Adamstown, Dublin

Adamstown Baile Adaim
—  Town  —
Adamstown Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 53°19′50″N 6°27′33″W / 53.330668°N 6.459103°W / 53.330668; -6.459103Coordinates: 53°19′50″N 6°27′33″W / 53.330668°N 6.459103°W / 53.330668; -6.459103
Country	Ireland
Province	Leinster
County	South Dublin
Government
• Dáil Éireann	Dublin South–West
• EU Parliament	East constituency
Elevation	54 m (177 ft)
Population (2006)
• Urban	247,000
Time zone	WET (UTC+0)
• Summer (DST)	IST (WEST) (UTC-1)
Irish Grid Reference

Adamstown (Irish: Baile Adaim, meaning "Town of Adam") is the first new town planned in Ireland since Shannon Town in 1982. The new settlement is being developed 16 km from Dublin city centre, on a 220 hectare site just south of Lucan, west of the Griffeen River and north of the Grand Canal. No date has been set for the official granting of some form of "town status" but development is underway. Adamstown is in the jurisdiction of South Dublin.

Location and access

A train approaches Adamstown railway station, 2008

The site is purposefully located alongside the Dublin-Kildare railway line, to allow easy access via a 12 minute journey from Dublin's central Heuston Station. The new and privately funded railway station opened on 10 April 2007, provisioned with 5 platforms.

The town is easily accessed from the N4 national primary route. Weston Airport is nearby.

History

The Adamstown concept originated with the South Dublin County Development Plan of 1998, which envisaged the creation of several new towns - only Adamstown made it to the development stage. The provision of a new railway station, a 12 minute journey from Dublin's central Heuston Station was an integral part of its development, together with the provision of new schools, shopping and sporting facilities within walking distance in the neighbourhood. The new town was designed to promote public transport and reduce car dependence.

Infrastructure works officially commenced on 7 February 2005, and on 16 February 2006 the first houses went on the market.

Plans

It was intended that after an initial ten years of development the settlement will have around 10,000 homes, or about 25,000 people. The homes built in Adamstown will be the familiar type of houses and apartments but whose layout is dissimilar to other later 20th century developments in Ireland in that they are designed to incorporate modern urban design concepts. These primarily include permeability,^{[clarification needed]} a 'joined up'^{[clarification needed]} street system, avoiding the common cul de sac layouts. The formation of streets^{[clarification needed]} is designed to reduce car usage. These features, combined with ease of access to the train station is intended to promote walking and cycling. There is a strict limit on high-rise buildings, three to four storeys being the norm. As part of the planning permission it was incumbent on the developers to complete various infrastructure and community facilities on a phased basis, to avoid the social problems that can blight large-scale suburban developments, before proceeding with later phases of housing. The train station and two schools and some shops are now operating.

Amenities

The area features a Liffey tributary stream, the Tobermaclugg, which is being used as the centrepiece of a public park.

Sport

Adamstown has a soccer club, Adamstown Football Club, and a GAA club, Adamstown GAA club. Adamstown Football Club was established in November 2005 and currently plays in the United Churches League, with two teams, and plans to expand into schoolboy soccer in the summer of 2008. The GAA club was authorised on 11 June 2007 at a meeting of the Dublin County Board.

A new structure, Club Adamstown, is being put in place by the local council to offer sporting opportunities, including cricket, to local children.

See also

• List of towns and villages in Ireland

External links

• Official site
• Adamstown Railway Station Roof Construction
• BBC report on Adamstown, May 2012