Priorswood took its name from a large house, Friarswood, situated off Belcamp Lane, near the Malahide Road, or from the townland of the same name. The house was itself named for a historic priory, thought to be that of the Knights based at Clontarf and Kilmainham.
Location and access
The area is located in the northern part of the civil parish of Coolock, on formerly rural land, and borders Darndale to the east, Clonshaugh to the west and Coolock itself to the south. The modern-day estates that make up the area are found west of Darndale, north of the Greencastle Road, east of the Clonshaugh Industrial Estate and south of the R139; the part which lies north of the R139 has no or few residents. The Turnapin Stream, one of the two main tributaries which form the Mayne River, runs through the northern part of the area. The core of the district is the townland of the same name in the civil parish of Coolock. Priorswood is accessible by taking the Priorswood Road off the Ayrfield/Darndale Roundabout on the Malahide Road, and via the Clonshaugh Road from the R139, and is within 2.5 km of Dublin Airport. It is served by the Dublin Bus route number 27 on the Malahide Road.
Today
Priorswood largely comprises residential property, along with a parish church, and St Francis of Assisi Junior and Senior National Schools, and a special junior post-primary school for Traveller children. Clonshaugh Shopping Centre is found next to the church and includes a dentist, protein store, newsagent, pub, pharmacy and other outlets. And Belcamp Park are located to the north. The housing estates that comprise Priorswood are Moatview, Fairfield and Ferrycarrig. The national schools are found on Clonshaugh Drive, with the estates of Newbury and Swift's Grove found in neighbouring Clonshaugh, located at the bottom of the avenue. There is a Gaelic Athletic Association sports ground opposite the main Traveller settlement. The socio-economic profile of the Priorswood area is similar to that of neighbouring Darndale, and the housing stock in the area is almost totally local authority housing, though of a different form to the bulk of Darndale. Although defined distinctly, Darndale and Priorswood are often mentioned together. Priorswood's coordinates have been shown in the Sunday, February 5, 2012 B.C. comic strip by Mastroianni and Hart, although the coordinates in the strip are N. 53°24′17″ W. 6°12′3″, centering over a house on Moatview Court.
Recent developments
The Bewley's Airport Hotel has been built in neighbouring Clonshaugh, just as the N32 branches towards the Baskin, and a Hilton Hotel and a range of retail and service outlets at the nearby Northern Cross development, on the lands of the former Belcamp College in Balgriffin. Bewleys have a tea and coffee packing plant west of the Northern Cross development, and Embu Consulting and other companies are based there. The close-by Clonshaugh Industrial Estate has begun expanding again for the first time since the closure of anchor tenants Gateway and Solectron, the Dublin Port Tunnel Business Park being one example.
