Carrickmines

Carrickmines (Irish: Carraig Mhaighin, meaning "Plateau of rock") is an outer suburb of Dublin in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. The area, still semi-rural, was historically on the border of English control and featured a defensive construction, Carrickmines Castle, which became the subject of national controversy during the building of a late stage of Dublin's M50 orbital motorway.

Character

Traditionally a rural area, and today a semi-rural suburban region, Carrickmines is now divided northeast/southwest by the M50 motorway, with, to the northeast, more established residential areas, and to the southwest, notably along Glenamuck Road, new retail parks, office buildings, and housing schemes including many apartments.

Geography

Carrickmines developed as a key settlement in the more than 6 km long valley of the same name, which contains the modest Carrickmines River and its tributaries. The Ballyogan, Glenamuck and Golf Streams all merge in the vicinity. Downstream at Brennanstown the river merges with St. Bride's Stream, from Foxrock, to form the Loughlinstown River, which in turn meets the Bride's Glen Stream to form the Shanganagh River, which reaches the sea at Killiney Strand.