DALKEY

In 1868, the parish of Dalkey contained the following places:

"DALKEY, a parish and post town in the barony of Rathdown, in the county of Dublin, province of Leinster, Ireland, 8 miles S.E. of Dublin. It is a station on the Kingston and Bray branch of the Dublin, Wicklow, and Wexford line. The parish is situated just beyond the eastern extremity of Dublin Harbour. The living is a perpetual curacy in the diocese of Dublin, united with Monkstown, and in the patronage of trustees. The ruins of the church alone remain. There is a National school. In the Roman Catholic arrangement the parish is united to Kingstown. The village was formerly a place of some importance, being a market town and seaport, defended by seven castles, of which three are still remaining. It is a police and coastguard station. Dalkey Common is an extensive tract, reaching down to the beach. It is notorious in connection with an old song called "Kilruddery Hunt," written by Mr. Fleming nearly a century ago. There is a large granite quarry, and an abandoned lead-mine opposite Dalkey Island. This island is separated from the mainland by a narrow channel, and contains a martello tower and some church ruins. It was here that the ceremony of crowning the mock King of Dalkey and Emperor of the Muglins was performed in June. The Dalkey Gazette gave a full account of these doings. A large cromlech on the common was destroyed, for the sake of the granite blocks of which it was constructed, during the formation of Kingstown Harbour. It is here that the atmospheric railway was tried. There are numerous pleasant villas and residences, commanding delightful sea-views; among the principal are Sorrento, Braganza Lodge, and Shamrock Lodge."

[Transcribed from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868]
by Colin Hinson ©2018