Picture a bustling Dublin suburb. This is Loughlinstown. Its history stretches back to the Neolithic period. A megalithic portal tomb in Cromlech Fields stands as testament to its ancient past. Around 2500 BC this area was already inhabited.
Loughlinstown meaning O’Laughnan’s town has a rich history. It’s a corrupted English translation of the Irish Baile Uí Lachnáin. The area was once granted to the Anglo-Norman Talbot family. Later it passed to the Goodman family in 1541. They served as wardens of the marches protecting the Pale’s southern border. James Goodman even acted as Provost Marshal during the 1641 rebellion.
The 1654 survey reveals a landscape of 458 acres. James Goodman owned 300 acres. The Dean of Christchurch owned the remaining 128. Loughlinstown’s history is intertwined with the Goodman family. They were prominent figures for over a century. Their story is one of both prosperity and conflict. They were staunch Catholics despite pressures from the English monarchy. This faith remained strong in the area even after the Reformation.
The village grew on commonage land. The construction of the N11 dual carriageway in the 1960s scattered the village. A landmark chestnut tree once stood in the middle of the road. Known as The Big Tree it was removed during road upgrades in the 1970s.
Loughlinstown’s history isn’t just about land ownership. It’s about resilience. A workhouse built in 1839 housed the destitute. During the Great Famine it swelled to almost 800 residents. This site now holds St Columcille’s Hospital a vital part of south Dublin and Wicklow.
Loughlinstown today is a vibrant suburb. Yet echoes of its past linger. The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions resides in Loughlinstown House. Its present and future are built on foundations laid centuries ago. The spirit of the Goodman family the struggles of the famine and the ancient whispers of Cromlech Fields are all part of this place’s story. Remember Loughlinstown next time you travel down the N11. Its story is waiting to be rediscovered.