Lucan, Dublin

Lucan (Irish: Leamhcán) is a town in South Dublin, Ireland on the western outskirts of Dublin city, 15km from the city centre. The town lies at the confluence of the River Liffey and the River Griffeen, its tributary. The picturesque old town retains its character, despite hosting ever-expanding areas of housing that are suburbs of Dublin. These new estates lead east from the town towards the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre and southeast towards Clondalkin. A further major expansion south of the Dublin-Cork train line is planned on the lands of Adamstown.

History

Patrick Sarsfield, the Irish Jacobite was born in Lucan and was granted the title Earl of Lucan by King James II.

Currently on the site of Sarsfield's castle beside the town is the grand Lucan House. It was built around 1770 by Rt. Hon. Agmondisham Vesey, who had married into the Sarsfield family. The circular ground floor dining room is said to have been an inspiration for the Oval Office of the White House. Over the years, the house passed out of the Vesey family and since 1947, has been the residence of the Italian ambassador to Ireland. Also on the grounds of the house is a sulphurous spa, the waters of which attracted people to the town in previous times.

The influence of the Sarsfield and Vesey families on Lucan is still apparent in the locality. For example, the local GAA club is Lucan Sarsfields and a pub in the town bears the name 'The Vesey Arms'.

Transport and Access

Lucan is located on the N4 national primary route from Dublin to Sligo, and the southern areas of the town are also close to the N7 route. It is also close to the M50 Dublin ring road. An outer-orbital distributor road, from the N4 Woodies interchange to the N7 is currently under construction (and it is proposed that this will ultimately be extended to Blanchardstown).

Although it is located relatively close to two important commuter railway lines, no railway station exists for the town. One is planned to open however at Adamstown, to the southwest, on the Kildare-Dublin commuter line. A Luas line for the town has been proposed under Transport 21, with the completion date set at 2012.

Dublin Bus provides several bus services to the area, including the 25/A/X, the 66/A/B/X, and the 67/A/X. Feeder routes such as the 239 from Liffey Valley shopping centre to Blanchardstown via the north of the town (the Strawberry Beds) also run. Dublin Bus also provides Nitelink services with the 66N serving Lucan village. Some other bus operators also serve Lucan.

There is a private airport, Weston Airport, located to the west of Lucan and on the Dublin/Kildare border. This airport conducts pilot training and uses light aircraft and helicopters. It sometimes gives its address as Leixlip, Co. Kildare, but for official purposes it is considered South Dublin.

Culture and identity

Lucan is generally considered in two parts - old Lucan, and new Lucan. Old Lucan consists of the main town of Lucan, containing smaller roads and smaller shops, resting in the Liffey Valley. New Lucan is considered to be the majority of the newer housing developments, built South of the main town, out of the valley, and stretching as far as Clondalkin and Tallaght.

Lucan has undergone massive change in the last 10 years. After the building of the M50 motorway and N4 interchange, and the staggering increase in house prices and jobs during the Celtic Tiger era, Lucan quickly became one of the most desirable places to buy a new home, given its easy access to Dublin City and relatively low house prices, with many thousands of homes being built in a matter of years. Building development is still ongoing on a large, albeit smaller scale today. Where once it was considered a satellite town of Dublin, Lucan is now part of the built-up Dublin area, and the last town one meets when leaving Dublin on the N4.

With the large population increases came jobs, prosperity and high-profile retail developments, but traffic congestion has become a major problem. The N4 is considered to be one of the most congested roads in the city, particularly where it meets the M50, as traffic regularly stretches back for up to 5 kilometres at rush hour. Upgrade schemes are planned for both the N4 and N4/M50 interchange to help remedy these problems.

Employment

The area is primarily a residential one, though employment does exist. One of the major employers within the area is the Liffey Valley Centre, though there are a number of other businesses in the area. There are major businesses in the nearby Citywest and Tallaght areas of South Dublin. Intel and Hewlett-Packard are also major employers, located nearby in Co. Kildare, with further employment closeby in Blanchardstown, in Fingal, such as eBay's European operations.

Shopping

The Liffey Valley Shopping Centre opened in 1998 and is the major shopping centre for the area. The Blanchardstown Centre is another major retail development with relatively easy access. The area has a strong local retail sector, but Dublin City Centre remains popular as a shopping destination as well.

A number of local shopping centres exist in Lucan, including one at Hillcrest, whose main tenant is Tesco, and another on the Newcastle road, which has Superquinn as well as several other shops, including a McDonald's restaurant.

A retail park exists at an N4 junction, where Woodies DIY and various other stores are found.

Sport

Lucan has a very successful Gaelic football team, Lucan Sarsfields, one of Lucan's most famous players being Patricia "Trish" Gordon.

Several football teams also play in the area, including Esker Celtic and Lucan United.

The Dublin Dragons American Football Team are based in lucan. Dublin Dragons AFC

Note

Lucan was officially considered as part of Dublin city from the 1996 census onward, meaning that the census does not list the towns population as a whole, but it is arrived at by adding the Lucan areas (Lucan-Esker, Lucan Heights and Lucan-St Helen's) to provide an overall population. It is also important to note that for planning purposes Lucan and Clondalkin are often considered as a single entity.

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