The original Killester railway station opened on 1 October 1845[2] but closed after two years, re-opening on a new site about 200 m (656 ft) further north in 1923.

[4] Killester, a primarily residential area, is perhaps best known for its association with World War I veterans who were settled there from early 1922 onwards, in a development managed by the Irish Sailors' and Soldiers' Land Trust from 1925 onwards, when the Trust's Dublin office opened.

[7] Developer Henry McLoughlin, who was leader of both the British Army-supporting Irish Recruiting Council and the Dublin Relief Committee, purchased 40 acres of land in the Killester area in 1916 and made them available to the relief committee; their use as a model farm was explored in 1917, and lasted two years.

After the end of the war, the lands were offered to Dublin Corporation for housing but when this did not proceed, McLoughlin, who then headed Lord French's Irish Demobilisation Committee, gifted them to the Local Government Board for Ireland (LGB), which had as key tasks the provision of houses for both labourers and ex-servicemen and their families.

[8]: 222 A budget of 10,000 pounds was made available to the LGB in December 1920 and work began under an ex-Royal Engineer colonel and a team of approximately 180 ex-servicemen, first building roads, and then, from February 1921, laying foundations and drains.

[8]: 225 The estate was laid out at a low density, with winding streets and breaks for green space and amenities, and with existing trees retained to a large degree.

Rents were reduced again and with the reduction, but this prevented the Trust from building up capital for major maintenance and future developments.

[10] The area became well-established over time, with the development boasting its own water supply tower, and access improved, to both the city and neighbouring towns.

[11] Further, Killester acquired a "special" bus route for the area, operated by “The Contemptible Omnibus Company”.

[12] Killester has a central shopping plaza on Howth Road, with a supermarket, pub, chipper, Chinese takeaway, florists, estate agents, hardware, pharmacy, doctor, dentist, florists, solicitors' offices, and other shops.

[15] St. Anne's Park lies just beyond Killester on the Raheny / Clontarf side, and there are a number of small green spaces in the area.

The current Roman Catholic church, on Howth Road, opposite St. Brigid's National School, was constructed from 1924, and was consecrated in 1926.

Notably, the church holds a reputed relic of St. Brigid, one of Ireland's three patron saints; a fragment of her cheekbone was brought from Portugal, where her skull is stored, in 1928.

[citation needed] The local football (soccer) club is Killester Donnycarney F.C., who play in the Leinster Senior League.

[20] Killester lies within the Clontarf local electoral area, and the Dublin Bay North national constituency.