American Football Team are also based in Lucan.

Awards

In September 2013, Lucan Village claimed the South Dublin title in the Tidy Towns competition.

People