Telephone Cable laying Stillorgan 1949
1900/1901
Stillorgan gets gas street lighting.
1901
Death of Queen Victoria on 22nd January is marked by a service at Stillorgan Parish Church on the 27th January.
1902
26th June is the Coronation of King Edward the VII and is marked by a service at Stillorgan Parish Church on August 11th.
Water from Darley's Well is deemed undrinkable and the door on it is locked.
Water fountain erected at Brewery Cottages.
1903
Redesdale becomes St Kevin’s Park (80 acres of Park Land) 48 rooms in the house, as a place of relaxation for Dublin’s hardworking business girls.
Storm batters Ireland on 24-26 February. Thousands of trees fall at the Phoenix Park and on the Birr estate.
1908
Stillorgan Castle (St John of Gods) – Fire destroys Castle and Church.
1915
Dodder bursts its banks, major flooding around Stillorgan including road at Stillorgan Parish Church.
1916
James Talbot Power dies at his home in Leopardstown and his wife returns to England, remarries and becomes Mrs Dunning. St Kevin's Park becomes St Kevin’s Training school of Domestic Economy run by the Dept of Education. Battle of the Somme 1st July to 18th November.
1917
Mrs Dunning entrusts Leopardstown Park to the establishment of a Sanatorium for the care of Invalided Officers of the British Army. If not needed after a year will be it was to be returned to the Dunning family. May also have been known as “Hayes home for wounded soldiers”.
1918
William Orpen is Knighted. Two of William Henry Crawford of Stillorgan, children are killed in the torpedoing of the RMS Leinster on October 10th. Sidney Crawford age 21 and Elizabeth Hill age 34 wife of Capt. Crawford just weeks before the war ends.
1921
Kingstown renamed Dun Laoghaire.
1922
Michael Collins car is ambushed at Pim’s Gate in Stillorgan, attacked by 5 men, 20-30 shots fired and a bomb thrown at it.
Widows in both Stillorgan Church and All Saint's, Blackrock are smashed.
William Moore, land Steward to Henry Seymore is murdered at his home in Stillorgan.
1923
Rev E H Lewis-Crosby is incumbent at Stillorgan Parish Church. (He takes over from Rev Kennedy - his family are buried
in the graveyard.)
1924
Sunshine home is built (across the road from its present position).
1926
January - Major flooding in Stillorgan area, O'Rourkes Cottages in Dundrum evacuated and Linden Convalescent Home under
8' of water; patients sent home or back to hospital.
In Stillorgan Parish Church, a snake is discovered asleep in a pew after an evening service, whether his sleepiness was due to the heat in the church or the length of the Canon’s sermon, we can only guess. Apparently it had escaped from a nearby car.
1927
AHS Orpen & Sir William Orpen donate 800 pounds to commemorate their father’s association with the parish. Parish school becomes St Brigid’s National School.
1931
Archbishop of Dublin visits Stillorgan to dedicate a table at St Brigid's Church. He recommends that the Whately window should be
replaced.
William Orpen dies age 53 in England and is buried in Putney Vale, Wimbledon. He had fallen out of public favour at this time after an attack on his character by John Rothenstein of the Tate gallery (his nephew) citing his ‘divided loyalties’ to Britain and his native Ireland.
1932
The Whately east window at St Brigid's is replaced by a window in honour Dora Florence Cornwall (the one with the hen).
1935
Beaufield estate built (now known as Woodland's Avenue).
1937
Land acquired at Beaufield by Council to build 40 houses.
1939
Rev G A Lowe is the incumbent of St Brigids.
1942
Rev Lowe resigns and the vestry note that they were “in sympathy with his patriot motives in wishing to serve in the Royal Army Chaplin’s department and serve overseas on active service in the present war”. Rev Cave is new incumbent and wishes to live at the rectory. Lady McLaughlin’s tenancy of same is to cease.
1943
60 houses built at Beaufield Park in the 1940s. Pye Acquires the Manor Mill Site – at its peak it employs 1200 people.
1945
St Kevin’s is renamed St Anne’s Industrial School. (Girlsville). New window for St Brigids by studio Earley & Co.; Dublin placed
above font, Iconography - Christ Blessing Children.
1947
Canon Marcus Taylor is incumbent of St Brigids.
1948
The chapels of ease at Kilmacud and Mount Merrion are amalgamated into a single parish.
1949
Kilmacud House and lands is sold by Col Dwyer to the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity, who in turn donate the land for the
building of the new St Lawrence’s Church. The house itself to be preserved for elderly ladies.
