Dublin 15 saw the biggest population increase in the country over the past five years. Welcome to Blakestown. Since 2011, the Blanchardstown-Blakestown electoral division has risen by eight percent. It went from 36057 to 38924 residents. That is a lot.
Blakestown is part of a rapidly growing area. The Ward and Blanchardstown-Abbotstown are also among the fastest-growing districts nationwide. Fingal’s population is up by 8.1 percent overall. Dublin City Council’s area only saw a 4.8 percent increase.
This growth highlights the need for government planning in Fingal. Dublin 15 residents know this all too well. More houses are being built but services are struggling to keep up. Public transport especially needs improvement.
One local representative called for more funding for transport projects in West Dublin. He said they cannot afford five years of traffic gridlock.
Ireland’s population is over 4.7 million. Over 1.3 million people live in Dublin. That is 72333 more than five years ago. Vacant dwellings remain an issue. There are over 36000 vacant homes in Dublin. That is a vacancy rate of 6.9 percent. A homeless charity has called for the State to urgently address this. They say the number of vacant properties is unacceptably high.
Blakestown is part of Blanchardstown. Blanchardstown is a large outer suburb of Dublin. It is in the modern county of Fingal. It is ten kilometers northwest of Dublin city center. Blanchardstown has grown since the 1960s. It evolved from a small village. Now Greater Blanchardstown is the largest urban area in Fingal.
Blanchardstown is within the historical barony of Castleknock. It is also in the Dublin 15 postal area. Blanchardstown is in the Dublin West electoral constituency. One of Ireland’s largest shopping and leisure complexes is here. It is the Blanchardstown Centre.
The name Blanchardstown comes from the Blanchard family. They were granted their estate between 1250 and 1260. The name Blanchard comes from the old French word blanch. This means white. It may refer to white or fair hair.
Blanchardstown is just outside Dublin’s M50 motorway. It is slightly north of the tolled crossing of the River Liffey. The core of the suburb is the townland of the same name. It contains the village and the Roselawn housing area.
The River Tolka runs through the center of the area. The Royal Canal and the Dublin-Sligo railway line pass along the southern edge of Blanchardstown proper.
Blanchardstown was mostly rural with a small village. It was in western County Dublin. It was next to Castleknock. Both areas shared a history until the 19th century. In 1837, Blanchardstown was described as a village. It was on the road to Navan. It had 57 houses and 342 inhabitants. In the late 1960s, the first housing estates appeared.
The Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown was established in 1999. Since 2019, it is one of the three campuses of Technological University Dublin.
During the late 1990s a criminal gang from Blanchardstown controlled the heroin trade in west Dublin. One of its leaders was shot in a pub in Blanchardstown in 2003.
There are three Irish Rail railway stations in the wider Blanchardstown area. These are Castleknock, Coolmine and Clonsilla. Dublin Bus and Go-Ahead Ireland serve the area.
Connolly Hospital is in Blanchardstown. Blanchardstown Centre is a large retail shopping centre with over 180 stores. Blanchardstown has a large public library. It is also home to the Draíocht Arts Centre. There is a large Garda station on Blanchardstown’s main street.
Several primary and secondary schools are in Blanchardstown. The National Sports Campus is located here. It includes the National Aquatic Centre.
St Brigid’s Roman Catholic Church is situated behind Main Street. The foundation stone was laid in 1835. The first Mass was celebrated in 1837. The construction was completed in 1863.
For elections to Dáil Éireann, Blanchardstown is part of the Dublin West constituency. For elections to Fingal County Council, the suburb is split between Castleknock and Mulhuddart.
Blakestown and Blanchardstown have a rich history. They have seen rapid growth and development. They continue to evolve as important parts of Dublin.