Adamstown, Dublin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Adamstown
Baile Adaim
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Suburb
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 Adamstown
Location in Ireland
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| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Leinster |
| County | County Dublin |
| Local government area | South Dublin |
| Elevation | 54 m (177 ft) |
| Population
(2022)
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| • Urban | 10,000 |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-1 (IST (WEST)) |
Adamstown (which means "Town of Adam" in Irish) is a planned town in western County Dublin, Ireland. It's about 16 kilometers from Dublin city center. The South Dublin County Council helps manage its growth.
It's the first new town built in Ireland since the 1960s. Adamstown is being built on a large area of land (220 hectares). This area is south of the N4 road and Lucan. It's also west of the Griffeen River and north of the Grand Canal.
Adamstown has been growing since 2005. By 2015, about 4,500 people lived there. The 2022 census of Ireland showed the population was just over 10,000. The plan is to build 9,000 to 10,000 homes. It will also have important services like public transport.
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Getting Around Adamstown
Adamstown is right next to the railway line that connects Dublin and Kildare. A new train station, Adamstown Railway Station, was built here. It has five platforms and was paid for by the developers.
The town is also south of the N4 national road. Weston Airport is also nearby.
How Adamstown Started
The Idea and First Steps
The idea for Adamstown came from a plan in 1998. This plan looked at creating several "new towns." Adamstown was the only one that actually started being built. The area was officially named a "Strategic Development Zone." This means it's a special area for planned growth.
A key part of the plan was to build a new train station. This station would be ready at the same time as the town. The plan also included new schools, shops, and places for fun and sports. Everything was designed to be within walking distance. The homes in Adamstown were meant to be modern. They were planned to encourage walking and cycling. This would help reduce the need for cars. Most buildings were planned to be three or four stories tall.
The first step was taken in February 2003. The Taoiseach (Ireland's Prime Minister), Bertie Ahern, laid the foundation stone. Building work officially began on February 7, 2005. The first houses went on sale on February 16, 2006. The train station, paid for by the developers, opened on April 10, 2007.
Growing and Changing
The original plan was for Adamstown to have about 10,000 homes. It would have around 25,000 people after ten years. It was also meant to have schools, a library, community centers, and shops.
Building slowed down after the first few years. This was partly due to money problems around 2008. Only about 1,270 homes were finished at first. From 2010 to 2014, only 20 more homes were built. This meant far fewer homes than planned after ten years.
In 2015, new plans were made for Adamstown. Facilities at that time included three schools, two shops, and a hair salon. There were also many sports fields and a park. The development focused on safety for families. It had green spaces surrounded by homes and wide paths for bikes. Many mature trees were also planted.
By mid-2020, 2,613 homes had been built. Even with delays from the Covid-19 pandemic, thousands more homes were expected. The train station, three schools, shops, a community center, and a sports pitch were all open.
Things to Do in Adamstown
Adamstown has a stream called the Tobermaclugg. Plans are in place to include this stream in a new public park.
The first local shopping center in Adamstown had a small supermarket, a hair salon, and a cafe. In April 2023, two larger supermarkets, Tesco and Aldi, opened near the train station. These are part of a new shopping center called The Crossings. There is also a Supervalu shopping center nearby. The village of Lucan is also close. The Liffey Valley shopping center is a bit further away.
Learning in Adamstown
Adamstown has a crèche (a daycare for young children). It also has two primary schools. These are Adamstown Educate Together and St. John the Evangelist. Both schools started in September 2007.
The local secondary school is Adamstown Community College. It opened in September 2009. It started with 69 students and had about 870 by 2015. The school's crest, which shows a castle, comes from an old castle that used to be where the school stands today.
Sports in Adamstown
Adamstown has a few sports clubs. There's Adamstown Football Club for soccer. There's also an GAA club for boys and girls. This club plays hurling and camogie.
Adamstown Football Club started in November 2005. The GAA club was approved in June 2007. There is also an Adamstown Cricket Club and a cycling club. A new group called Club Adamstown was being set up in 2020. It aims to offer more sports for local children, including cricket.
Awards for Adamstown
Sustainable Communities Award 2009
In February 2009, Adamstown won a "Sustainable Communities" award. This award came from the Royal Town Planning Institute in the UK. Adamstown was the only project outside the UK to win a prize that year.
The award recognized that Adamstown was well-planned. It balanced homes with important services like transport. The judges liked the design of Adamstown. They said it would be a "model for development elsewhere."
