Barróg
don Ghaeilge

Have you ever wondered about the origins of the names of the places and suburbs from which our members hail.  They are part of our everyday life. Our speech is sprinkled with them, as we move about from task to task.  They all have a history, but in some cases that history is within living memory.

Our club’s name links directly with Kilbarrack or Cill Bharróg (St Berach’s church, the church of young Barra).  Kilbarrack has been around for a thousand years.  ‘Old Kilbarrack’ can still be seen today in the ruins of the 13th Century Mariner’s Church or  ‘Chapel of Mone’, in the district we now refer to as Bayside or Cois Bá

.Cois Bá, in contrast to Cill Bharróg, is only a leanbh.  Growing out of various developments of the 1960’s and 70’s, it celebrated 50th year, ar an saol, in 2017.

It’s only a short cycle from here, to Cill Fhiontain or Sutton, home to the eponymous school.  Sutton forms part of the ‘tombolo’, which links the leathinis or peninsula of Howth/Binn Eadair to the mainland.  The local Dart Station was once the start and end point of the famous Howth tram.

Close by Baldoyle/Baile Dúill or the town of the Dubh-ghaill, gets it’s name from Vikings, or more specifically the Danes. This was to distinguish them from their cousins, na Finn-ghaill, or the fair strangers from Norway.  It’s recorded that the then Lord Deputy of Ireland held a parliament here in 1369, in Grange Abbey.  Founded by Diarmuid McMurrough, the ruins of the Abbey are still to be found in Domhnach Míde, the church of St. Mide, or Donaghmede.  The modern suburb was carved out of parts of Baldoyle, Coolock/an Chúlóg, and Rath Éanaigh/Raheny.

Domhnach Míde once featured 3 popular holy wells/toibreacha beannaithe.  These were visited in procession, and were famed for their healing properties, especially in relation to the eyes.

One of our feeder schools, Gaelscoil Míde, is also dedicated to St Mide, which brings us back to the start, and Cill Bharróg.

And, as they say in GSM, Tús maith, leath na hOibre.