The barony of Castleknock (Irish: Caisleán Cnucha meaning "Cnucha's Castle")[1][l 1] is one of the baronies of Ireland. Originally part of the Lordship of Meath, it was then constituted as part of County Dublin. Today, it is in the modern county of Fingal, Ireland. The barony was originally also a feudal title, which became one of the subsidiary titles of the Viscounts Gormanston.

History

The barony was created by Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath, as his own feudal barony, to be held directly from himself in capite (his vassals were commonly called "De Lacy's Barons").[2] The first vassal was Hugh Tyrrel in 1177. It was held for three and a half knight's fees, owed to the superior Lord of Fingal. The title and lands of Castleknock were held by the Tyrell family until 1370 when Robert Tyrell, the eighth Baron and his wife died of the plague, leaving two daughters and co-heiresses, Joan and Matilda. The lands later passed to the Viscount Gormanston.

Location

At the heart of the barony is the civil parish of the same name - Castleknock - which is one of eight civil parishes in the barony. In the townland of Castleknock itself is the location of the eponymous "Cnucha's Castle" - Castleknock Castle. The town with the biggest population in the barony is Blanchardstown. It is one of seven and a half baronies that used to comprise the old county of Dublin.[3] It stretches from Cabra to Blanchardstown (from east to west) and from Finglas to Chapelizod (from north to south).

The Castleknock barony is located between the baronies of Coolock to the east, Nethercross to the north and Dublin to the southeast. The River Liffey separates it from the remaining baronies of County Dublin. With the exception of the parish of Chapelizod, the remainder of the barony is contained within the modern county of Fingal and it is subject to Fingal County Council.

Baronies were created after the Norman invasion of Ireland as subdivisions of counties and were used for administration. At the time of its creation, Castleknock was part of the Lordship of Meath. While baronies continue to be officially defined units, they are no longer used for many administrative purposes. While they have been administratively obsolete since 1898, they continue to be used in land registration, and specifications such as in planning permissions. In many cases, a barony corresponds to an earlier Gaelic túath which had submitted to the Crown. This is probably true in the case of Castleknock.

Civil parishes

Civil parish of Castleknock

What is now the parish of Castleknock was granted to Hugh Tyrrel by Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath. Copies of the grant were discovered in the London Public Records Office in 1933 by Eric St. John Brooks.[4] In English, the grant reads:

Henry, by the grace of God, King of England, Lord of Ireland, Duke of Aquitaine and Normandy and Count of Anjou to the Archbishops, Bishops, Ministers and all Earls, Barons, Justices, Sheriffs, Ministers and all his faithful French, English and Irish, greeting. Know that I have conceded, given, and by present Charter confirmed to Hugh Tirel, the man of Hugh de Lacy, Thwothyn and Thwothrom.[5]

Brooks deduces that "Thwo" is an Anglicisation of the Gaelic word túath and that "throm" is an Anglicisation of the word droma which means ridge or hill - a possible reference to the hill of Castleknock where Tyrrell was to build his castle.

Townlands in the civil parish of Castleknock:[l 2]

TownlandAcresImage DescriptionImage
Abbotstown
Baile an Aba [6 1]		 101 Abbotstown cemetery
Annfield
Gort Anna [6 2]		 351 Apartment buildings
in Annfield
Ashtown
Baile an Ásaigh [6 3]		 285 Moorings on the Royal Canal
Astagob
Steach Gob [6 4]		 76 The Wren's Nest pub
Blanchardstown
Baile Bhlainséir [6 5]		 351 Village crossroads
in 2020
Cabragh
An Chabrach [6 6]		 351 Primary Care Centre
on the Navan Road
Carpenterstown
Baile an Chairpintéaraigh [6 7]		 166 Stone placename on
the Carpeterstown Road
Cappoge or Cappagh
Ceapach [6 8]		 698 Halting site
Castleknock
Caisleán Cnucha [6 9]		 1020 St Bridget's
Church of Ireland
Castleknock (incl. part of Phoenix Park)
Caisleán Cnucha (cuid de Pháirc an Fhionnuisce) [6 10]		 787 Dawn, Mountjoy Cross
towards Castleknock gate
Corduff
An Chorr Dhubh [6 11]		 353 A "fairy fort"
in the townland
Deanestown
Baile an Déanaigh [6 12]		 173 Entrance to
Waterville Park
Diswellstown
Baile an Diosualaigh [6 13]		 418 Diswellstown stream
in the south-eastern corner
of the townland
Dunsink
Dún Sinche [6 14]		 351 Dunsink observatory
Huntstown *
Baile an Huntaigh [6 15]		 299
Johnstown
Baile Sheáin [6 16]		 67
Mitchelstown
Baile Mhistéil [6 17]		 154 Car showroom at
Mitchelstown Road
Pelletstown
Baile Pheiléid [6 18]		 259 Sculpture of "The Lock Keeper"
Rathborne village,
10th lock Royal Canal
Porterstown
Baile an Phóirtéaraigh [6 19]		 219 Porterstown Park in
lockdown - Apr 2020
Scribblestown
Baile Scriobail [6 20]		 272 Candlemaker,
Rathbornes Candles
Sheephill
Cnoc na gCaorach [6 21]		 112 Abbotstown House in Sheephill
(not Abbotstown proper)
Snugborough
Snugborough [6 22]		 53
  • Not to be confused with Huntstown in Mulhuddart.

