Brittas, County Dublin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brittas Briotáis  (Irish)
Town
Brittas, County Dublin
Brittas Location in Ireland
Country	Ireland
Province	Leinster
County	County Dublin
Local government area	South Dublin
Area
• Town	1.7 km2 (0.7 sq mi)
Population  (2022)
• Urban	166

Brittas is a small village in County Dublin, Ireland. Its name, Briotáis, means "wooden parapet" in Irish. It is located near the border with County Wicklow on the N81 road. Brittas is part of the South Dublin local government area.

The village is known for five cool carvings made from sycamore tree stumps. These carvings, created in 2018, show figures from Irish mythology. The River Camac also starts near Brittas.

Where is Brittas Located?

Brittas is found in the lower parts of the Dublin Mountains. It is about 18 kilometers (11 miles) southwest of Dublin city centre. By road, it's about 21 kilometers (13 miles) away.

How Brittas is Represented

Brittas is part of the Dublin Mid-West area for national elections. For local elections to the South Dublin County Council, it belongs to the Clondalkin area.

Village Life and History

Brittas has a rich history, especially when it comes to education and local activities.

Early School Days

In 1876, many families in Brittas needed a school for their children. So, Fr Michael Barry from Saggart helped set one up. In 1881, a house next to the old post office was rented. This became the first school in Brittas. On its first day, 105 children, aged 3 to 15, signed up to learn.

Brittas Ponds Fishing Club

The Brittas Ponds Fishing Club was started in 1903 by Major Gamble. It was still active in 2015. The ponds themselves were created much earlier. They were made to provide a lot of fresh water for the Swiftbrook Papermills in Saggart. The land, once called 'Bog Larkin', was sold in 1847 and then flooded to create the ponds.

It is believed that one of Ireland's last remaining Bronze Age crannogs (an ancient island settlement) is located within these ponds. It is the only one known in County Dublin.

The Blue Gardenia Pub

Brittas has one pub called the Blue Gardenia. It has been open almost continuously since the year 1700! In the 1840s, it was owned by the Dowling family and known as the Brittas Inn. Later, around the 1900s, it was called Dillon's, before going back to the name Brittas Inn.

When the Dublin and Blessington Steam Tramway was built in 1888, the tram stop was placed right across from the pub. The pub has a bar and a restaurant that can seat 70 people. It sits on a large piece of land, about 1.2 acres. The pub was closed for many years but was sold in 2018. The new owners kept its original name and old-fashioned charm. As of January 2023, the pub remained closed.

St. Brigid's Building, Crooksling

St. Brigid's was a large building located just north of Brittas. It used to be a place that cared for people for a long time.

History of the Building

The site was first bought in 1911 and opened in June 1911 as the 'Crooksling Sanatorium'. A sanatorium was a special hospital for people with tuberculosis, a lung illness. People believed that the fresh, clean air away from the city helped treat the sickness. In 1912, an architect named Thomas Francis McNamara designed many new parts for the site. These included a new day room, a doctor's house, and rooms for nurses.

By the late 1950s, tuberculosis was not a big health problem in Ireland anymore. So, the building's purpose slowly changed. It became a nursing home, caring for older people. In the 2010s, the facility started to reduce its services. In 2016, the HSE (Ireland's health service) said that St Brigid's was no longer suitable for caring for the elderly.

Recent Events

In April 2021, there were plans to sell the Crooksling site. However, the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, stopped the sale. In July 2021, it seemed the site would be kept for future use. In February 2024, there was a fire at the empty building, causing a lot of damage.

Famous People from Brittas

Some well-known people have lived in or near Brittas. These include:

• Brendan Grace, a famous Irish comedian and singer.
• Daniel O'Donnell, a popular Irish singer and TV presenter.
• Frank Patterson, a well-known Irish tenor (a type of singer).
• June Rodgers, an Irish comedian and pantomime actress.
• Katherine Zappone, an American-Irish politician. She served as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs from 2016 to 2020.