The origin of the place name derives from the Irish-language phrase 'Teach na Giúise', sometimes translated as 'house of fir'.

This name is reputed to derive from what was previously a wild forest of fir trees located in the area.

[1] Among the local population, the pronunciation of Firhouse varies with some using "Fir" and some "Fur", while some historical maps, which tended to capture phonetic spellings of "Furhouse", suggesting an earlier form.

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.

[7] In The History and Antiquities of Tallaght, County Dublin (published in the mid 19th century), George Domville Handcock refers to Firhouse as "a small dirty village, principally inhabited by stonebreakers".

[3] By the 1910s, the village already extended for half a mile, with a school, church, convent, public house and two smithies,[5] and the Moscow Dance Hall was built there in the 1930s, operating for about three years.

[8] Firhouse was the site, in 1816, of the disappearance of a gamekeeper, and the subsequent hanging of three of the Kearney family for the suspected murder involved.

Firhouse is in the jurisdiction of South Dublin County Council, with councillors elected within the Firhouse-Bohernabreena electoral area.

The school is located off Ballycullen Drive and Killininny Road, in a purpose-built 16-classroom building, including a 2-classroom Special Needs Unit.

[citation needed] The local secondary school, Firhouse Community College, was established in 1982,[16] launching in September of that year.

[17] The school contains a theatre, physical education hall, a multi-sport arena and a large playing field which is used for soccer and rugby matches.

Its 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.

[citation needed] Local side Firhouse Clover fields teams in the Leinster Senior League.