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Greystones

Na Clocha Liatha (Irish)

Town

Greystones skyline

Coat of arms

Motto(s):

Gníomhach idir Carraig is Crúacha
Active between rock and mountain peaks

Greystones

Location in Ireland

Country

Ireland

Elevation

50 m (160 ft)

Population

(2022)

• Total

22,009

• Rank

22nd

• Ethnicity
2016 census

Ethnic groups

Demonym(s)

Greystonian

Time zone

UTC±0 (WET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+1 (IST)

Eircode routing key

A63

Telephone area code

+353(0)1

Irish Grid Reference

O297122

Website

https://greystones.ie/

Greystones (called Irish: Na Clocha Liatha in Irish) is a town by the sea in County Wicklow, Ireland. It's on Ireland's east coast, about 3.5 km (2.2 miles) south of Bray and 24 km (15 miles) south of Dublin city. In 2022, its population was 22,009. The town is next to the Irish Sea on the east, Bray Head to the north, and the Wicklow Mountains to the west. It is the second largest town in County Wicklow, after Bray.

The town got its name from a stretch of grey stones, about one kilometre (half a mile) long, found between two beaches on the coast. The harbour is at the north end, and Greystones railway station is at the south end. The North Beach is stony and is overlooked by cliffs from Bray Head. The South Beach is wide and sandy, about one kilometre long. It's a Blue Flag beach, which means it's very clean and safe. Many visitors come here, especially in summer.

In 2008, Greystones was named the world's "most liveable community" at the LivCom Awards in China. The town won this award again in 2021.

Greystones History

Greystones is located south of an old castle site in the Barony of Rathdown. There was once a small village, also called Rathdown, which appeared on a map from 1712. This village was in an area now known as the Grove, north of Greystones harbour. Today, only the ruins of a chapel, St. Crispin's Cell, remain. Greystones itself is a newer settlement. It was first mentioned in a book from 1795, where it was described as a "noted fishing place four miles beyond Bray."

DART train at Greystones Station

In the early 1800s, a few families lived near the harbour and in nearby areas like Blacklion and Killincarrig. Delgany was a larger, older village. However, Greystones really grew when the railway arrived in 1855. Building the railway was a difficult job, done with help from the famous engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The train station was built on land owned by two families: the La Touche family and the Hawkins-Whitshed family. The railway connected Greystones to Bray and Dublin, allowing the nearby lands to be developed.

Elizabeth Hawkins-Whitshed (also known as Lizzie Le Blond) owned the Hawkins-Whitshed estate from 1871. She created Ireland's first planned housing area, now called the Burnaby. She was an amazing person: a mountaineer, explorer, photographer, writer, and filmmaker. She even donated the land for the Greystones library for a very low rent. The Burnaby area is still named after her first husband, Frederick Gustavus Burnaby, even though he only visited Wicklow once. The La Touche family owned the land next to Elizabeth's estate. Greystones grew quickly when William Robert La Touche owned his estate. Roads like Church Road and Victoria Road were built, and many houses appeared. In the early 1900s, the Burnaby family also started building more roads and houses, and the town's population increased. Many roads and housing areas in Greystones are named after these two important families.

Between 1885 and 1897, people in Greystones worked hard to get a harbour built. This would help the fishing industry and allow goods like coal to be brought in. The original pier and sea wall were still there until 2009, but they had been badly damaged. In the early 1900s, the town faced problems with coastal erosion, where the sea wears away the land. This caused the loss of fields and many houses on North Beach Road. The railway even had to be moved further inland because of this. In 1968, part of the old Kish lighthouse was added to the end of the pier.

After World War II, more cars and petrol became available. This allowed Greystones to spread out and connect with nearby areas like Blacklion and Delgany. However, fewer people used the railway. In the 1980s, the train service almost stopped completely due to government cuts. But in the 1990s, the electric DART train arrived from Bray, bringing much more frequent services and helping the railway become popular again.

