Donnybrook Domhnach Broc | |
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Urban district | |
 Donnybrook Road, looking towards Stillorgan | |
  Donnybrook Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates:53°19′26″N6°14′24″W / 53.324°N 6.240°W /53.324; -6.240 | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Leinster |
| County | Dublin |
| Dáil Éireann | Dublin Bay South |
| European Parliament | Dublin |
| Elevation | 11 m (36 ft) |
| Eircode (Routing Key) | D04 |
| Area code | 01 (+3531) |
| Irish Grid Reference | O169318 |
| Website | www |
Donnybrook (Irish:Domhnach Broc, meaning 'The Church of Saint Broc') is a district ofDublin,Ireland, on thesouthside of the city, in theDublin 4 postal district. It is home to the Irish public service broadcasterRaidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) and was once part of thePembroke Township. Its neighbouring suburbs areBallsbridge,Sandymount,Ranelagh andClonskeagh.
Donnybrook is also acivil parish mainly situated in the oldbarony ofDublin.
Donnybrook Fair dates from a charter of KingJohn of England in 1204 and was held annually until 1855. It began as a fair for livestock and agricultural produce but later declined, growing into more of a carnival and funfair. Drunkenness, fighting, and hasty marriages[1] became commonplace and the people of Donnybrook were anxious that it should cease. Eventually, the fair's reputation for tumult was its undoing. From the 1790s on, there were campaigns against the drunken brawl the fair had become. After a good deal of local fundraising, the patent was bought by a group of prominent residents and clergy, bringing about its demise. The Fair took place on lands now occupied byDonnybrook Rugby Ground and the Ever Ready Garage. The worddonnybrook has since entered the English language to describe a rowdy brawl.[2]
Donnybrook Castle was an Elizabethan mansion and residence of the Ussher family.James Ussher was appointedArchbishop of Armagh in the Church of Ireland by QueenElizabeth I of England. The mansion was demolished in 1759 and later replaced in 1795 by the existing Georgian house. It is now occupied by theReligious Sisters of Charity.[3]
Donnybrook Cemetery dates back to the 8th century and was once the location of a church founded bySt Broc. It was also the site of Catholic andChurch of Ireland churches, both called St Mary's. Those buried in it include Dr Bartholomew Mosse, the founder of theRotunda Hospital, SirEdward Lovett Pearce, architect of theIrish Houses of Parliament on College Green and Dr Richard Madden, biographer of theUnited Irishmen. It is possible that the wall on the south side of the cemetery is the oldest man-made structure still existing in Donnybrook. The brick chimney behind the cemetery was built on the site of a former marble works and later served as aMagdalene laundry. Two ancestors ofMeghan Markle, Mary McCue and Thomas Bird, an English soldier, were married atSt Mary's Church of Ireland church, Donnybrook, in 1860.[4]
Theriver Dodder runs through Donnybrook and at one time there was aford here. It is subject to periodic serious flooding and in 1628 one of the Usshers of Donnybrook Castle drowned while trying to cross.[5]
Donnybrook is a civil parish consisting of sixteentownlands.[6] All but four of these townlands are situated in the Barony of Dublin. Donnybrook is the single biggest parish in that barony. The most southerly townlands, Annefield, Simmonscourt and Priesthouse, belong to the barony ofRathdown. The smallest of these, Annefield, is itself anenclave of Simmonscourt which gives its name to a pavilion of theRoyal Dublin Society. Today, the majority of Priesthouse is occupied byElm Park Golf Club and the studios of RTÉ. The remaining townland of Sallymount - the parish's most westerly point - is in the barony ofUppercross.
Thetelevision andradio studios of the national broadcaster,RTÉ, are located in Priesthouse, Donnybrook. There is also a largeDublin Bus garage located in the area.
Donnybrook is in theDáil Éireann constituency ofDublin Bay South and the Pembrokelocal electoral area ofDublin City Council.
Donnybrook is the traditional home ofrugby union inLeinster. The headquarters of theIrish Rugby Football UnionLeinster Branch is located oppositeDonnybrook Stadium, where the professionalLeinster team played their home games until recently. Most games are hosted inDonnybrook Stadium. SomeJunior Cup ties are also hosted on the grounds.
Rugby clubsBective Rangers andOld Wesley have their home ground in Donnybrook Stadium. During the school year secondary schools such asSt Conleth's College,Blackrock,Belvedere College,Wesley College,Clongowes,St. Michaels and many more play rugby in Donnybrook Stadium.
There are several tennis clubs in Donnybrook, Donnybrook Lawn Tennis Club (LTC), St.Marys LTC and Bective LTC.
Belmont Football Club has its home ground in Herbert Park.
Merrion Cricket Club is located in Donnybrook, offAnglesea Road and backing onto the Dodder.
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