Monkstown Farm Hstory

fixXxer

Hopefully this is in the right place.

Basically I'm looking to see if any other users have any information on the Monkstown Farm area, but rather than stats and wiki listings, memories that people may have that have lived in the area.

I'm 32 now apart from a 6 year gap I have lived here all my life first with my parents and now with my wife and children. There are places I have memories of like Horcans shop, the old petrol station, The Arcade shop, or the flats but I'd be really interested to hear anything from people who have lived here longer or have any old photos or stories to share.

Larbre34

What sort of information are you looking for specifically?

I lived nearby for most of the 80s and 90s. I haven't heard Horkan's or the Arcade shop mentioned for a long time!

From what I can remember of the shops at the Oliver Plunkett Road end, Gunnings was there with the Post Office, not much changed there. There was a video shop called Flix, Mario is still there with the chipper, Joe Kiely used to be the butcher at the far end and there was a very decent pizza and deli joint in the same unit for a time afterwards (best homemade pizza ever).

There was also a Chemists (a word not used anymore) called Patterson's where the Oriental Express is now. They were lovely people, their son grew up to run his own Pharmacy down on Mounttown, I think it has since joined a chain group and hes no longer there. The same people used to have 2 gorgeous placid German Shepards called Kim and Karl wandering around the shop looking for attention from the customers, I remember them having puppies at some point and they were out too! You wouldnt see that in a fit now but the dogs were probably no harm to have around given some of the scrotes that used to be around from the flats!

There also used to be a very dodgy little bookies shop down lane at the side of Gunnings, I remember being in there with my Dad on grand national days, it was like a betting cottage, uneven floor, a door for hobbits and more ciggie smoke than a builders teabreak.

Up at the other shops at the Farm end was the Arcade of course, I think I used to know the people that ran it but cant recall which family now... There was a great veggie shop and butchers alongside the petrol station, in fact the guy that ran the garage lived on my road. I think the loss of the garage and the rebuilding of the units there killed off the variety of shops that used to be extremely busy. Pity.

Other than that I dont think much has changed, a few new apartments and the Jehovah's witness' hall

Glencarraig

I lived in The Farm from birth to mid 20's. The shops opposite "The Statue" have changed hands many times. The last one which I think is part of the chipper now was owned by Mr. Cullen who lived in ST. Patricks Crescent, a decent skin, lads loved him because he sold cigarettes in ones, twos, fives, whatever way you could afford them, if you got to know him he would give you some on credit. Next door to him was Freemans shop, general grocery and sweets. The Arcade was next, last owners I can remember was Liam and Tess Aire, who sadly passed away last week, I think she got the shop from her parents, whos name I cannot remember. Chemist was next, Owned by Geoffery King and his wife. Where the laundry was/is used to be another general grocery shop, they used to sell loose sugar and tea and had big biscuit tins with clear lids so you could see the contents, and were very easy to open and nick a biscuit or 10 !!. Shop was owned by Dinjo Hurley. there were two more small shops the last one before where the garage used to be was a small drapery shop. There was a high wall beside it and it stretched up to where the tyre place is now, all that land was owned by Jem Reynolds and he grew vegatables in that field, he lived in a small cottage where the tyre place is now and he also kept pigs in the yard at the back, we used to climb up on the wall at the back, opposite Anto Byrnes house at the top of the lane and throw stones at the pigs to make them squeal !!. At the bottom of that lane was the back entrance to some of the shops.. Where the school is now used to be a big nursery with huge ponds for holding water and big greenhouses which of course had all the windows broken over the years was a great place to play for lads. Just typing this stuff brings back so many memories for me, happy days indeed !!

Alias G

http://www.dunlaoghairecounty.ie/viewforum.php?f=112

Here might be a good place to look.

MonkstownHoop

Larbre34 wrote: »

What sort of information are you looking for specifically?

I lived nearby for most of the 80s and 90s. I haven't heard Horkan's or the Arcade shop mentioned for a long time!

From what I can remember of the shops at the Oliver Plunkett Road end, Gunnings was there with the Post Office, not much changed there. There was a video shop called Flix, Mario is still there with the chipper, Joe Kiely used to be the butcher at the far end and there was a very decent pizza and deli joint in the same unit for a time afterwards (best homemade pizza ever).

There was also a Chemists (a word not used anymore) called Patterson's where the Oriental Express is now. They were lovely people, their son grew up to run his own Pharmacy down on Mounttown, I think it has since joined a chain group and hes no longer there. The same people used to have 2 gorgeous placid German Shepards called Kim and Karl wandering around the shop looking for attention from the customers, I remember them having puppies at some point and they were out too! You wouldnt see that in a fit now but the dogs were probably no harm to have around given some of the scrotes that used to be around from the flats!

