Phibsborough

Phibsborough (/ˈfɪbzbərə/; Irish: Baile Phib),[1] also spelled Phibsboro,[2] is a mixed commercial and residential neighbourhood on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland.

Formerly, a branch of the canal ran to the Broadstone basin, later the site of the Midland Great Western Railway Terminus and currently the headquarters of Bus Éireann.

It is bordered by Glasnevin to the north, Drumcondra to the east, Grangegorman and Cabra to the west and the King's Inns on Constitution Hill to the south.

The Phibsboro stop serves the residential communities and facilitates interchange with bus services on the North Circular and Cabra Roads.

The Broadstone stop serves the Mountjoy area and the newly built Technological University Dublin campus located at Grangegorman.

Originally the Foster Aqueduct carried the mainline canal over the Phibsborough Road to the harbour terminus which sat directly opposite the King's Inns at Constitution Hill.

Dalymount Park, home of League of Ireland team Bohemian F.C., was the pre-Aviva Stadium venue for international association football and the renowned 'Dalymount Roar' was created here.

Phibsboro Boxing Club runs a gym on Royal Canal Bank,[8] also Phibsboro Chess Club[9] meet at Clareville Community Centre, Claremont Lawns, Glasnevin, Dublin, A major teaching hospital, the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, is both a local and national care centre.

Phibsborough is a parish in the Fingal South West deanery of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin, served by the Church of St Peter.

The Green served as a playfield and parade ground was bisected by the main north road which ran from the foot of the Old Bridge of Dublin.

Lying low between the stepping stone crossing of the Bradogue river (which now flows underground) is a common called the Glasminogue.

The etymology of the name Phibsborough (Broadstone) 1792 [spelt Phippsborough] is from a Lincolnshire family who settled as landowners in the area in the mid-17th century, the first being a Richard Phipps (of Kilmainham), who died in 1629 and was buried at St James's.

The Broadstone area underwent significant urban development in the early nineteenth century in order to fulfil the commercial and residential needs of the Royal Canal Company headquarters and Harbour Terminus operation.

The natural expansion of the city saw the development move north with residential housing reaching Phibsborough, Glasnevin, and Phoenix Park to the northwest.

The sculpture by Leo Broe at Royal Canal Bank was commissioned in memory of the local contingent of Irish Volunteers.

These buildings constituted the Dublin Terminus, headquarters, and railworks of the Midland Great Western Railway and the Royal Canal Company.

The impressive nineteenth-century main building, fronted by a classical Egyptian-style facade, and Corinthian columnar service access is currently an eyesore.

The convenient location, combined with easy access and good public transport facilities, led to the conversion of larger homes into bedsitter flats.

The Dublin City Council Local Area Plan[23] for Phibsborough has been subject to revision and delays, despite its designation as a Prime Urban Centre.

[26] It was a cause of controversy from the outset among architects, the public, and the press in terms of its architectural design and the circumstances of its passage through the planning process.

[29] With a claim to being the longest-established football club in the city, the home ground of Bohemian FC[30] is located on the west side of the shopping centre at Dalymount Park.

In 2016, it was reported that Dublin City Council had announced long-awaited development plans for Dalymount Park to dramatically improve the stadium facilities and widen its use and accessibility.

[33] The building was used for other purposes afterwards, eventually housing a discount carpet showroom in its largest section, which led to changes to the interior, although the exterior remains largely unchanged.

The predominantly commercial Phibsborough Road, Phibsborough
Bohemian FC, Dalymount Park
The Mater Hospital
St. Peter's Church
Memorial to the Irish Volunteers , 'C' Coy., by Leo Broe , at the junction of North Circular Road and Royal Canal Bank, a former spur of the Royal Canal
The Dublin Metropolitan Police on duty with a policeman about to check an approaching car in the 1910s in Phibsborough
The Site of The Former Flour Mills along the Royal Canal