Deansgrange () is a southern suburb of Dublin, centred on the crossroads of Clonkeen Road and Kill Lane. The area shares the name Clonkeen () with the area further east, known as Kill of the Grange (i.e. "Church of the Grange of ": referring to Grange Church (now in ruins)).
History and etymology
Since early medieval times the area was owned by the
Augustinians,
[ Database Designers] and used as a
Monastic grange, giving rise to the
medieval civil parish of Kill, in the half-barony of Rathdown. The Ordnance Survey Ireland map 1837–1842 shows a "Grange Church" (now in ruins, the modern housing estate surrounding it is called
Kill Abbey), "Kill Abbey" (still existing), "Grange House" (demolished with the building of the
South Park estate), and "Glebe House" (still existing).
Deansgrange was a
townland of Kill Parish. Presumably the dean of the grange lived in
Grange House, and so the area became known as "the Dean's Grange", and then simply, Deansgrange.
Geography
The crossroads are the commercial centre for the surrounding low-density housing estates, with a number of commercial outlets. The R827 road runs roughly north-south through Deansgrange from Blackrock to
Cabinteely. South of the crossroads is Clonkeen Road, leading to
Clonkeen College, while north is Deansgrange Road leading to Deansgrange Cemetery. Kill Lane runs roughly east (to Baker's Corner crossroads and Kill of the Grange) and west (to
Foxrock).
Amenities
Schools in the area include Kill o' the Grange National School and
Clonkeen College. A Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council library is located at Deansgrange.
Local sports clubs include Meadow Vale Tennis, Geraldines Patrick Moran GAA Club, and Granada FC soccer club.
Churches
Kill Church was designed by Welland and Gillespie architects in 1863 and built by James Douglass. James McAllister was the supervising architect. The foundation stone was laid in July 1863 and it cost €1,600. In 1931 Hubert McGoldrick designed a 'The Good Shepheard' leaded glass window.
[Biographical index of Irish Architects on Irish Architectural Archive website]
Cemetery
Deansgrange Cemetery is, together with Glasnevin and Mount Jerome, one of the largest cemeteries in Dublin and is the burial place of many famous people, including Flann O'Brien, Count John McCormack, Frank O'Connor, Eamon Martin, Seán Lemass,
Dermot Morgan,
Delia Murphy, Sinéad O'Connor and the
Nobel Laureate Ernest Walton.
External links