There also used to be a very dodgy little bookies shop down lane at the side of Gunnings, I remember being in there with my Dad on grand national days, it was like a betting cottage, uneven floor, a door for hobbits and more ciggie smoke than a builders teabreak.

Up at the other shops at the Farm end was the Arcade of course, I think I used to know the people that ran it but cant recall which family now... There was a great veggie shop and butchers alongside the petrol station, in fact the guy that ran the garage lived on my road. I think the loss of the garage and the rebuilding of the units there killed off the variety of shops that used to be extremely busy. Pity.

Other than that I dont think much has changed, a few new apartments and the Jehovah's witness' hall

Moany Mick as us (then) kids would know him as

ian_m

Dons barbers, the tights and underwear packing warehouse beside the Statue. The Mullens used to work there, the mother and two daughters. There was another hairdressers beside Dons. A guy called John Armstrong used to run that.

The Fish Shop, owned and ran by the Rogersons (still there). The Chinese takeaway, Paddy Field. First Chinese takeaway I can remember around the place.

The 46A used to go through there for years, and the new 75 from Tallaght also used to pass through there when it first started. No traffic lights then. And the bus stops were in different spots than they are now. You used to wait for the bus to Dun Laoghaire on the opposite side of the road so you could see it turning into the farm.

Marios chipper opposite the statue, used to be run from the small shop in the corner. Mario and his wife and two sons. Fiats parked outside the front. They moved the shop into the bigger unit around 92 or 93. That was also a grocerys before that.

I remember the old credit union ran from an old house before being done up. I remember it being robbed a couple of times.

The farmhouse, the snooker hall. The tyre fitting yard. Kirbys coaches.

The Arcade, 10 penny bags. Nuala Mick and Mary Mullen. Moira and Geoff King from the pharmacy, got your films developed there. The Scallys in the launderette. Pauls veg shop. Brian Kane butchers. The BP petrol garage. The old cottages where the Jehovah Witness Hall was built. I remember when it was built. Many memories.

helimachoptor

32 aswell.

Grew up in the flats but spent most of my time playing in the avenue where the grandparents lived.

I'll never forget one day, my gran had sent me down to the arcade with 5 punts, I ended up by 1 penny short and he wouldnt let me away with it :pac:

walked up to get it, my granny marched down to give him an earful.

BP garage with Steve, I still see him the odd time in Bakers.

Pauls F&V shop, i remember many times hauling a sack of potatoes home and up to my grans. My uncle used to send me to chemist once a month.. hair gel & deodorant for when he was going out.

Bonfires in suttons field and raiding the orchard.
Spent many a winters day playing snooker/street fighter in the snooker hall

LXFlyer

ian_m wrote: »

Dons barbers, the tights and underwear packing warehouse beside the Statue. The Mullens used to work there, the mother and two daughters. There was another hairdressers beside Dons. A guy called John Armstrong used to run that.

The Fish Shop, owned and ran by the Rogersons (still there). The Chinese takeaway, Paddy Field. First Chinese takeaway I can remember around the place.

The 46A used to go through there for years, and the new 75 from Tallaght also used to pass through there when it first started. No traffic lights then. And the bus stops were in different spots than they are now. You used to wait for the bus to Dun Laoghaire on the opposite side of the road so you could see it turning into the farm.

Marios chipper opposite the statue, used to be run from the small shop in the corner. Mario and his wife and two sons. Fiats parked outside the front. They moved the shop into the bigger unit around 92 or 93. That was also a grocerys before that.

I remember the old credit union ran from an old house before being done up. I remember it being robbed a couple of times.

The farmhouse, the snooker hall. The tyre fitting yard. Kirbys coaches.

The Arcade, 10 penny bags. Nuala Mick and Mary Mullen. Moira and Geoff King from the pharmacy, got your films developed there. The Scallys in the launderette. Pauls veg shop. Brian Kane butchers. The BP petrol garage. The old cottages where the Jehovah Witness Hall was built. I remember when it was built. Many memories.

You forgot route 58 that was the local Dun Laoghaire bus for many years too (Pottery Road to Shankill).

homer911

I think there is a historical society in Stillorgan that has produced a book on the Monkstown farm area

ian_m

lxflyer wrote: »

You forgot route 58 that was the local Dun Laoghaire bus for many years too (Pottery Road to Shankill).

Maybe before my time...

Pottery Road is closer to Shankill so would the Monkstown Farm not be out of the way a bit?

LXFlyer

Ah, but as I said it was the Dun Laoghaire local bus.

The bus started at Mackintosh Park, then via Pottery Road, Abbey Road, Monkstown Avenue, Monkstown Farm, Kill Lane, York Road, George's Street and then followed the 7 route to Ballybrack and then the 45a route to Shankill.

It finished in March 1988.