==Nature==
==Nature==
Saggart lies at the northern end of a mountain valley, the Slade of Saggart, with [[Brittas, Dublin|Brittas]] at the other side.
Saggart at the northern end of a mountain valley, the Slade of Saggart].
The village is near [https://www.dublinmountains.ie/archaeology/archaeology/slievethoul/ Slievethoul] and [https://www.dublinmountains.ie/archaeology/archaeology/lugg%20woods/ Lugg Woods].
The [[River Camac]] flows through this valley, passing around the village.
The [[River Camac]] flows through this valley, passing around the village.
Village in County Dublin, Ireland
Village in Leinster, Ireland
Saggart (Irish: Teach Sagard) is a village in County Dublin, Ireland, south-west of Dublin city, in the local government area of South Dublin. It lies between the N7 (Naas Road), Rathcoole, Citywest and Tallaght. It is one of the fastest-growing settlements in Ireland, with its population doubling between 2011 and 2022.[1] The village is in a townland and civil parish of the same name, in the barony of Newcastle.[2]
Name
A monk called Mosacra founded a settlement on the site of the village in the 7th century. The name Saggart derives from Teach Sacra which means “house of Sacra” in Irish.
History
| Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 603 | — |
| 1996 | 550 | −8.8% |
| 2002 | 588 | +6.9% |
| 2006 | 868 | +47.6% |
| 2011 | 2,144 | +147.0% |
| 2016 | 3,133 | +46.1% |
| 2022 | 4,573 | +46.0% |
| Source: [3] | ||
A monastery existed just outside the village in the 7th century. The remains of this monastery are found on the grounds of an equestrian centre approximately 1.5 km from today’s Saggart Village. After St Mosacra died, it became a nunnery with over 80 nuns living there until the Viking attacks of the 9th century.
By 1207, Saggart, or Tasagart, as it was then called by the Normans, had been made a prebend of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin. In 1615, the church was reported as being in good repair but fifteen years later the church is stated to have fallen down, and the Protestant parishioners attended Rathcoole church. The current church was built in 1847.
From 1888 to 1932, the Dublin and Blessington Steam Tramway stopped at Saggart.
Historical Artifacts
Several objects of archaeological interest are located in Saggart:
- a pair of megalithic standing stones in Boherboy, that are known locally as Adam and Eve.[4]
- the Raheen Standing Stone, a megalithic standing stone in a field on the Blessington Road, near Crooksling.[5]
Saggart Cemetery
There are four surviving pre-Norman monuments in the village:
- two high crosses
- a cross-slab
- cross-base
All of which stand in the Cemetery. The graveyard predates the current church, and is located on the site of previous church buildings, most probably the monastery of St Mosacra. The first edition Ordnance Survey map from 1843 shows the graveyard to be oval in shape, with access provided by a lane leading directly from the village; prior to this, the area is recorded by mapmakers as the site of a ruined church. Within the graveyard, there is a noteworthy memorial to Dublin merchant Edward Byrne, who was a member of the Catholic Committee, which included Wolfe Tone, which petitioned King George II in 1793 on behalf of the Irish people.
Swiftbrook Paper Mills
The Swiftbrook Paper Mills were founded around 1760, and later became famous for their Ancient Irish Vellum and Erin brands; they also produced paper for banknotes and stamps. The mills underwent redevelopment and expansion over the years: the old, lower mill was refurbished in 1795, and a second upper mill was added in the mid-nineteenth century.
Apparently named after the former Dean of St Patrick’s, Jonathan Swift, in whose prebendary Saggart was located, the mills were to become a major employer in the village over the next two centuries.
For much of their history the mills were driven by a huge water wheel on the River Camac, at the upper mill; it was said to be the largest waterwheel in Ireland. Mill ponds and a mill race were created to supplement the river’s water supply, and a series of filtration ponds purified water intended for use in paper production. Paper was made from rags collected on a daily basis from Dublin, and brought by horse and cart via the new turnpike between Dublin and Kilcullen, which passed near Saggart. In the morning, cartloads of fresh paper were sent into Dublin, returning in the evening laden with sackfuls of rags, many of them offcuts from garment factories, but also material sold on by Dublin’s many rag-pickers. At the factory, rags were sorted in the three-storey rag-mill building: the ground floor was where unclean rags arrived, the middle floor was for sorting rags, and the third storey was for storing clean rags. During the Second World War air-raid shelters were built on the Mill’s grounds, but were never needed.
The Mill closed in 1972, and the Swiftbrook buildings were cleared in 2001; the site has been partially redeveloped for housing.
Nature
Saggart is at the northern end of a mountain valley, the Slade of Saggart.
The village is near Slievethoul and Lugg Woods.
The River Camac flows through this valley, passing around the village.
Religion
The Catholic parish boundaries include the areas of Rathcoole and Brittas and the parish works in conjunction with the neighbouring parish of St. Finian’s, Newcastle.[6] Dedicated in 1849, the Roman Catholic Church is named after “The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary”. The current Parish Priest is Fr. John Gilligan.[7]
Amenities
Saggart is a heritage village.
Citywest Business Campus is located near the village.
The Citywest Shopping Centre is located in nearby Citywest.
Jacob’s Bar was established as a public house in the village by members of the Jacob family in 1901.[8].
The village has two restaurants:
Scenic walking trails are located near the village.
Transport
Saggart Luas stop is one of two western termini for the Luas Red Line, the other being Tallaght. The line provides a direct link to Dublin city with a journey duration of 45 minutes.
Saggart is served by Dublin Bus route 69 (which runs from here to Dublin city) and Go Ahead Ireland route W6 which runs from Maynooth to The Square, Tallaght via Rathcoole, Newcastle and Celbridge.
Sport
St Mary’s GAA is the local Gaelic Athletic Association club and was founded in 1906.
Coolmine Equestrian Centre was established here in 1989.
The centre and CEAD-Ireland host equestrian activities, competitions and the CEAD-Fest during the summer months.
Politics
Saggart is part of the:
Notable people
See also
References
External links
