Corduff
Corduff (Irish: An Chorr Dhubh ) is a north western suburb of Dublin, Ireland, near Blanchardstown. The last electoral count (2002–2006) was 4,821 of the 250,000 living in the 42 electoral divisions of Fingal. It is also a townland in the civil parish of Castleknock. Corduff is in the Dublin 15 postal district.
History
One of the earliest references to Corduff is in a document from the reign of Edward VI, dated 2 August 1547, which records a “lease to James Walshe of London, gent., of the rectory of Malahydert, County Dublin, and the tithes &c. in Malahydert, Culduff, Bossardston, Pasloweston...Tyrrolstown, Abbatiston...”
Evolution of Name
One striking thing about Corduff is the way its name has varied through the centuries. The form Culduff and significantly, Cooleduff (this last in the census of 1659) is the predominant one down to the early years of the 18th century. In the Civil Survey, compiled in the mid-1650s we find a notice of 'Colduff, ½ a plowland, 143 acres (0.58 km2), [property of] Will. Warren, Irish Papist ... There is upon ye premisses a stone house slated, one barne and stable tathct, severall cottages ... a small orchard and garden with a grove of ash trees, one mill in use worth Anno 1640 ten pounds per annum. The Tythes belong to ye Colledge of Dublin [i.e. Trinity College]. Bounded east with Davistowne, south with ye Toulchy, on ye west with Buzardstown, on ye north with Ballicolan”.
The Hearth Money Roll for Co. Dublin list the householders liable for payment of hearth tax in Corduff in 1664 as follows: “Cullduff: William Warren (5 hearths), William Dardy, Peter Heward, William Lacey, John Synnott, Nicholas Wade, James Dardis, Daniell Shar, William Dardis, Marke Talbott (1 hearth each). Cullduff Mill: Pierce Barrett (1 hearth)”.
The name forms just cited almost certainly represented the Irish Cúil Dubh, which might be translated roughly as 'the black place' – possibly referring to the colour of the soil.
The picture is complicated by the appearance of 'r' in place of 'l' in the names of some 17th-century sources. In Sir William Petty's great survey (the Down Survey), carried out for the Cromwellian regime in the 1650s, the name appears as Curduf, and in Petty's atlas, Hiberniae Delineatio, (1685), it is spelled Curduffe.
In certain early 18th century documents we can observe the gradual establishment of Corduff as the accepted form of the name. In 1708 we find Culduffe alias Curduffe, by 1722 we have Corduffe alias Courtduffe. By 1750 Corduff and the more anglicised Courtduffe are still vying for acceptance, but, significantly, Corduff is the form which appears on Rocque's map of Co. Dublin, 1760. Its supremacy was virtually assured when it was adopted for inclusion on the Ordnance Survey map of 1843.
The Ordnance Survey namebook describes the place about 1840: “... the property of four sisters divided into farms, the soil is of rather a light gravelly kind principally under tillage; a small bye-road runs N & S thro' it; there are several small open gravel-pits in it, and 3 small forts. A very crooked river runs along its SW side; there are a few dwellings in this townland, but very miserable ...” One of the ringforts mentioned still exists in Corduff Park and is known locally as “the fairy-ring”.
With virtually all other Corduff's throughout Ireland the name represents the Irish An Chorr Dhubh. The first element 'corr' may mean hollow or pit, or a rounded hill or hump. Either of these meanings could conceivably apply to Corduff, e.g. The pit-like depression the Tolka runs through, or some elevated part of the townland which would have been more apparent before the area was so extensively built over.
Richard Warren
The landed estate at Corduff was initially home to the de la Field family. Early in the 17th century the estate was acquired by the Warren family, who continued in occupation for the next 200 years. It was from this family that Corduff's greatest hero came.
