Malahide

Malahide Mullach Íde
—  Town  —
Malahide Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 53°27′03″N 6°09′16″W / 53.4508°N 6.1544°W / 53.4508; -6.1544Coordinates: 53°27′03″N 6°09′16″W / 53.4508°N 6.1544°W / 53.4508; -6.1544
Country	Ireland
Province	Leinster
County	Dublin
Elevation	3 m (10 ft)
Population (2011)[1]
- Urban	14,039
Irish Grid Reference	O225462
Website	malahide.ie

Malahide (Irish: Mullach Íde) is a coastal suburban town, near Dublin city, located in the administrative county of Fingal,^[2][3] within the traditional County Dublin, Ireland. It has a village-like centre and extensive residential areas to the south, west and northwest.

Name

The modern name Malahide may come from “Mullach Íde” meaning “the hill of Íde” or “Íde’s sand-hill”. It could also mean “Sand-hills of the Hydes” (from Mullac h-Íde) probably referring to a Norman family from the Donabate area.^[4][5] According to the Placenames Database of Ireland the name Malahide is possibly derived from the Irish “Baile Átha Thíd” meaning “the town of the ford of Thíd”.^[6] Malahide Bay was anciently called Inber Domnann, the river-mouth of the Fir Domnann.

Location and access

Malahide is situated 16 kilometres north of the city of Dublin, lying between Swords, Kinsealy and Portmarnock. It is situated on the Broadmeadow estuary, on the opposite side of which is Donabate.

Malahide Harbour (Irelandscape)

The village is served by the DART and the train, run by Irish Rail. The Dublin Bus 42 and 32a day-time routes and 42N Nite-Link route serve the town from Dublin City Centre and the 102 bus route serves local areas.

History

Historical populations
Year	Pop.	±%
1831	294	—
1841	661	+124.8%
1851	596	−9.8%
1861	710	+19.1%
1871	653	−8.0%
1881	670	+2.6%
1891	574	−14.3%
1901	649	+13.1%
1911	685	+5.5%
1926	1,066	+55.6%
1936	1,259	+18.1%
1946	1,540	+22.3%
1951	2,030	+31.8%
1956	2,490	+22.7%
1961	2,534	+1.8%
1966	2,967	+17.1%
1971	3,834	+29.2%
1981	9,158	+138.9%
1986	9,940	+8.5%
1991	12,088	+21.6%
1996	13,539	+12.0%
2002	13,826	+2.1%
2006	14,937	+8.0%
2011	14,039	−6.0%

While there are some remnants of prehistoric activity, Malahide is known to have become a persistent settlement from the coming of the Vikings, who landed in 795, and used Malahide Estuary (along with Baldoyle) as a convenient base. With the arrival of the Anglo-Normans, the last Danish King of Dublin retired to the area in 1171. From the 1180s, the history of the area is tied to that of the Talbot family of Malahide Castle, who were granted extensive lands in the area and over the centuries following developed their estate, and the small harbour settlement.

By the early 19th century, the village had a population of over 1000, and a number of local industries, including salt harvesting, while the harbour continued in commercial operation, with landings of coal and construction materials. By 1831, the population had reached 1223. The area grew in popularity in Georgian times as a seaside resort for wealthy Dublin city dwellers. This is still evident today from the fine collection of Georgian houses in the town and along the seafront, and Malahide is still a popular spot for day-trippers, especially in the summer months.

In the 1960s, developers began to build housing estates around the village core of Malahide, launching the first, Ard na Mara in 1964. Further estates followed, to the northwest, south and west, but the village core remained intact, with the addition of a "marina apartment complex" development adjacent to the village green.

Today

Malahide grew from a population of 67 in 1921 to 1500 in 1960 and later to between 20,000 and 25,000 in 2006, and is still a rapidly growing town for the Dublin area. Most of the population lives outside the core, in residential areas such as Seapark, Biscayne, Robswall, Chalfont, Yellow Walls, Ard Na Mara, Seabury and Gainsborough.

Amenities

In Malahide village there are extensive retail facilities and services including fashion boutiques, hair and beauty salons, florists, food outlets, and a small shopping centre. Traditional shopfronts and several cobble-lock side streets give the village an intimate and welcoming feel. There are a broad range of pubs (including Gibney's, Smyth's and Duffy's) and restaurants and the 150-room Grand Hotel.

There is an ancient covered well, St. Sylvester's, on the old main street (Old Street, previously Chapel Street), which used to have a "pattern" to Our Lady each August 15.

