Lár na Riogh whispers secrets of ages past. Verschoyle’s Hill stands before you a modest peak with a rich history. It wasn’t always known by that name though. Older residents called it Saggart Hill a name reflecting its position south of Saggart village. This area once belonged to the Mountain Commons of Saggard encompassing all the surrounding hills. Liam Ua Broin a local historian from Saggart noted that even older generations used Saggart Hill to refer to Crooksling another name for this very hill.
Verschoyle’s Hill isn’t just one name. It’s known by four names actually reflecting its varied aspects. There’s Carrickmore for a large rock near its summit. Crooksling or Cruach Slinne meaning ‘hill of flat or shingle stones’ describes its geological makeup. And then there’s the name Verschoyle itself. This comes from a local landowner family the Verschoyles. They were prominent in the area their legacy woven into the very fabric of the hill’s identity.
Atop Verschoyle’s Hill lies Lár na Riogh. It’s an ancient site whose name translates to ‘place of the kings’. Historians believe it might be a burial ground or ceremonial site. Imagine the kings and queens of old gathering here looking over the Dublin plains. Their stories lost to time but echoing still in the wind that blows across this very hill. It’s a place of power a place of history a place where the past meets the present on Verschoyle’s Hill.
The Verschoyles themselves a family of Dutch Huguenot descent arrived in Ireland in 1568 fleeing religious persecution. They quickly gained prominence. Their coat of arms three boar heads on a chevron with the motto Temperans et Constans meaning ‘steadfast and constrained’ tells a story of resilience and strength. Their presence in Dublin and the surrounding areas including this very hill shaped the landscape. They left their mark their legacy a testament to the endurance of a family and the persistence of a name associated with this hill.
So here we stand. On Verschoyle’s Hill a place with multiple names multiple histories a place where the whispers of kings and the echoes of a prominent family blend. It’s a place that continues to tell its story a story that unfolds with each passing season. A story only waiting for your discovery. A story waiting for you here on Verschoyle’s Hill.