Richard Warren, son of John “the old Lion of Corduff” was born in Corduff House in 1705. He emigrated to France as a young man along with his brothers John and William and joined the Irish Brigade of the French army as a volunteer captain. It was in France that he had his first meeting with the Jacobite Prince Charles Edward (a.k.a. Bonnie Prince Charlie). Warren organised the ship to take the prince to Scotland. When, some time later, Warren landed in Scotland he was conferred the rank of colonel in Prince Charles's army of Scotland and the aide-de-camp to Lord George Murray. He marched at the prince's side at the head of the Jacobite army as it invaded England. When the war began to turn sour Warren was sent to France to gather support from the French King. When King Louis met him he agreed to send help. He also confirmed the rank of colonel in the French army and conferred upon Richard Warren the rank of Knight of St. Louis. When the Jacobite army was beaten and Prince Charles was imprisoned, it was Warren who rescued him and sailed him back to France. A few years later Warren was appointed governor of the small island of Belle Isle. Baron Richard Warren of Corduff died in 1774.
Modern Development
The townland of Corduff eventually ended up in the possession of the Egan family who were the last occupiers of Corduff House before the development of the current housing estate.
On 1 December 1974 two showhouses were built in Edgewood Lawns as the starting point for Corduff as the No.1 Neighbourhood Area in the Blanchardstown Development Plan. These two houses were completed in the record time of ten days. The provision of services followed in quick succession and during the next two years Corduff Park and Grove as well as Brookhaven developed. The housing programme was completed with the addition of Corduff Way, Gardens, Avenue, Crescent, Close, Place, Green, Westway, Ashling Heights and Sheephill Estates.
Ecclesiastical history
In the 19th century, the Roman Catholic parish of Blanchardstown encompassed much of the area now within the Dublin 15 postal district. Following the relaxation of the Penal Laws, it became possible for the Catholic adherents to consider the construction of additional churches and to repair the existing stock of religious buildings. St Brigid's Church, Blanchardstown, not to be confused with a Church of Ireland building in nearby Castleknock, was constructed in 1837 upon the foundation of a church that had been built prior to 1731. It is the Mother church of 12 other churches constituted out of the parish over the following 156 years.[1] In 1976, St Patrick's Church, Corduff, was separated from Blanchardstown. Three years later, the parish of St Philip, the Apostle in Mountview was separated from Corduff [2] and the parish of Mary of the Servants, Blakestown, was separated from Corduff in 1979.[3]
A "Kingdom Hall" of the nontrinitarian Jehovah Witnesses is also present in the locality.
Social and cultural
Corduff is home to such amenities as The Brookwood Inn (a.k.a. The Corduff Inn), Corduff Sports Centre, Corduff Childcare service, Corduff Shopping Centre, Corduff Resource Centre, The Corduff Community Youth Project, 109th Scouts Group and is comfortably located within a short walking distance of great local resources such as the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre, the National Aquatic Centre, Crowne Plaza Hotel and Blanchardstown Village.
Education
St. Patrick's Junior and Senior Schools.
Riversdale Community College.
The Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown.
Transport
Corduff is served by the 17A, 38/A/B 220, 236 and the 238 buses. It is only a ten-minute walk from Blanchardstown Village and The Blanchardstown Centre as well as Damastown and Ballycoolin Business Parks.
Sport
Corduff football club is the largest soccer club in Blanchardstown with thirty teams on its books catering for all ages and levels.[4]
Corduff Shotokan Karate Club was started in 1990 by Sensei David Royle. It has over 40+ members with 20 dan grades. The club is affiliated to the United Shotokan Karate Federation (USKF). The club's instructor, Sensei David Royle holds a 5th dan black belt and has represented Ireland at European and World level. He has been practicing karate for over 25 years.
See also
References
- ↑ Cronin, Elizabeth, Fr Michael Dundan's Blanchardstown, 1836-1968, Four Courts Press (2002), p56.
- ↑ Official website of the Parish of St Philip.
- ↑ Official website of the Parish of Mary of the Servants.
- ↑ Corduff F.C.
- ↑ The History of the County of Dublin by John D'Alton
- ↑ An Outline for a Life of Warren of Corduff (Part 1) by Dr George A Little
- ↑ Record of St. Patrick's Parish Corduff
Coordinates: 53°30′57″N 6°11′28″W / 53.51583°N 6.19111°W