1950
Christian Brothers buy Oatlands. 19 Children in St Brigid’s school. River is culverted and sextons house is demolished. As pressure increases for more homes, both public and private, the large houses, farms and estates of Kilmacud are sold off. By the end of the 60’s extensive suburban development replaced all the agricultural land with the exception of Airfield. The Kilmacud Stream which rose at the former lakes of Lakelands is put in culvert for its total length as far as the Glaslower. Its tributaries have also since been culverted with the development of Stillorgan and Sandyford Industrial Estates. Beaufield Mews restaurant is opened and in 2020 when it closes it is considered "The oldest restaurant in the Dublin area". Priory Grove built.
Canadian Red Cedar house go on sale on the Lower Kilmacud Road.
Houses on Merville Road go on sale for for £1950
Bungalows go on sale at Linden Lea for £1950
1951
Attendance in St Brigids one Sunday is 104, and there is 27 on the school roll. Merville estate is built on land owned by the Jolly family.
Dale Drive is completed.
1952
Consecration of addition to graveyard by the Archbishop of Dublin - Arthur Barton.
1953
Burton Hall is bought by Col Joseph Hume Dudgeon and he moves his riding school there the following year.
Foundation stone for St Therese Church in Mount Merrion is laid by Archbishop McQuaid.
5th Annual Mount Merrion Horse Show takes place in Stillorgan Village.
Tender issued for houses to be built on the Morrow site.
1954
Ormonde Cinema opens in August and L Cosgrave performs the official opening.
December, torrential rain causes flooding. The N11 as it is now (close to where the Radisson is now) is under water disrupting travel. The Trimleston culvert was unable to cope with the amount of water running off the Mount Merrion housing estates.
1955
Mount Anville National School opens.
1956
John Purnell Purnell-Edwards dies at the Rectory and is buried in Stillorgan graveyard.
1959
Harcourt line closes on 31st December.
1960
Tigh Lorcain Hall is sold to the developers of the Bowling Alley. New Bray Road Dual carriageway is under construction.
St Philomenas is home to 13 boys.
1961
Proposal to raise 10K to build a new parish hall at St Brigids.
1962
Glenalbyn is sold by the Wilkinson’s to a Captain Hartman of Germany. He sells off part of the land (6.5 acres) to the GAA who were looking for playing fields, and finally sells them the remainder.
c1962
The lands of Woodley Park House are sold off to property developers and Woodley Park Estate is built.
1963
Kilmacud floods in June
Stillorgan Bowl opens in December.
St Benildus primary school opens.
1964
Kilmacud becomes a parish in its own right.
1965
The rubble from the demolishing of Moores Cottages (from Oatlands to the Kilmacud Road) is used to fill Kilmacud Crokes playing fields. The houses took three days to demolish as ex tenants looked on distraught. Nineteen families are initially rehoused in porto cabins at the back of Linden Lea before being housed in Patrician Villas and Beaufield, but the village community spirit was shattered.
1966
Stillorgan Shopping Centre is officially opened in December by Sean Lemass. Mrs Lemass unveils a beaten copper
sculpted centrepiece called "The Fiddler of Dooney" by Imogen Stuart, inspired by W B Yeats poem of the same name.
The De La Salle Brothers open St Benildus College to provide secondary education for boys.
1967
Credit Union set up in Stillorgan. Glenalbyn House is set up as a community Centre for local families.
Church of The Guardian Angels opened and bless by Mosr Rev John Charles McQuaid on 5 Nov 1967.
1968
Oatlands House is demolished to make way for a Christian Brothers Monastery. Colaiste Eoin and Colaiste Iosagain built in the grounds of St Helens.
1969
Kilmacud Church is consecrated and nicknamed 'Harley's Hanger.
1971
The Sisters of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus open St Raphaela's to provide an education for girls. Kilmacud
GAA is renamed Kilmacud Crokes.
1972
The new Mint is constructed at Sandyford, UCD water tower is built and Stillorgan Library opens.
1973
Stillorgan Swimming Pool is built. McCanns Garage closes.
1974
Dublin County council buys Burton Hall. Leopardstown Park hospital, after a change in the original Trust deed, allows the admittance of non ex-servicemen.
1975
Redesdale (St Kevin’s/St Anne’s) becomes St Anne’s Day Care centre for the elderly.
1976
St Anne’s becomes St Michaels House Group. On the 21st July Christopher Ewart-Biggs the British Ambassador to Ireland is killed by the IRA on Murphystown Road in Sandyford while exiting his residence, Glencairn House.
