Leopardstown
| Leopardstown Irish: Baile na Lobhar | |
| County Dublin | |
|---|---|
 The stand at Leopardstown Racecourse | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | O202259 |
| Location: | 53°16’12"N, 6°12’18"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 2,067 (2006) |
| Postcode: | D18 |
| Dialling code: | 01 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown |
Leopardstown is a village in County Dublin, standing at the foot of the Dublin Mountains. It is becoming a residential suburb in the east of the conurbation that fills the county. Leopardstown is divided by the course of the M50 motorway, and adjoins the neighbouring areas of Sandyford, Stepaside, Ballyogan, Foxrock and Stillorgan.
Name and history
In origin the name of Leopardstown is not as attractive as it sounds: it comes from "Lepers' town" as this was a place to which those suffering from leprosy were confined in the Middle Ages, outside the city to avoid infection. Leprosy was common in Dublin in the Middle Ages. In the 14th century a leper hospital was built near St Stephen's Green, but it was later moved out to the Dublin mountains, at the site which became known as 'Leopardstown'.
Places of interest
Places of interest in Leopardstown village include Glencairn House (the residence of the British Ambassador to Ireland), Leopardstown Park Hospital, and Burton Hall, childhood home of Hollywood actress Kathleen Ryan.
Sports
The area is home to Leopardstown Racecourse, the second most important racecourse in Ireland after the Curragh, as well as the Kilmacud Crokes' hurling pitch at Silverpark.
Culture
Leopardstown is mentioned in the feature film Spy Kids, a road sign for Baile an Liopaird being seen outside Machete's shop.[1] The Bob Geldof song "The House At The Top Of The World" includes the lyric "Soon I'd come to the Leopardstown dual carriageway ... I don't remember a town being there and I never saw no leopards."