Sutton, Dublin

Sutton (Irish: "Cill Fhionntáin" - Fintan's cell or church) is a residential suburb of Dublin's Northside, Ireland, at the base of Howth Head, the peninsula which forms the northern edge of Dublin Bay.

Location and geography

Located about 12 kilometres from the city centre, Sutton neighbours Howth, which occupies most of the peninsula, and Baldoyle and Bayside, which meet where Baldoyle Road reaches the coast. It is served by the main road from Dublin to Howth, the DART suburban rail system, on which it has its own station, and Dublin Bus route 31 and its variants.

At the coastal side of Sutton is a tombolo connecting Howth (which used to be an island) to the mainland. The original village of Sutton was situated on the city-facing (south-western) side of Howth Head, where there are today housing terraces and a small harbour, but the area is now centred on Sutton Cross, where there are two shopping areas, one anchored by Superquinn (which replaced the local cinema), and the Marine Hotel.

Leisure and features

Sutton is surrounded by many beaches and is a popular place for golf and dinghy sailing. Suttonians Rugby Football Club, at Station Road, provides for local rugby players and supporters. Sutton Tennis club has 12 outdoor courts and 3 indoor squash courts. The club is the biggest for junior squash in the Republic of Ireland. The area is also home to one of Ireland's Martello Towers, now a private residence, at Red Rock, and to a former home of the Jameson Irish Whiskey family, which became the residence of Belgian businessman Albert Luykx, made famous during the Irish arms trial. It subsequently became Sutton House Hotel and then Sutton Castle Hotel, before being converted in 2003 to private residences.

A major leisure walk, which goes all the way to Howth village, begins near the site of the old village and Sutton House.

Education

Sutton contains two primary schools: the Burrow School, on the Dublin Road between Sutton Cross and Howth, and St. Fintan's National School, on Carraigbrack Hill. It has three secondary schools: St. Fintan's High School (boys), St. Dominics High School (a.k.a Santa Sabina) (girls) and Sutton Park School (mixed).

Religion

Sutton comprises a parish in the Catholic Church, with a parish church [ [http://ireland.archiseek.com/buildings_ireland/dublin/sutton/st_fintans_sutton.html Archiseek page on St. Fintans' Roman Catholic Church] ] [ [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/458357 Photo of St. Fintans' Church] ] at the base of Howth Hill, adjacent to Santa Sabina School, at the junction of Greenfield Road and Church Road. There is also a Methodist Church [ [http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/518809 Photo of Sutton Methodist Church] ] at the junction of Church Road and Howth Road.

Sutton contains one of Dublin's main burial grounds, St. Fintan's, which is divided into two parts, "old" and "new." The former contains a ruined chapel, and the latter, an abandoned keeper's cottage.

Uphill from the older graveyard is the still-flowing holy well of St. Fintan.

Transport

*Sutton railway station [ [http://ireland.archiseek.com/buildings_ireland/dublin/sutton/railway_station.html Archiseek web page on Sutton Railway station] ] opened on 30 July 1846 [cite web | title=Baldoyle and Sutton station | work=Railscot - Irish Railways | url=http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf | accessdate=2007-09-03] as "Baldoyle & Sutton", being renamed "Sutton" in 1901.
*The Hill of Howth Tramway ran between Sutton railway station and Howth railway station until 1959.

Notable residents

*Gerry Gannon, one of Ireland's biggest property developers, part owner of the K-Club and MD of Gannon Homes, currently building, for example, Clongriffin housing estate, and with extensive land holdings in the area
*Jim Fitzpatrick, artist (Celtic style work but also the created in 1968), Burrow Road
*Philomena Lynott (mother of Phil Lynott)

ee also

*List of towns in the Republic of Ireland
*Hill of Howth Tramway

External links

* [http://www.howthismagic.com/links/aboutsutton.html Information about Sutton from Howthismagic.com]
* [http://www.howthcoastguard.com Howth Coast Guard Rescue Unit]
* [http://www.sdc.ie Sutton Dinghy Club]
* [http://www.rockschool.ie Rockschool]
* [http://www.saltrecordingstudio.com SALT]

References