1977
The Stillorgan Bypass opens. "A grade 4 lane dual carriageway with hard shoulder from Foster Ave., to White’s Cross, replacing the earlier 1950’s dual carriageway at Galloping Green".
1978
Stillorgan Decor opens.
1980
Some of the Leopardstown Park grounds sold off. The IDA buys it to build the South County Business estate and the money is held in trust to deal with claims. The Glaslower is culverted from Sandyford village as far as Brewery Road.
1980
Ormonde Cinema is redeveloped as a multi-screen venue. Swiss Chalet opens.
1981
Death of Canon Harley, Fr Val Rogers his replacement. Stillorgan Plaza opens.
1983
Blakes opens at the Swiss Chalet premises (opening night 22 Nov)
1985
Pye Ireland in Dundrum closes.
1986
Rev Alastair Graham is the incumbent in St Brigid’s. Hurricane Charley hits and the culverted river of Stillorgan erupts through manhole covers and drains.
Blackrock Market opens on 6 Dec 1986.
1994
New Parish Centre built at St Brigid's Church.
1993
Floods in Dundrum, Dundrum Bowling Alley closes.
1995
Monsignor Rogers retires
2004
The Luas goes into operation with stations at Sandyford and Stillorgan opened.
2005
Dundrum Town Centre opens. Construction of the M50 is completed.
2007
Stillorgan floods again, up to half a meter of water in Orpen and Avoca Park and again manholes turn into fountains.
2011
Dundrum Town Centre floods.
2012/3
300 year Celebration of the Church building at Stillorgan.
2016
Bowling Alley site is sold to the owners of Stillorgan Shopping Centre.
2017
Redevelopment of the Stillorgan Shopping centre gets underway, statue of Sir William Orpen to be installed is rejected by the new owners. Stillorgan Gate Housing estate underway beside Hazelwood House. Trees are cut down despite an order for retention.
2018
The Beast from the East hits Ireland.
2020
The year that was COVID. Bowling Alley closed.
2021
Bowling Alley Demolished in May
2022/3
Building underway at the old Bowling Alley site. Noise and traffic chaos in Stillorgan village.
©2013- 2024 St Brigid's Parish, Stillorgan
content by June Bow & Karen Poff
Sponsored by Sureskills
Stillorgan gets gas street lighting.
1901
Death of Queen Victoria on 22nd January is marked by a service at Stillorgan Parish Church on the 27th January.
1902
26th June is the Coronation of King Edward the VII and is marked by a service at Stillorgan Parish Church on August 11th.
Water from Darley's Well is deemed undrinkable and the door on it is locked.
Water fountain erected at Brewery Cottages.
1903
Redesdale becomes St Kevin’s Park (80 acres of Park Land) 48 rooms in the house, as a place of relaxation for Dublin’s hardworking business girls.
Storm batters Ireland on 24-26 February. Thousands of trees fall at the Phoenix Park and on the Birr estate.
1908
Stillorgan Castle (St John of Gods) – Fire destroys Castle and Church.
1915
Dodder bursts its banks, major flooding around Stillorgan including road at Stillorgan Parish Church.
1916
James Talbot Power dies at his home in Leopardstown and his wife returns to England, remarries and becomes Mrs Dunning. St Kevin's Park becomes St Kevin’s Training school of Domestic Economy run by the Dept of Education. Battle of the Somme 1st July to 18th November.
1917
Mrs Dunning entrusts Leopardstown Park to the establishment of a Sanatorium for the care of Invalided Officers of the British Army. If not needed after a year will be it was to be returned to the Dunning family. May also have been known as “Hayes home for wounded soldiers”.
1918
William Orpen is Knighted. Two of William Henry Crawford of Stillorgan, children are killed in the torpedoing of the RMS Leinster on October 10th. Sidney Crawford age 21 and Elizabeth Hill age 34 wife of Capt. Crawford just weeks before the war ends.
1921
Kingstown renamed Dun Laoghaire.
1922
Michael Collins car is ambushed at Pim’s Gate in Stillorgan, attacked by 5 men, 20-30 shots fired and a bomb thrown at it.
Widows in both Stillorgan Church and All Saint's, Blackrock are smashed.
William Moore, land Steward to Henry Seymore is murdered at his home in Stillorgan.
1923
Rev E H Lewis-Crosby is incumbent at Stillorgan Parish Church. (He takes over from Rev Kennedy - his family are buried
in the graveyard.)
1924
Sunshine home is built (across the road from its present position).