St. Sylvester's Well, Old Street, Malahide, 1989

Malahide also has a substantial marina.

The Marina (Irelandscape)

Near to the village itself is Malahide Castle and demesne, including, gardens, which were once the estate of Baron Talbot of Malahide.

Politics

Malahide is part of the Dáil Éireann constituency of Dublin North, whose four elected representatives are James Reilly of Fine Gael, elected in 2007; Brendan Ryan of the Labour Party, elected in 2011; Clare Daly of United Left Alliance, elected in 2011; and Alan Farrell of Fine Gael, elected in 2011.

Past sitting TDs have included Nora Owen (Fine Gael), Sean Ryan (Labour), and the Fianna Fáil member G.V. Wright, who was disgraced after an incident in which he drove his car into a nurse while over the legal alcohol limit for driving.^[7]

Malahide forms part of the Howth/Malahide Local Electoral area of Fingal County Council. The current Malahide based representatives of the five seat area are Alan Farrell (Fine Gael) and Eoghan O'Brien (Fianna Fáil). Although not resident of Malahide, the other three representatives are Peter Coyle (Labour - Portmarnock), Cian O'Callaghan (Labour - Sutton) and Joan Maher (Fine Gael - Bayside).

Leisure and organisations

The Malahide area has more than twenty residents' associations, sixteen of which (May 2007) work together through the Malahide Community Forum, which publishes a quarterly newsletter, The Malahide Guardian.

There is an active historical society (with a small museum at Malahide Castle Demesne), a Lions club, a camera club, a musical and drama society, the renowned Enchiriadis choirs, a chess club and a photography group which has published calendars.

Aside from Malahide Castle Demesne, there are a number of smaller parks (with further spaces planned, for example, at Robswall and Seamount). There are several golf courses nearby, and GAA, soccer, tennis, rugby, yacht clubs and Sea Scouts.

Sport

There are also a wide variety of sports clubs within the Malahide area. Rugby, soccer, GAA sports, sailing, hockey, golf, cricket and basketball are all well represented.

Gaelic games

• St Sylvesters is the local Gaelic Athletic Association club.

Basketball

Malahide Basketball Club was formed in 1977 and currently fields 3 senior ladies teams and 10 junior girls teams (from under 10 to under 18). They train and play all their home matches at Malahide Community School.

Hockey

Originally Malahide Hockey Club now amalgamated with Fingal Hockey Club (formerly Aer Lingus) to become Malahide Fingal Hockey Club. An all female club they currently field four senior teams and have a junior section of nine teams aged between 7 and 16. All teams for play and train in Broomfield Malahide.

Cricket

Malahide Cricket Club ([1]) was founded in 1861 and is situated within Malahide Castle demesne, near the railway station. The club has over 400 members and is open all year round. The club currently fields 20 teams (5 Senior Men’s, 3 Ladies, 12 youth and a Taverners side). Both the men’s and women’s premier teams compete (in their respective leagues) at the highest grade of cricket played in Ireland. The club is currently seeking an international standard (ODI - One Day International) pitch within Malahide Demesne which it hopes to complete by the summer of 2010. This project will also see the development of a 2nd "club" pitch on the nearby Lady Acre within Malahide Demesne.

Soccer

Malahide United AFC ([2]) was founded in 1944 and currently fields 60 schoolboy/girl teams, from Under 7 to Under 18, and 4 senior teams. They have two Academies, the first one catering for the 5, 6 and 7 year olds and the second one for the 8, 9 and 10 years olds. With over 1,000 registered players, Malahide United is one of the largest clubs in Ireland. The home ground is Gannon Park, which comprises two 11-a-side pitches, one 7-a-side pitch, one 11-a-side floodlit all-weather pitch, one floodlit 5-a-side/warm up all-weather pitch and full clubhouse facilities.

Further pitches are used in Malahide Castle (two 7/9-a-sides and three 11-a-sides) with a further 11-a-side pitch in Broomfield, Malahide

Aston Village FC was established back in 1994. Their current home ground is Malahide Castle and a local company is their main sponsor. They have three strong senior teams competing in both the U.C.F.L and the A.U.L leagues. Although small in size they still cater for up to 100 senior players with ages ranging from 16 – 43 years of age.

Rugby

Malahide Rugby Club^[8] is located in a modern clubhouse and sports ground opposite the scenic Malahide estuary on Estuary Road. Originally founded in 1922, Malahide Rugby Club had to disband during World War II due to lack of available players. However, in 1978 the club was reformed and now fields three senior men's teams, one women's team, four youth teams and six "mini" rugby teams.

