Ongar, Dublin

Location and access

Ongar is in the Dublin 15 postal district. It is contained within the old civil parish of Clonsilla. The suburb lies on the border of County Meath; the village of Clonee is 2 kilometres to the north. Also to the north is the Littlepace interchange of the N3 national route. To the south lies the Royal Canal with Clonsilla located to the east. It is three kilometres from Blanchardstown Shopping Centre. It is centred on the townland of "Hansfield or Phibblestown". The facade of Hansfield house has been preserved. Pedestrian access is possible to the townland of Castaheany to the north where the tree-lined avenue, house and walled garden of Phibblestown house have been preserved. In this townland, a primary and secondary school are located.

Dublin Bus routes 39 and 39A serve Ongar.

Hansfield railway station opened in June 2013. The station is on the Dublin to Maynooth and Dublin to Dunboyne railway station / M3 Parkway railway station commuter routes. Previously, the nearest railway station was Clonsilla railway station, 20 minutes' walk from Ongar.

Facilities and attractions

Once the residence of Hollywood starlet Rita Hayworth and her husband Prince Aly Khan. Building of the suburb started in 2001 on the site of a former stud farm owned by the prince and continued as recently as 2009.

The area includes a mix of apartments and larger houses. As a greenfield development, Ongar's master plan provided for a main street, where most commercial development would be concentrated, with the intention that it would emulate a traditional Irish village. Main Street has a public house, supermarket, grocery shops, an off licence, a bakery, a turf accountant, a medical centre, hairdressers, a florist, and a number of eating places.

The residential neighbourhoods within Ongar are called Ongar Chase, Ongar Green and Ongar Park. Delhurst, Hayworth, Stralem, Annaly, Willans, Blackwood and Lilys Way are all districts within these neighbourhoods. The recently developed neighbourhood of Barnwell Hansfield could also be considered part of the Ongar catchment.

While the Allenwood estate is within the townland of Hansfield, it is closer to the centre of Hartstown.

Education

The Castaheaney Educate Together Primary School moved to a permanent location in Ongar in June 2008. Scoil Benedict opened in 2010, having been located temporarily in Littlepace during construction. Coláiste Pobail Setanta secondary school is in Phibblestown, situated in Clonee Dublin 15, next to Ongar and was opened in 2008. It also shares a campus with Scoil Ghrainne Primary school.

An Educate Together West Blanchardstown Primary and Secondary school have received government funding to build schools in Ongar close by the new Hansfield Train Station and was scheduled to open in September 2014.

Sport

There are two Gaelic Athletic Association clubs, Erin go Bragh GAA which moved to Littlepace in 2003, and Westmanstown Gaels in the Garda Síochána ground in Westmanstown, near Clonsilla. Clonee United, also based in Littlepace, was formed through the amalganation of two clubs, Casta Celtic, formed in 2002, and Little Pacers F.C., formed in June 2003, with Little Pacers established in 2000. Erin Go Bragh and Clonee United run underage nurseries. Santos soccer club plays beside the Phibblestown Community Centre. The Ongar Chasers basketball club is in Phibblestown Community Centre. Ongar Karate Club is in the Ongar Community Centre, beside Scoil Benedict.

Gaeilge

Ongar is the location of an Irish language organisation 'Pobal Gaeilge 15' which serves Dublin 15. There are local Irish language classes and a parent & child group as well as social nights and an annual 'Féile' featuring local schools and well-known Irish language personalities such as the band Seo Linn, Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh, Tura Arutura, Bláthnaid ni Chofaigh, and Dublin G.A.A. star Ciarán Kilkenny.

Commuter rail

Ongar is served by Hansfield railway station