From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Coolock (An Chúlóg in Irish) is an area on Dublin city's Northside in Ireland. It is also the name of the Barony which accounts for most of north Dublin city, from the coast in. Coolock is crossed by the Santry River, a prominent feature in the middle of the district, with a linear park and ponds.

Contents 1 History 2 Nature 3 Localities 4 Facilities 5 Transport 6 See also 7 External links

Coolock has a history dating back over 3,500 years – a bronze-age burial site in the area dates back to 1500 BC. The settlement grew up around a small early-Christian church. A Catholic church, St. John's, was later built in the area. It remained a small village until the 1950s, when it began to be developed as part of Dublin's suburbs.

Coolock lies at the centre of the majority "working class" "Northside" suburbs such as Kilbarrack, Kilmore (part of Artane), Darndale and Priorswood, and includes Bonnybrook and Cromcastle. These are the sorts of area whose people and mannerisms have been immortalised in Roddy Doyle's Barrytown trilogy, which is based on the Kilbarrack area. Recent developments around the Clare Hall area have brought a more middle class element. Coolock also neighbours the more middle class Santry, Raheny and Clontarf, and the until-recently rural, now fast-developing Balgriffin.

• Ayrfield is a small area that it is historically part of Coolock even though it is now in a different postal district from most of the area - Dublin 13 (includes Baldoyle, Bayside, Donaghmede, Sutton, and Howth). It is located near the Edenmore part of Raheny, Donaghmede and Darndale. Ayrfield has one primary school, St. Pauls Junior and Senior National School, and opposite the school is Ayrfield Community Parish Church and the local GAA grounds.

• Headquarters of Cadbury Ireland
• Beep Club
• Beechlawn Rovers Football Club
• Richie O'Neill Memorial Walk
• Parnells GAA club
• Formerly Tayto Crisps, Ireland's largest factory for potato chips, which closed in 2005
• The Stardust Memorial Garden which is dedicated to the 48 people who lost their lives in the Stardust nightclub
• Chanel College, a large secondary school and adult education source, which was founded in 1955
• UCI cinema
• Northside Shopping Centre, Ireland's first covered shopping centre, situated near the northern fringe of the M50, has more than 70 outlets

Coolock is also a centre of local government activity, with a Dublin City Council major centre, NEAR FM community radio station, Health Services Executive centre and recycling centre.

Coolock is serviced by the following Dublin Bus routes:

• 17A (Kilbarrack and Finglas)
• 27 (City Centre and Darndale)
• 42 (City Centre and Malahide)
• 43 (City Centre and Swords).

• List of towns in the Republic of Ireland

• Map of Coolock
• Northside Shopping Centre

Coordinates: 53°23′N, 6°12′W