Goatstown

Goatstown ( _ga. Baile na nGabhar) is a suburb of Dublin located in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County, Ireland. To the west is Dundrum, to the east is Mount Merrion and Stillorgan, to the south is Sandyford, and to the north is Clonskeagh.

Goatstown is primarily a residential area, with extensive housing developments from the middle decades of the 20th century onwards, with little local industry. It is roughly centred on a pub named the "Goat Grill" (known as "Dublin's Sporting Pub"), at the intersection of Goatstown Road and Taney Road, where there has been a pub since the early 18th century.

Goatstown got its name from the fact that formally goats were bred there whose milk was considered to be excellent for those suffering from tuberculosis.Fact|date=February 2007.

Transport

The Luas green line runs through the south-west corner of Goatstown and the Dundrum Luas stop is nearby with the vehicular entrance off Taney Road.

Development

To the east of the Goatstown Road lie the allotments, much of which was compulsorily purchased during the 1960s for the proposed Eastern Bypass / Saint Helen's link road. A portion of this land is currently being built on by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, to provide social and affordable housing.Fact|date=March 2008 A Georgian house and remaining surrounding land, known as Trimbleston, was sold in 1998 for over £2 million; bought by Sorohan Brothers, builders. The house was subsequently damaged in two fires and the remaining ruins demolished and replaced by a housing and apartment development, also called Trimbleston. Phase two of Trimbleston has recently been granted planning permission. This will involve the demolition of five 2-storey houses and the construction of 202 dwelling units in their place and on surrounding land owned by the Sorohans.

Notable Events

Charlie Chawke, who took over the pub in 1982 and changed the name from Traynor's to the Goat Grill, was shot in the leg in October 2003 during a robbery and had his right leg amputated five days later. [cite web |url=http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0620/chawkec.html |title=RTÉ News: Chawke gives evidence in robbery trial |accessdate=2008-03-23]

In another widely publicised case, on 5 March 2008 a jury found Brian Kearney guilty of the murder of his wife, Siobhán Kearney, at their home in Cnoc na Sí, Goatstown in February 2006. [ [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_in_Ireland#March Events of March 2008 in Ireland] ]

Famous local people

*Barry Desmond, politician
*Brian O'Driscoll, Irish rugby player
*Mr David Kelly, Irish actor

References

ee also

*List of towns and villages in Ireland