Greystones panorama

Greystones Population Growth

Greystones Harbour

Church Road, the main street of Greystones

Greystones has seen a big increase in its population since the 1970s. Many large housing estates were built. The first building boom lasted about ten years, with estates like Hillside and Applewood Heights being developed. The second big building period happened during the "Celtic Tiger" years in the early 2000s. This included huge developments like Charlesland to the south of the town, which has over 1,000 homes. After the 2008 financial crisis, less building happened.

By 2018, Greystones was experiencing another housing boom. Many large building projects were happening, especially on the western edges of the town, near the harbour, and around Charlesland. These new homes led to a population increase of almost 4,000 people between 2016 and 2022.

According to the 2022 census, the population of Greystones–Delgany was 22,009. This makes it the second largest town in County Wicklow, after Bray. Wicklow County Council plans for the town's population to reach at least 24,000 by 2028.

To handle this growth, roads and facilities have been improved. The road between Greystones and Bray has been made a bit wider. A new dual carriageway (R774) now connects Greystones to the N11 motorway south of the town.

Getting Around Greystones

Road Travel

Greystones can be reached from the N11 Dublin–Wexford road. There's a special exit (Junction 11) near Charlesland that connects to the town via a dual carriageway. This road quickly joins the M11 and then the M50 (Dublin's ring road) about 10 km (6 miles) north.

Train Travel

Greystones railway station opened in 1855. It is the last stop on the DART railway line, which connects many stations along Dublin's east coast. Other trains also serve Greystones, linking the town to places like Wicklow, Arklow, and Wexford to the south. To the north, trains go to Dublin's Connolly Station.

Bus Travel

Greystones has several bus routes, including the 84, 84N, 84X, and 184. There's also the 702 Aircoach service, which starts at Charlesland and connects the area to Dublin Airport.

Walking Trails

Bray and Greystones are connected by a beautiful Cliff Walk. This path follows the railway line around Bray Head. The walk is 6 km (3.7 miles) long and usually takes about two hours to complete.

Greystones Local Government

Greystones is part of the Dáil constituency of Wicklow for national elections. It is also part of the European Parliament constituency of South. As of 2024, three of Wicklow's five national politicians (called TDs) live in Greystones: Stephen Donnelly (FF), Simon Harris (FG), and Jennifer Whitmore (SD).

For local government, the Greystones area elects six councillors to Wicklow County Council. These councillors form the Greystones Municipal District. This area also includes nearby villages like Delgany, Kilcoole, and Newcastle Lower.

In 1984, Greystones was given "town commissioners," which became a town council in 2002. However, all town councils in Ireland were ended in 2014.

Town Development and Marina

Main Street wirescape

A big €300 million plan was proposed to redevelop the harbour. This project was a partnership between a company called Sispar and Wicklow County Council. The plan included a new harbour, 341 apartments, a marina for 230 boats, a new public area, and facilities for local sports clubs.

Many people had concerns about the plan, especially about public beachfront land being used by a private company. Over 6,200 objections were sent to the planning board. After some changes, the plans were made about 10% smaller. The planning board approved the final plans in August 2007, with 13 rules for the construction work. These rules included keeping the Cliff Walk open to the public and controlling dust and noise.

In 2010, the development of the marina was stopped for a while because of problems in the Irish property market. However, almost all of the new harbour facilities are now finished and open to the public. The building of apartments is still ongoing.

Sports and Activities

Football

Greystones is home to the football club Greystones United F.C., which is based at Woodlands. It is the largest club for young football players in the country, with over 700 members. A former player, Paul McShane, played for the Irish national team. Another club, Greystones AFC, is located near the harbour.

Gaelic Games

The Éire Óg Greystones GAA club is on Mill Road. In recent years, the club has improved its clubhouse, pitches, lighting, and parking areas.

Golf

There are two 18-hole golf courses and a driving range in Greystones. Greystones Golf Club, started in 1895, offers views of the town and the sea. Charlesland Golf Club is newer and flatter, located by the sea. Other golf courses are nearby in Delgany and Bray.

Water Sports

Greystones has many clubs for water activities, including sailing, wind-surfing, angling (fishing), diving, rowing, and Sea Scouts. The Greystones rowing club, for example, was started in 1920. Fishing for cod and plaice at the beaches and harbour attracts visitors in the summer. Swimming is also popular, especially at the south beach.

