Firhouse

The origin of the place-name derives from the Irish(Gaelic) word 'Teach an Giúise' - meaning 'The house of fir' or as it was named: Firhouse. This name came from what was previously the wild forest of fir trees that Firhouse once was. It may also come from a manor that was located at the top of the laneway joining Scoil Treasa and Scoil Carmel. Like much of the rest of the area, this laneway, which led up to the main house, was lined with fir trees.)

The Irish place-name is 'Teach an Giúise' ((Chak on gyioo-sha)). Among the local population, the pronunciation of Firhouse is as contentious an issue as the origin of the name, some using "Fir" and some "Fur", though the use on historical maps, which tended to capture phonetic spellings, of "Furhouse", suggests the probable form.

Firhouse was historically the site of a small rural settlement near the river bank, and another, Upper Firhouse, nearby. Firhouse lay within the townland of Knocklyon, and was owned, over time, by Walter de Ridelford, and later families including the Burnells, the Bathes, the Nugents and the Talbots, eventually being sold by the Duke of Wharton to the famous Speaker Conolly.

In the 14th century, a weir, the City Weir or Great Weir, was made in the Dodder there, named for Balrothery, the district on the north bank opposite, and much of the Dodder's water was diverted to the course of the River Poddle, to supply the then-small Dublin city.

In the early 1800s, Handcock referred to "a small dirty village, principally inhabited by stonebreakers."[2]

While there was no bridge near in a south westerly direction until the 20th century, a bridge was made just north of the village. The settlement grew further in the 19th century, and a number of mills existed in the vicinity, including a paper mill across the river.[3] By the 1910s, the village already extended for half a mile, with a school, church, convent, public house and two smithies,[4] but the population remained small until suburban development began in the 1960s and 1970s.

Firhouse is in the Firhouse-Bohernabreena electoral area of South Dublin County Council, and the Dail Eireann constituency of Dublin South-West.

There are two community centres, Firhouse Community and Sports Complex, which is home to various sporting teams, as well as the local Scouting Den, and The Park Community Centre in Ballycragh Park.

Firhouse also has one main shopping centre, Firhouse Shopping Centre, anchored by a supermarket. There is also a local Credit Union, a post office and a Chinese restaurant, while the local pubs are Scholars, The Speaker Conolly and Mortons, The Firhouse Inn.

Facilities of Knocklyon and Templeogue are within 1-2 km, and those of Tallaght town centre, including local government amenities and a major shopping complex, are within 1-4 kilometres.

Firhouse is in the Rathfarnham Garda District.

Local primary schools are Scoil Carmel (a Junior National School), Scoil Treasa, Holy Rosary, Firhouse Educate Together National School, Gaelscoil na Giuise and there is also a second-level school, Firhouse Community College.

Firhouse Community College

The college was established in 1982 and currently has around 700 students and 60 staff members. The school contains a theatre, physical education hall, a multi-sport arena and a large playing field which is around 800m long and is used for soccer and rugby matches.[7] The school's 4th years go on a school trip to Delphi, an adventure centre in Mayo. They also perform an annual play. Previous plays include Romeo & Juliet, Playboy of the Western World, Macbeth, Hamlet, The Wiz, Smike, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Grease.[8] There is also a school website: [9]

Firhouse College

There is a Roman Catholic parish entitled Parish of Firhouse which stretches out as far as Hunterswood and has a church named Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Various regions of Firhouse belong to the Parish of Ballyboden. Bohernabreena Parish also takes up much of the area, with a church in the mountains and another in Holy Rosary school. Historically the broad area was part of the large post-Penal Law parish of Rathfarnham.

Adjacent to the Dodder valley stood the Victory Center, a Christian theological facility, and subsequent to its closure, a facility of the Church of Scientology has opened there.

Firhouse Carmel Football Club (Firhouse Carmel F.C.), based at Firhouse Community Centre, caters for over 300 schoolboys and girls from the local area, in 22 teams. Playing grounds are at Carrigwood and Scholars pitches, and 2005 saw Brian Kerr open the purpose-built changing rooms at the Community Centre after years of fundraising. The club is sponsored by Reagans, SuperValu. Local Leinster Senior League side Firhouse Clover also avail of the clubhouse facilities when training at Firhouse Community College.

Ballyboden St Enda's GAA located on the Firhouse Road and St Anne's GAA, located in Bohernabreena, are major clubs in the area, with camogie, hurling and Gaelic football teams.

Firhouse also has a basketball club, and Firhouse Community College has active clubs including GAA and basketball.

In 2001 the voluntary group Firhouse Village Community Council was given a mandate at a general meeting to have the title "Firhouse Village" recognised for the area. In pursuing this they obtained EU and National Development Plan grant aid for Firhouse Village Park. While there is no formal definition or legal status of "village" in Ireland, by its name and the fact that grant aid was obtained under the Village Urban Renewal Scheme and E.U. funding, some form of recognition by the local authority that Firhouse was a village in its own right can be inferred, as the Village Urban Renewal Scheme 2000–2006 allocated monies only to villages throughout Ireland outside Dublin City and County.

The most significant planning and development issue to concern Firhouse in recent years has been the decision of South Dublin County Council to grant permission for the rejuvenation of the core area with a mixed development of apartments, offices and retail outlets to be developed around the existing shopping centre. The downturn in the building sector at the same time permission was granted saw this large development being put on hold and eventually the life span of the permission granted expired. The new planning laws that apply to villages that are not served by a rail or Luas line restricted the density of apartments applied for by one of the developers.

• List of towns and villages in Ireland.

• - Website for 146th Firhouse Scouts.