1926
January - Major flooding in Stillorgan area, O'Rourkes Cottages in Dundrum evacuated and Linden Convalescent Home under
8' of water; patients sent home or back to hospital.
In Stillorgan Parish Church, a snake is discovered asleep in a pew after an evening service, whether his sleepiness was due to the heat in the church or the length of the Canon’s sermon, we can only guess. Apparently it had escaped from a nearby car.
1927
AHS Orpen & Sir William Orpen donate 800 pounds to commemorate their father’s association with the parish. Parish school becomes St Brigid’s National School.
1931
Archbishop of Dublin visits Stillorgan to dedicate a table at St Brigid's Church. He recommends that the Whately window should be
replaced.
William Orpen dies age 53 in England and is buried in Putney Vale, Wimbledon. He had fallen out of public favour at this time after an attack on his character by John Rothenstein of the Tate gallery (his nephew) citing his ‘divided loyalties’ to Britain and his native Ireland.
1932
The Whately east window at St Brigid's is replaced by a window in honour Dora Florence Cornwall (the one with the hen).
1935
Beaufield estate built (now known as Woodland's Avenue).
1937
Land acquired at Beaufield by Council to build 40 houses.
1939
Rev G A Lowe is the incumbent of St Brigids.
1942
Rev Lowe resigns and the vestry note that they were “in sympathy with his patriot motives in wishing to serve in the Royal Army Chaplin’s department and serve overseas on active service in the present war”. Rev Cave is new incumbent and wishes to live at the rectory. Lady McLaughlin’s tenancy of same is to cease.
1943
60 houses built at Beaufield Park in the 1940s. Pye Acquires the Manor Mill Site – at its peak it employs 1200 people.
1945
St Kevin’s is renamed St Anne’s Industrial School. (Girlsville). New window for St Brigids by studio Earley & Co.; Dublin placed
above font, Iconography - Christ Blessing Children.
1947
Canon Marcus Taylor is incumbent of St Brigids.
1948
The chapels of ease at Kilmacud and Mount Merrion are amalgamated into a single parish.
1949
Kilmacud House and lands is sold by Col Dwyer to the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity, who in turn donate the land for the
building of the new St Lawrence’s Church. The house itself to be preserved for elderly ladies.
1950
Christian Brothers buy Oatlands. 19 Children in St Brigid’s school. River is culverted and sextons house is demolished. As pressure increases for more homes, both public and private, the large houses, farms and estates of Kilmacud are sold off. By the end of the 60’s extensive suburban development replaced all the agricultural land with the exception of Airfield. The Kilmacud Stream which rose at the former lakes of Lakelands is put in culvert for its total length as far as the Glaslower. Its tributaries have also since been culverted with the development of Stillorgan and Sandyford Industrial Estates. Beaufield Mews restaurant is opened and in 2020 when it closes it is considered "The oldest restaurant in the Dublin area". Priory Grove built.
Canadian Red Cedar house go on sale on the Lower Kilmacud Road.
Houses on Merville Road go on sale for for £1950
Bungalows go on sale at Linden Lea for £1950
1951
Attendance in St Brigids one Sunday is 104, and there is 27 on the school roll. Merville estate is built on land owned by the Jolly family.
Dale Drive is completed.
1952
Consecration of addition to graveyard by the Archbishop of Dublin - Arthur Barton.
1953
Burton Hall is bought by Col Joseph Hume Dudgeon and he moves his riding school there the following year.
Foundation stone for St Therese Church in Mount Merrion is laid by Archbishop McQuaid.
5th Annual Mount Merrion Horse Show takes place in Stillorgan Village.
Tender issued for houses to be built on the Morrow site.
1954
Ormonde Cinema opens in August and L Cosgrave performs the official opening.
December, torrential rain causes flooding. The N11 as it is now (close to where the Radisson is now) is under water disrupting travel. The Trimleston culvert was unable to cope with the amount of water running off the Mount Merrion housing estates.
1955
Mount Anville National School opens.
1956
John Purnell Purnell-Edwards dies at the Rectory and is buried in Stillorgan graveyard.
1959
Harcourt line closes on 31st December.
1960
Tigh Lorcain Hall is sold to the developers of the Bowling Alley. New Bray Road Dual carriageway is under construction.
St Philomenas is home to 13 boys.
1961
Proposal to raise 10K to build a new parish hall at St Brigids.
