Castleknock (civil parish)


Castleknock is a civil parish in the ancient barony of Castleknock. The townland of Castleknock itself is the location of the eponymous "Cnucha's Castle" - Castleknock Castle. The town with the biggest population in the parish is Blanchardstown. Abbotstown Demense was the principal seat in the civil parish. Along with other civil parishes in Ireland, its use as a unit of local administrative unit was gradually replaced by the creation of Electoral Divisions in the Local Government Act of 1898.

History

Like all civil parishes in Ireland, this civil parish is derived from, and co-extensive with, a pre-existing parish of the Church of Ireland.
In 1773, an Act of the Privy Council united the parish with the curacies of Clonsilla and Mulhuddart. In 1837, Lewis reported in his directory that the living was a vicarage in the Diocese of Dublin which was: "... endowed with a portion of the great tithes, and united to the prebend of Castleknock and the rectory of Clonsillagh and curacy of Mullahidart, with cure of souls: it is in the patronage of the Bishop.". The two churches noted by Lewis in the vicarial union, one at Castleknock, the other at Clonsilla, are extant and in use by the Church of Ireland community. The former was rebuilt by a loan of £1000 from the Board of First Fruits and large subscriptions, in 1810. In 1831, the population of the parish, including Blanchardstown was 4251 people of which 3409 were Catholic.

Location and composition

The core of the parish is centred on the townland and village of the same name. The townland at the northern extremity is Huntstown, not to be confused with Huntstown and Littlepace in the neighbouring parish of Clonsilla.To the south, it is bounded by the River Liffey and Chapelizod. To the west, it is bounded by the townland of Annefield. To the east lies the 8th lock of the Royal Canal and the Cabra Gate of the Phoenix Park.

Populated places

Populated places in the civil parish include: Blanchardstown, Castleknock, Ashtown, Cabra, Corduff, Laurel Lodge.

Townlands

Within the civil parish of Castleknock, there are 22 townlands per the table below. For convenience, the table groups the townlands by their location in one of the modern local authority areas. Some townlands, however, straddle both areas.
Modern Local
Authority Area		Name in IrishName in EnglishAcres
Dublin CityBaile an ÁsaighAshtown 278
Dublin CityBaile PheiléidPelletstown259
Dublin CityAn ChabrachCabra457
Dublin CityCaisleán Cnucha Castleknock
1020
FingalBaile an AbaAbbotstown101
FingalBaile an ÁsaighAshtown 278
FingalBaile an ChairpintéaraighCarpenterstown166
FingalBaile an DéanaighDeanestown173
FingalBaile an DiosualaighDiswellstown418
FingalBaile an HuntaighHuntstown299
FingalBaile an PhóirtéaraighPorterstown219
FingalBaile BhlainséirBlanchardstown454
FingalBaile MhistéilMitchelstown154
FingalBaile ScriobailScribblestown272
FingalBaile SheáinJohnstown67
FingalAn ChabrachCabra457
FingalCaisleán Cnucha Castleknock

1020
FingalCeapachCappoge or Cappagh698
FingalCnoc na gCaorachSheephill349
FingalAn Chorr DhubhCorduff353
FingalDún SincheDunsink423
FingalPáirc AnnaAnnfield19
FingalSnugboroughSnugborough53
FingalSteach GobAstagob93