Baldoyle

Location and Access

Baldoyle is located north east of the city, and borders Donaghmede, which was formed from its western part, Portmarnock, Sutton and Bayside. It can be accessed from the coast road from Dublin to Howth, which includes a cycle track, from Sutton Cross via Station Road, or from Donaghmede, or Portmarnock. Baldoyle is served by Dublin Bus and Irish Rail, the latter currently via the Sutton and Bayside stations on the Howth Branch of the DART, and by Clongriffin station on the Northern Branch.

A major townland of Baldoyle, encompassing much of what is now Donaghmede, is Grange, indicating that it was previously farmland.

Name

The district name derives from baile meaning town and dubh-ghaill meaning "dark stranger", the name given by the Gaels to the Danes to distinguish them from the Norwegians or "fair strangers" (finn-ghaill) who first settled in Ireland in 841-842. While it is sometimes rendered as "Doyle's town" with reference to the personal name Doyle which itself derives from dubh-ghaill, there is no evidence for this usage - see previous references.

Features and Development

Baldoyle village today has a coastal main street, with a Roman Catholic church and community hall, a modern library with great sea views, some shops-including Lidl, pubs and a secondary school, St. Mary's. Slightly inland, among the older suburban houses, are a small shopping precinct, a football club and other amenities. On the approach from the coast road is another large secondary school, Pobalscoil Neasáin and the well-known pub, the Elphin, while on the road into Donaghmede is a light industrial estate. There is also a co-educational primary school, St. Laurence's National School. There is another Roman Catholic church in the village.

Among the local residents are the retired members of the Congregation of the Irish Christian Brothers, whose retirement home is located in the town.

Over the early 2000s Baldoyle has been at the centre of a large house building programme, with the former racecourse having been sold to developers. The new developments have begun, as "The Coast", facing a new local centre at the northern edge of Donaghmede, Clongriffin. Clongriffin Dart station opened in April 2010 serving Baldoyle and racecourse developments such as "The Coast", and northern Donaghmede.

Businesses in the area are represented by the Howth Sutton Baldoyle Chamber of Commerce.

Baldoyle Racecourse

For most of the 20th century, Baldoyle was well known for its racecourse, which was one of three in the Dublin metropolitan area. Open land in the village had been an informal venue for horse races in the early nineteenth century, and annual race meetings at the site were proposed in 1842. A new enclosed course was opened in May 1874, which continued in regular use for more than a century, until it was closed in August 1972 due to financial difficulties related to the potential costs of necessary renovations. The following year, on 31 October 1973, one of the most spectacular and audacious escapes from an Irish prison took place when three of the Provisional IRA's key personnel were airlifted to freedom in a hijacked helicopter from Mountjoy Prison. The helicopter touched down at the disused racecourse where the IRA members escaped in waiting cars.

For several years during the 1960s, Baldoyle Racecourse became the destination for annual sponsored charity walks, which were intended to raise funds for the Central Remedial Clinic. In 1968, the walk was led by television personality Jimmy Savile.

Football

Baldoyle is home to two AUL teams, Grange United FC and Baldoyle United. Irish International footballer Robbie Brady, St Patrick's Athletic player James Chambers and international footballer Wesam Alias were born and raised in Baldoyle.

Gaa

Na Dubh Gáll are the local GAA team and has teams across all age groups catering for both girls and boys.

Athletics

All Ireland Long Jump and Sprint champion 2015 Michael Farrelly