Rathgar
| Rathgar Irish: Ráth Garbh | |
| County Dublin | |
|---|---|
 Christ Church, Rathgar | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | O151304 |
| Location: | 53°18’42"N, 6°16’28"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Dublin |
| Postcode: | D6 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Dublin |
| Dáil constituency: |
Dublin Bay South |
Rathgar is a village in County Dublin, which has been absorbed into the conurbation about two miles south of the city centre.
The name of the village is from the Irish Ráth Garbh meaning 'Rough ringfort'.[1]
The Grand Canal runs to the north of Rathgar.
History
Rathgar, in the Middle Ages, was a farm belonging to the Convent of St Mary de Hogges, at present-day College Green.[2] At the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Rathgar was granted to the Segrave family: they built Rathgar Castle, ownership of which subsequently passed to John Cusacke, who was Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1608.[3][4] The castle remained in the possession of the Cusack family for over a century, but gradually decayed and was a ruin by the end of the eighteenth century. No trace of it remains today, though it is thought to have been located at present day 44-49 Highfield Road.[5]
In 1649 the Duke of Ormonde commander of the Anglo-Irish Royalist army established his camp at Rathgar during the Siege of Dublin.[3] He was then routed at the Battle of Rathmines nearby by Cromwellian forces under Michael Jones.
The village began to develop in the eighteenth century. Rathgar Avenue may be the oldest street, while Highfield Road was developed in 1753.[3] Zion Church and Christ Church Rathgar were built in the 1860s.[6]
About the village
Rathgar is a largely residential suburb with amenities that include primary and secondary schools, nursing homes, child-care and sports facilities, and public transport to the city centre. The housing stock largely comprises red-brick late Georgian and Victorian era terraces and much of the area lies within an architectural conservation zone. Dodder Park is located in Rathgar.
Rathgar has a number of retail outlets, including a small supermarket, and several restaurants.
Churches
- Church of Ireland: Zion Church:
- The Church of Ireland's Theological College is beside the church
- Presbyterian: Christ Church, Rathgar
- Roman Catholic Church: Church of The Three Patrons (named after the three Patron Saints of Ireland: St Patrick, St Bridget and St Columba) on Rathgar Road. It is also known as "The Servants' Church" because, in the late 19th and early 20th century, it was the place of worship for the large number of servants who worked and lived in the large houses in the area.[7]
Synagogues
- Dublin Jewish Progressive Congregation (Knesset Orech Chayim), on Leicester Avenue[8]
- Dublin Hebrew Congregation (orthodox) in nearby Terenure.[9]
Diplomatic missions
The Russian Embassy is located in grounds in southern Rathgar, with the Consular Office by the gates.
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Rathgar) |
References
- ↑ Rathgar / Ráth Garbh: Irish Placenames Commission
- ↑ "Rathgar Walking Trail Map & Guide". Dublin City Council. http://www.dublincity.ie/sites/default/files/content/Community/LetsWalkandTalk/Documents/Rathgar%20Walking%20Trail%20Map%20%26%20Guide.pdf. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Christ Church Rathgar
- ↑ Rathgar Residents Association
- ↑ "Rathgar period home". Independent News & Media. 18 May 2018. https://www.independent.ie/life/home-garden/rathgar-period-home-with-art-room-builtin-wine-cabinets-library-room-and-a-large-garden-36917904.html. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
- ↑ "1861 – Zion Church & School, Rathgar, Co. Dublin". Architecture of Dublin City. Archiseek. 2014. http://archiseek.com/2014/zion-church-school-rathgar-co-dublin/. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
- ↑ O'Connell, Angela (2004). The Servants' Church: History of the Church of the Three Patrons in the Parish of Rathgar. Dublin: Parish Development and Renewal Core Group.
- ↑ Dublin Jewish Progressive Congregation
- ↑ 'A heritage like no other, a community built on strength'