Sailing

There are two sailing clubs (including Swords Sailing & Boating Club), Malahide Yacht Club, Fingal Sailing School, DMG Sailsports and a 350-berth marina.

Golf

Malahide Golf Club opened in 1892, moving to a new location in 1990. It has a 2-storey clubhouse completed in May 1990, with 1,000 square metres, including bars, a restaurant, conference room and a snooker room. The 17th is a notoriously difficult hole known to locals as "Cromwell's Delight", due to its narrow fairways and dominant bunkers.

Education

There are five schools in the environs of Malahide, four primary and one secondary.

• Pobal Scoil Iosa, Malahide
• St Oliver Plunkett Primary School
• Pope John Paul II National School
• St Sylvester's Infant School
• St Andrews National School

Religion

The area has two Roman Catholic parishes, a Church of Ireland parish and forms part of a Presbyterian community, with a church built in 1956 as the first Presbyterian church in the Republic of Ireland since 1922 (it is one of two churches of the Congregation of Howth and Malahide).^[9]

Transport

Malahide railway station opened on 25 May 1844.^[10] It is now one of the northern termini of the DART system, (the other being Howth). The station features a heritage garden and an attractive ironwork canopy. The ironwork in the canopy contains the monogram of the Great Northern Railway ('GNR'), who operated the route prior to nationalisation of the railways.

The railway crosses the Broadmeadow estuary on a Broadmeadow viaduct known locally as The Arches.^[11] The original viaduct was a wooden structure built in 1844, which was replaced with an iron structure in 1860 and a pre-cast structure in 1966-7.^[11]

Viaduct collapse

Main article: Broadmeadow viaduct

On 21 August 2009 the 18:07 train from Balbriggan to Connolly was passing over the viaduct when the driver noticed a subsidence and the embankment giving way on the northbound track.^[12] The train passed over the bridge before it collapsed and the driver alerted authorities.^[12]

An inquiry is investigating the possibility that sea bed erosion is the primary cause of the collapse.^[13]

A member of Malahide Sea Scouts, Ivan Barrett, had contacted Iarnród Éireann five days before the collapse about possible damage to the viaduct and a change in water flow around it.^[14]

People

• Malahide was the hometown of U2 musicians Adam Clayton and The Edge.
• Notable Malahide residents Ronan Keating, Brendan Gleeson, Westlife's Nicky Byrne, Cecilia Ahern, Vincent Browne and Olympic sailors David Burrows & Ciara Peelo.

See also

• List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Dublin)
• List of towns and villages in Ireland

References

1. ^ "Census 2006 – Volume 1 – Population Classified by Area" (PDF). Central Statistics Office Census 2006 Reports. Central Statistics Office Ireland. April 2007. http://www.cso.ie/census/documents/census2006_volume_1_pop_classified_by_area.pdf. Retrieved 2011-05-07. 
2. ^ County of Fingal. Available: http://193.178.1.79/2001/en/act/pub/0037/sec0010.html Retrieved: 27 August 2007.
3. ^ Abolition of County Dublin. Available: http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1993/en/act/pub/0031/sec0009.html Retrieved: 27 August 2007.
4. ^ Archiseek
5. ^ Visit Malahide
6. ^ Placenames Database of Ireland - Malahide
7. ^ http://www.irishtimes.com/focus/election_2002/biogs/wright_gv.htm
8. ^ http://www.malahiderfc.ie
9. ^ Perhaps uniquely in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, there is a single congregation of Howth and Malahide, with one Kirk Session, but two buildings. The Presbyterian Church in Ireland accessed 6 July 2007 the congregation's website accessed 7 July 2006.
10. ^ "Malahide station". Railscot - Irish Railways. http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf. Retrieved 2007-09-03. 
11. ^ ^{a b} 'The Arches' bridge built back in 1844, Fingal Independent, 26 August 2009
12. ^ ^{a b} Tracks to be closed for several weeks, The Irish Times, 22 August 2009
13. ^ Inquiry focuses on seabed erosion, Frank McDonald and Ronan McGreevy, The Irish Times, 25 August 2009
14. ^ Alert on possible bridge damage given five days before collapse, Frank McDonald, The Irish Times, 26 August 2009

External links

• Irelandscape: More pictures of Malahide.
• Malahide Historical Society