Sandymount
Sandymount () is an affluent coastal suburb in the Dublin 4 district on the Southside of Dublin in Ireland. Etymology. An early name for the area was Scal'd Hill or Scald Hill. During the 18th century, there was a village called Brickfield Town on the site of Sandymount Green; this took its name from Lord Merrion's brickfields, which stretched from here to Merrion at the time. Geography. Sandymount is located between 3 and 4 km south-east of Dublin's city centre. At the northern end it begins where Newbridge Avenue meets Herbert Road, running to Church Avenue at  the coast, and west along the DART rail line, and south to Merrion Gates. Sandymount Promenade runs along the coast road (Strand Road) from Sandymount Strand, down to Merrion Gates. It lies a little south of the Great South Wall in Dublin Bay. The River Dodder passes nearby to the west, and three streams, the Elm Park, Nutley and Trimleston, come to the coast to the south, but any pollution of these affects Sandymount Strand. In the past, the Nutley Stream came to the coast in what is now Sandymount, and severe flooding occurred on the old course in 1963 . Neighbouring suburbs are Ballsbridge, Merrion and Irishtown. Transport. The area is served by the (DART) commuter rail system and two stops are located in the area, Sandymount and Sydney Parade. It is served by bus routes 1, 18 and 47. It was once served by routes 2, 3 which ceased operation and were replaced with route 1 on 12 May 2012 and 52 which ceased operation in 1998. Both railway stations on the electrified (DART) suburban railway system were originally opened in January 1835 by the Dublin and Kingstown Railway and continue to this day. Amenities. Sandymount Green. Sandymount Green  is a triangular park located next to the village. The houses along the south side of the green are part of what once was Sandymount Castle and the roads behind this bear the name. There are shops, restaurants and cafés around the green. Sandymount Strand. The extensive Sandymount Strand, which is part of the South Bull, (a mirror to the North Bull sandbank, which grew into North Bull Island), is a major component of the south side of Dublin Bay. The strand runs from the curve of the bay at Ringsend to Merrion Gates. Sandymount Strand is a popular place  for locals to take a walk. People and cars have been occasionally trapped by the incoming tide. The promenade is a 2.5 km walkway along the coast from Gilford Avenue to Saint Alban's Park, however, there are plans to lengthen the promenade to connect with the S2S Sandycove to Sutton Cycleway. Baths. The "Merrion Promenade Pier and Baths Co." built Sandymount swimming baths in 1883. The baths measured approximately 40 by 40 metres, with a 75-metre pier added in 1884. The pier featured a bandstand halfway along it and summer concerts were regularly held there for many years . By 1920, the pier had deteriorated so much that it had to be demolished. The concrete baths section, which resembles a small harbour out on the sands, remains; the baths still remain in Sandymount but they have fallen into disrepair mainly by storm damage. Martello Tower. About halfway along the strand is the Sandymount Martello tower, part of a system of defences built to warn of an invasion by Napoleon. The Tower was a popular cafe in the 1960s. An attempt to turn the tower into a restaurant led to the installation of a large window with roller blinds on  the seaward side of the tower. The restaurant never opened, leaving the tower with the modified window, and landscaped exterior abandoned on the strand. It is one of approximately 29 Martello Towers in the Greater Dublin Area and the closest to Dublin City and port. Sport and leisure. The area of Sandymount has three cricket clubs - YMCA (the 2020 All-Ireland champions), Pembroke and Railway Union, and a number of internationals line out for these clubs. For example, when Ireland beat England in an ODI in Southampton in August 2020, six of the 11 players were members of these three  clubs, including captain Andy Balbirnie, and Kevin O'Brien, who in 2011 (also in a win over England) scored the fastest ever century in a World Cup. The three clubs have 14 men's teams and a large (more variable) number of youth and women's teams. Kim Garth, who has played for Perth Scorchers in the WBBL and is currently seeking to qualify for Australia women, was a member of Pembroke before leaving for a contract in Australia. The Gaelic Athletic Association club Clanna Gael Fontenoy operates in the area, with grounds between Sandymount, Irishtown and Ringsend, and attracts some  players from Sandymount, although a majority come from Irishtown and Ringsend.. Gaelic football, hurling and Camogie have become popular in the Sandymount area with over 350 families in the wider area (including Irishtown and Ringsend) being members of the club. This club has seen much success, at both club and county levels. In 2019 the U16 Football team became Champions of Dublin, and several players on that team were from Sandymount. The sport of rugby is also prominent in the area, with local clubs including Monkstown F.C. and Railway Union. There are also two gymnasia/fitness clubs. Hockey is also  represented by Pembroke Wanderers H.C. on Serpentine Avenue, in the area since 1922. Epworth Badminton Club has club nights twice a week in the village and also runs a summer club. parkrun. Poolbeg parkrun takes place every Saturday at 9:30 at Sean Moore Park. Religion. The Church of Ireland Church of "St John of the Evangelist" is located at the top of St John's Road. The Catholic church in Sandymount is dedicated to "Our Lady Star of the Sea" and is near the north end of Sandymount Road. "Christ Church", on Sandymount Green, is a united Methodist and Presbyterian  church, which appoints a minister from either denomination alternately and Mount Tabor nursing home shares the grounds of the church. The area is also home to a house of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters for Africa. Governance. Sandymount is within the jurisdiction of Dublin City Council. It is in the Dublin Bay South constituency and the Pembroke Ward. History. Sandymount was once part of Pembroke Township, which took its name from the fact that this area was part of the estate of the Earl of Pembroke. People. The following people were born in Sandymount: The following live or have lived in  Sandymount: Popular culture. Literary references. Sandymount Strand is the most famous beach in Irish fiction, James Joyce based two episodes of his epic novel "Ulysses" here: On the morning of Bloomsday, in the Proteus episode, Stephen Dedalus wanders "into eternity" on the strand; later the same day, Leopold Bloom sits on a rock and watches while young Gertie lifts her skirt as Bloom pleasures himself. It was this incident in the Nausicaa episode which led to the banning of the book in the USA for alleged obscenity.