Naul, Dublin

Naul
An Aill
Village

Séamus Ennis Cultural Centre, Naul
Naul

Location in Ireland

Coordinates: 53°35′10″N 6°17′24″W / 53.586°N 6.290°W / 53.586; -6.290Coordinates: 53°35′10″N 6°17′24″W / 53.586°N 6.290°W / 53.586; -6.290
Country Ireland
County Fingal
Elevation 75 m (246 ft)
Population (2006)[1]
  Urban 196
Irish Grid Reference O130609

Naul (Irish: An Aill, meaning "the cliff", also known as "The Naul"), is a village in Fingal, Ireland. It is home to the Naul Kids racing team. It is also a civil parish in the historic barony of Balrothery West.[2] The Delvin River marks the boundary between the counties of Dublin and Meath. The Naul is also a parish in the Fingal North deanery of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin.

Location

The village is a crossroads between the R122 and R108 regional roads, the latter being the traditional route between Dublin and the port of Drogheda, while the R122 travels from Finglas in the south to Balbriggan.

History

The area is thought to have been occupied since the Stone Age as archaeological finds include numerous prehistoric earthworks, and the nearby megalithic chambered cairns at Fourknocks on the Meath side of the village, discovered in 1949 on the lands of Thomas Connell. Four prehistoric tumuli, or mounds, were discovered. They contain a chamber wider than the one at Newgrange, and within the passage are strange stone engravings, indicating that the chambers were built about 4,000 years ago.[3]

There was also a "White Castle", of which nothing now remains. Built in the 13th century, it was the home of Richard Caddell, whose descendants were evicted by Cromwell's forces. The Caddell family were still around in the 19th century, indicated by a monument known locally as Caddell's Folly, erected for unknown reasons during the period by another Richard Caddell. The "White Castle" originally had inside stairs leading to the roof on which there was a powerful telescope. According to legend, Caddell watched the Bellewstown Races through the telescope, because he had had a disagreement with the race committee and vowed never to be seen in the area again.

Name

The name is anglicised from the Irish An Aill meaning "The Cliff" as there is a substantial cliff on either side of the River Delvin just outside the village. Locally, the village is still known as The Naul as a throwback to the original Irish name, although this is not recognised officially.

Séamus Ennis Cultural Centre

Seamus Ennis statue

The Séamus Ennis Cultural Centre was officially opened on 23 October 2001. It promotes and develops the traditional arts, and it organises and hosts regular recitals, music sessions, workshops and classes.

The idea for a cultural centre based on the achievements of Séamus Ennis had its origins in the Scoil Shéamuis Ennis, a festival held every October in the Naul area. It is a non-profit organisation set up to:

Sport

Killian's Bar in the village

Gaelic games

Clann Mhuíre CLG is the local Gaelic Athletic Association club. It was founded in 1957 and currently fields football teams from Under-8 to Under-18. There is an adult male football team that plays in Division AFL4, and a ladies football team.

See also

References

  1. "Census 2006 – Volume 1 – Population Classified by Area" (PDF). Central Statistics Office Census 2006 Reports. Central Statistics Office Ireland. April 2007. Retrieved 2011-06-14.
  2. Placenames Database of Ireland - Naul civil parish
  3. Fourknocks: Passage-tomb, Irish Megaliths.
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