Rugby

Greystones RFC is a rugby union team that plays in the All-Ireland League.

Tennis

Greystones Lawn Tennis Club has 12 outdoor courts with lights and a clubhouse. It has hosted many regional and national tennis competitions.

Other Sports

There is a lawn bowling club at Burnaby Park. Greystones also has the Greystones Mariners Baseball Club, whose members have played for the Irish national baseball team. Greystones Cricket, formed in 2012, has several teams playing in competitions. St. Kilian's Badminton Club plays at the Shoreline Leisure Center.

Religion in Greystones

Greystones has several Christian churches, including Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Church of Ireland, and Evangelical churches. After the 2022 conflict in Ukraine, some members of the Ukrainian Orthodox community have moved to the area.

According to the 2022 census, 56% of people in Greystones said they were Catholic. 25% said they had no religion, 14% belonged to other religions, and 5% did not state a religion. Greystones has one of the highest percentages of Church of Ireland members in the country. It also has a high number of people who say they have no religion.

Carraig Eden Theological College is a Pentecostal center for religious study and training in Ireland.

Education in Greystones

Greystones has eight primary schools. These include several national schools, an Educate Together primary school (which welcomes children of all backgrounds), and an Irish-language Gaelscoil.

The town also has four secondary schools:

St. David's Holy Faith Secondary School is a public school for both boys and girls.
Temple Carrig School is a Church of Ireland secondary school for both boys and girls, which opened in 2014.
Greystones Community College is a non-religious secondary school that opened in 2020.
SEK-Dublin is a private international school. It offers special courses for middle and high school students. It is located in Belvedere Hall and opened in 1981.

Wicklow County Council manages a public library in Greystones, located opposite Burnaby Park on the main street (Church Road).

Entertainment and Media

Greystones offers several entertainment options. Charlesland Sports and Recreation Park has a skate park, football and basketball courts, a running track, and a playground. The Whale Theatre in the town centre hosts plays, dance shows, and concerts. Greystones Studios provides classes, practice rooms, and spaces for performances.

Greystones has also been a filming location for TV shows and movies:

The Ormonde cinema, which closed in 2007, was seen in the TV show Father Ted and Custer's Last Standup.
Greystones was used for some scenes in the popular BBC series Ballykissangel.
The town was often featured in the Irish TV show Glenroe.
Parts of the movie Taffin, starring Pierce Brosnan, were filmed here.
Greystones appeared in an episode of Dream Team, a football TV series.
Parts of George Gently, a British detective show, were filmed around the harbour.
The movie Yesterday's Children, starring Jane Seymour, was filmed in Greystones.

Greystones Economy

The Greystones area is home to several businesses, including The Happy Pear food company and Goldfish Telecom.

As of mid-2021, Greystones (Eircode A63) had the most expensive homes outside of Dublin, with an average price of €495,000.

Famous People from Greystones

Many well-known people have lived in Greystones and nearby areas like Delgany, including:

Amy Bowtell, a professional tennis player
Éamon de Buitléar, a filmmaker who focused on wildlife
Reggie Corrigan, a former rugby player for Ireland and Leinster
Paul Dunne, a golfer
Simon Harris, the current leader of Ireland (Taoiseach)
Seán Drea, a former Irish Olympic rower
Ronnie Drew, a musician from the band The Dubliners
Geraldine Fitzgerald, an actress
George Hamilton, a TV commentator for RTÉ
Ciara Kelly, a broadcaster
Paul McNaughton, a former Irish international rugby player
John L. Murray, who was the Chief Justice of Ireland from 2004 to 2011
Damien Rice, a musician
Marten Toonder, an artist who created the character Oliver B. Bumble

Town Twinning

Greystones has a "town twinning" agreement with:

Holyhead, Wales, United Kingdom. This means the towns have a special friendship and often share cultural exchanges.

Gallery

Harbour and Little Sugar Loaf
Shops in Greystones
Seafront
Greystones from north
Holy Rosary Church