1962
Glenalbyn is sold by the Wilkinson’s to a Captain Hartman of Germany. He sells off part of the land (6.5 acres) to the GAA who were looking for playing fields, and finally sells them the remainder.
c1962
The lands of Woodley Park House are sold off to property developers and Woodley Park Estate is built.
1963
Kilmacud floods in June
Stillorgan Bowl opens in December.
St Benildus primary school opens.
1964
Kilmacud becomes a parish in its own right.
1965
The rubble from the demolishing of Moores Cottages (from Oatlands to the Kilmacud Road) is used to fill Kilmacud Crokes playing fields. The houses took three days to demolish as ex tenants looked on distraught. Nineteen families are initially rehoused in porto cabins at the back of Linden Lea before being housed in Patrician Villas and Beaufield, but the village community spirit was shattered.
1966
Stillorgan Shopping Centre is officially opened in December by Sean Lemass. Mrs Lemass unveils a beaten copper
sculpted centrepiece called "The Fiddler of Dooney" by Imogen Stuart, inspired by W B Yeats poem of the same name.
The De La Salle Brothers open St Benildus College to provide secondary education for boys.
1967
Credit Union set up in Stillorgan. Glenalbyn House is set up as a community Centre for local families.
Church of The Guardian Angels opened and bless by Mosr Rev John Charles McQuaid on 5 Nov 1967.
1968
Oatlands House is demolished to make way for a Christian Brothers Monastery. Colaiste Eoin and Colaiste Iosagain built in the grounds of St Helens.
1969
Kilmacud Church is consecrated and nicknamed 'Harley's Hanger.
1971
The Sisters of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus open St Raphaela's to provide an education for girls. Kilmacud
GAA is renamed Kilmacud Crokes.
1972
The new Mint is constructed at Sandyford, UCD water tower is built and Stillorgan Library opens.
1973
Stillorgan Swimming Pool is built. McCanns Garage closes.
1974
Dublin County council buys Burton Hall. Leopardstown Park hospital, after a change in the original Trust deed, allows the admittance of non ex-servicemen.
1975
Redesdale (St Kevin’s/St Anne’s) becomes St Anne’s Day Care centre for the elderly.
1976
St Anne’s becomes St Michaels House Group. On the 21st July Christopher Ewart-Biggs the British Ambassador to Ireland is killed by the IRA on Murphystown Road in Sandyford while exiting his residence, Glencairn House.
1977
The Stillorgan Bypass opens. "A grade 4 lane dual carriageway with hard shoulder from Foster Ave., to White’s Cross, replacing the earlier 1950’s dual carriageway at Galloping Green".
1978
Stillorgan Decor opens.
1980
Some of the Leopardstown Park grounds sold off. The IDA buys it to build the South County Business estate and the money is held in trust to deal with claims. The Glaslower is culverted from Sandyford village as far as Brewery Road.
1980
Ormonde Cinema is redeveloped as a multi-screen venue. Swiss Chalet opens.
1981
Death of Canon Harley, Fr Val Rogers his replacement. Stillorgan Plaza opens.
1983
Blakes opens at the Swiss Chalet premises (opening night 22 Nov)
1985
Pye Ireland in Dundrum closes.
1986
Rev Alastair Graham is the incumbent in St Brigid’s. Hurricane Charley hits and the culverted river of Stillorgan erupts through manhole covers and drains.
Blackrock Market opens on 6 Dec 1986.
1994
New Parish Centre built at St Brigid's Church.
1993
Floods in Dundrum, Dundrum Bowling Alley closes.
1995
Monsignor Rogers retires
2004
The Luas goes into operation with stations at Sandyford and Stillorgan opened.
2005
Dundrum Town Centre opens. Construction of the M50 is completed.
2007
Stillorgan floods again, up to half a meter of water in Orpen and Avoca Park and again manholes turn into fountains.
2011
Dundrum Town Centre floods.
2012/3
300 year Celebration of the Church building at Stillorgan.
2016
Bowling Alley site is sold to the owners of Stillorgan Shopping Centre.
2017
Redevelopment of the Stillorgan Shopping centre gets underway, statue of Sir William Orpen to be installed is rejected by the new owners. Stillorgan Gate Housing estate underway beside Hazelwood House. Trees are cut down despite an order for retention.
2018
The Beast from the East hits Ireland.
2020
The year that was COVID. Bowling Alley closed.
2021
Bowling Alley Demolished in May
2022/3
Building underway at the old Bowling Alley site. Noise and traffic chaos in Stillorgan village.
©2013- 2024 St Brigid's Parish, Stillorgan
content by June Bow & Karen Poff
Sponsored by Sureskills