Civil parish of Chapelizod

Chapelizod contains a single townland of the same name. However, 465 acres are within the walls of the Phoenix Park while the village proper, outside the walls, contains only 67 acres. It is the only part of the barony that is not within the modern county of Fingal. It is administered by Dublin City Council.

TownlandAcresImage DescriptionImage
Chapelizod[4 1] 465 Within Phoenix Park
St Mary's Hospital
67 Outside the walls
Chapelizod village		 The village of the townland of Chapelizod

Civil parish of Cloghran

The parish of Cloghran consists of three townlands.[l 3] Most of the land in the parish is taken up with the "Ballycoolen Industrial Estate".

TownlandAcresImage DescriptionImage
Ballycoolin[2 1] 511 Eastern end
Petrol station at the northern end
Cloghran[2 2] 95
Grange[2 3] 171

Civil parish of Clonsilla

Townlands in the civil parish of Clonsilla:[l 4]

Townland Name
English & Irish		AcresImage DescriptionImage
Astagob
Steach Gob		162Rugged Lane
Barberstown[3 1]
Baile an Bhearbóraigh		166Before the restoration of
the rail spur to Hansfield
Barnhill
Cnoc an Sciobóil		190Packenham Bridge
(Royal Canal)
Blakestown
Baile an Bhlácaigh		104
Broomfield
Gort na Giolcaí		24Entrance gates
Clonsilla
Cluain Saileach		382St Mary's
(Church of Ireland)
Casteheany[3 2]
Teach Chainnigh		302Coláiste Pobail Setanta
Coolmine
Cúil Mhín		609Coolmine Community School
Hansfield or Phibblestown[3 3]
Baile Fiobail nó Páirc Hans		223Ongar Village
Hartstown[3 4]
Baile an Hartaigh		181Hartstown
Community School
Kellystown
Baile Uí Cheallaigh		174
Sheepmoor
Móinteán na gCaorach		161Entrance to
Portersfield estate
Woodlands[3 5]
Fearann na Coille		571Luttrellstown
Golf Club House
Note 1 The largest population centre in Castaheany / Hansfield is Ongar.

Civil parish of Finglas

The 34 townlands of the parish of Finglas are split among two baronies.[l 5] The core village and two smaller parcels of land - exclaves of the village - lie in Castleknock. An additional exclave lies in Nethercross.

Civil parish of Mulhuddart

Mulhuddart has 22 townlands, including:[l 6]

TownlandAcresImage DescriptionImage
Buzzardstown[7 1] 298 Institute of Technology Blanchardstown
Littlepace[7 2] 97 Shopping centre
Damastown[7 3] 351 IBM car park
Gallanstown Road to Belgree near Hollystown
Huntstown Road in Deerhaven estate
Hollystown[7 4] 196 Hollystown Golf Club
Macetown Middle Damastown Avenue
Macetown South Damastown Way
Moorestown Dolly Heffernan's pub
Powerstown[7 5] 358 Road in Powerstown
Tyrrelstown[7 6] 427 Houses in Tyrrelstown
Yellow Walls Field overlooking housing
estate in Hollystown.

Civil parish of Saint James'

The bulk of Saint James' parish[l 7] lies south of the River Liffey. A single townland, situated north of the river in the Phoenix Park, is part of the barony of Castleknock.

Magazine Fort, part of the townland of Phoenix Park

Civil parish of Saint Judes'

The bulk of Saint Judes'[l 8] parish lies south of the River Liffey. A single townland, situated north of the river, is part of the barony of Castleknock. It was carved out of the parish of Saint James'.

View from the Liffey of the townland of Longmeadows

Civil parish of Ward

Townlands in the parish of Ward: Cherryhound, Irishtown, Killamonan, Newpark, Spricklestown, Ward Lower and Ward Upper.[l 9]

TownlandAcresImage DescriptionImage
Cherryhound[8 1] 112 Roundabout at the M2
Newpark[8 2] 351 The White House
Pub and Restaurant
on the N2 road.
Ward Lower[8 3] 285 Milestone
Killamonan[8 4] 76 Horses grazing
February 2008

See also

References

From "Irish placenames database". logainm.ie (in English and Irish). Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Retrieved 25 April 2014.:

Civil parishes
Townlands of Cloghran
Townlands of Clonsilla
Townlands of Mulhuddart
Townlands of Saint James's
Townlands of Castleknock
Townlands of Ward
Townlands of other parishes

Other sources:

  1. ↑ "History of the name of Castleknock". Archived from the original on 2 June 2006. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
  2. ↑ Vicissitudes of Families by Sir Bernard Burke, Ulster King of Arms, Longman Green Longman and Roberts, Paternoster Row, London, 1861 (pages 363-364)
  3. ↑ According to the "Local Government Act, 2001", section 10(2): "The State continues to stand divided into local government areas to be known as counties and cities which are the areas set out in Parts 1 and 2, respectively, of Schedule 5." It is clear from SCHEDULE 5, Local Government Areas (Counties and Cities, PART 1, that "Dublin" is defined only as a city (as distinct from a county).
  4. ↑ The Barony of Castleknock, A History", Lacey, Jim; The History Press Ireland, 2015, pg 98
  5. ↑ The Grant of Castleknock to Hugh Tyrel., The journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. 7th series; Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland; Dublin Hodges, Figgis; 3v.; English; Holdings: Vol. 1-vol. 3; 1931-1933.; Also numbered vol. 61-63 of consecutive series. Continues 6th series; University of Liverpool Libraries
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