Sutton, Dublin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sutton
Irish: Cill Fhionntain
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Suburb
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Sutton Cross
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 Sutton
Location in Ireland
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| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Leinster |
| County | Dublin |
| Administrative County | Fingal |
| Population
(2016)
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| • Total | 5,680 |
Sutton (Irish: Cill Fhionntain – Fintan's cell or church) is a residential suburb on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland. It occupies the tombolo which links Howth Head to the mainland, some of the lower slopes of Howth Hill, and a little of the adjacent coasts. The area lies within the jurisdiction of Fingal County Council. There is a small commercial core at the Sutton Cross road intersection.
Sutton lies in the ancient Barony of Coolock, within the historic County Dublin.
Contents
Location and geography
Beginning about 12 kilometres from the city centre, Sutton neighbours Howth, which occupies most of the Howth peninsula, and Baldoyle and Bayside. It is served by the main road from Dublin to Howth, the DART suburban rail system, on which it has its own station, and Dublin Bus route 31 and its variants. Historically Sutton lay entirely on the peninsula but it is now generally held to extend to the railway and perhaps as far as the junction of Baldoyle Road and the coast road, where is meets both Baldoyle and Bayside.
At the coastal side of Sutton is a tombolo connecting Howth (which used to be an island) to the mainland. The original village of Sutton was situated on the city-facing (south-western) side of Howth Head, where there are today housing terraces and a small harbour, but the area is now centered on Sutton Cross, where there are two shopping areas, one anchored by Supervalu (previously Superquinn, (which replaced the local cinema), and the Marine Hotel.
Sutton is part of the Dáil Éireann constituency of Dublin North-East and part of the Howth-Malahide local electoral area of Fingal County Council.
Leisure and features
Sutton is surrounded by many beaches. The Burrow Beach is particularly popular among locals and tourists. It is approximately 1.2km and stretches from Baldoyle Library to Howth, connecting Howth Head to the mainland. There is dinghy sailing off the coast, and golf at Howth Golf Club. Suttonians Rugby Football Club, at Station Road, provides for local rugby players and supporters. Sutton Tennis Club has 12 outdoor courts and three indoor squash courts; it is the biggest for junior squash in the Republic of Ireland.
The area is also home to one of Ireland's Martello Towers, now a private residence, at Red Rock, and to a former home of the Jameson Irish Whiskey family, which became the residence of Belgian businessman Albert Luykx, made famous during the Irish arms trial. It subsequently became Sutton House Hotel and then Sutton Castle Hotel, before being converted in 2003 to private residences.
A major leisure walk, which goes all the way to Howth village, begins near the site of the old village and Sutton House.
There are small streams in the area, but they are largely culverted; two of these, the Santa Sabina Stream and the Carrickbrack Stream, come to the coast on Sutton Strand.
Religion
Sutton comprises a parish in the Roman Catholic church, with a parish church at the base of Howth Hill, adjacent to Santa Sabina School, at the junction of Greenfield Road and Church Road. There is also a Methodist church at the junction of Church Road and Howth Road.
Sutton contains one of Dublin's main burial grounds, St. Fintan's, which is divided into two parts, "old" and "new." The former contains a ruined chapel, and the latter, an abandoned keeper's cottage.
Uphill from the older graveyard, in a wooden hut on private grounds, is the still-flowing holy well of St. Fintan.
Transport
- Sutton railway station opened on 30 July 1846 as Baldoyle & Sutton, being renamed Sutton in 1901.
- The Hill of Howth Tramway ran between Sutton railway station and Howth railway station via the Hill of Howth until 1959.
Sports and leisure activities
There is dinghy sailing off the coast at Sutton Dinghy Club, based within Sutton Creek. Golf can be played at Sutton Golf Club, with Howth and the Deerpark golf facilities nearby; footgolf and poc fada can also be played at Deerpark. Suttonians Rugby Football Club, at Station Road, provides for local rugby players and supporters. Sutton Tennis Club has 12 outdoor courts and five indoor squash courts; it is the biggest club for junior squash in the Republic of Ireland. The local soccer club is Howth Celtic, with grounds located opposite St.Fintan's primary school on Carrickbrack Road. There is a local scout group which meets in St. Mary's Church of Ireland Parish Hall in Howth.
Red Rock is a trailhead for the Cliff Walk which navigates a large section of Howth Head and ends at Howth village. Shielmartin Hill is also readily accessible from Sutton.
Education
Sutton has three mixed primary schools: the Burrow School, on the Dublin Road between Sutton Cross and Howth, St. Fintan's National School, on Carrickbrack Road, and the primary part of Sutton Park School. It holds three secondary schools: St. Fintan's High School (a boys school, technically in Baldoyle), Santa Sabina Dominican College (a.k.a. Santa Sabina) (girls) and the senior part of Sutton Park School (mixed).
Notable people
- Bernard "Bunny" Carr, radio announcer, TV host and founder of Carr Communications
- Ian Dempsey, radio and television presenter
- Jim Fitzpatrick, artist, Celtic style work but also created the iconic two-tone portrait of Che Guevara, Burrow Road
- Gerry Gannon, one of Ireland's biggest property developers, part owner of the K Club and MD of Gannon Homes, formerly building, for example, Clongriffin housing estate, and with extensive land holdings in the area
- Kevin Grogan - Former Ireland and Manchester United youth player
- Sheelagh Harbison (1914–2012), Irish medieval historian
- Patrick Hillery, former President of Ireland; lived in Sutton for many years until his death in 2008
- Aidan Kearney (rugby union), former Leinster and Ulster rugby player
- Frank Kearns, owner of Rockschool and founder of Irish Rock group Cactus World News
- Ian Keatley, Irish and former Munster and Leinster professional rugby player
- Alice Lawrenson, 19th century Irish gardener, lived at Sutton House (later Sutton Castle)
- Philomena Lynott, mother of Phil Lynott (who himself lived here briefly in the 1980s, and is buried in St. Fintan's Cemetery, Sutton)
- John Pentland Mahaffy, lived at Sea Lawn house on Shielmartin Road between 1886 and 1897
- Larry Mullen, Jr., drummer with rock group U2
- Vogue Williams was educated at Santa Sabina school
Images for kids
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The cycleway at Sutton works are ongoing to connect it to Sandymount
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Strand Road coastal pathway and Luí na Gréine standing stone in the distance
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Santa Sabina Manor Housing estate on Carrickbrack Road
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St.Fintans church
