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History of the Parish |
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Development of the Parish |
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Prior to
Catholic Emancipation the very sparsely populated area of Churchtown
formed part of three quite remote parishes - Donnybrook, Booterstown and
Kilgobbin. Later, however, as more churches were built and new parishes
established, the Churchtown district formed part of the parishes of
Dundrum and Rathfarnham. In the mid 1950s the population had risen to the
point where a parish of its own was clearly needed for Churchtown.
Thus, in
1957 the just-completed Church of the Good Shepherd was consecrated. For
eight years the church was a Chapel-of-Ease to Rathfarnham Parish, but in
1965 it gained full status as the centrepiece of an independent Parish.
Then, in its turn, the Good Shepherd Parish in
1974 became responsible for the development of a new Church at Marley
Grange, towards which the Churchtown parishioners contributed £120,000 (or
some €150,000). In 1981 Marley Grange itself became an independent Parish
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The Parish Boundaries |
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The Parish
boundaries are shown on the sketch map below. They extend from the Dodder
River (which forms a natural boundary) at Orwell Gardens and Orwell
Bridge, to the top of Beaumont Avenue, past Churchtown House, on the
Weston area, and the Upper Churchtown Road to the junction of Lower
Churchtown Road; to the west the parish extends to the rear of Grange
Road. Major residential areas included in the parish are Braemor,
Landscape and Nutgrove |
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Highlights of the Parish |
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Good Shepherd Church is naturally the focal
point of the parish, but it should be noted that there are several other
important highlights which form an integral part of everyday life for
parishioners. Adjacent to the church is the Good Shepherd Parish
Centre which has become indispensable for a multitude of church and
other parish activities. [See our
Community Involvement page].
Good schools are an essential element of a
vibrant parish, and Churchtown is very fortunate to have a range of
excellent schools in the parish or adjacent to it. The Good Shepherd
Primary School (for boys and girls) and the De La Salle College for boys
have deservedly good reputations, built up over years of dedicated service
to our young people.
Another
glory of the parish is Mount Carmel Hospital, run by the Sisters of the
Little Company of Mary. The first Mount Carmel Hospital was opened in
1950, in what had previously been the House of Studies for the Carmelite
Order, and the demand for its services was such that 10 years later a
completely new “Mount Carmel” was opened. The hospital is a much-loved
body, not least because of its role as a maternity unit
View Full History of
the Parish |
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