Donnybrook, Dublin, Ireland

The original plan (1866) for Donnybrook Church.

The bell tower was shortened. Picture courtesy of

Ken Lennan's web page of his father's memoirs.

Donnybrook is one of the 100 or so villages that make up the city of Dublin and its immediately surrounding district. Donnybrook is not a self-governing municipality; it is part of Dublin Corporation. Dublin is the capital of Ireland, and is located on the east coast of the country, on Dublin Bay, which opens into the Irish Sea. The River Liffey divides Dublin into north and south sides; Donnybrook is on the south side, just over a mile (2 km) from the city centre. Dublin postal codes are odd-numbered on the north side, even-numbered on the south side. Donnybrook is in the Dublin 4 postal code area, which also covers Ballsbidge, Belfield, and Sandymount. Dublin 4 is home to two important national institutions: Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ, the national radio and television broadcaster) and University College Dublin (UCD, the largest university in Ireland). RTÉ is in Donnybrook, and UCD is in Belfield.

These web pages provide a brief history of Donnybrook, and a list of public establishments currently located there. The pages are intended for residents or former residents of Donnybrook, but may also be of interest to those intending to visit this lovely community. If you are planning a visit to Donnybrook, or indeed to anywhere else in Ireland, be sure to visit the web site of Bord Fáilte (the Irish Tourist Board), one of the best Irish web sites. It is full of information on where to stay and what to do on a trip to Ireland.

Donnybrook has lent its name to any number of musical groups around the world, and also to other cities in Australia, South Africa, and the United States. There are at least two Donnybrooks in Australia, one in Western Australia (210 km south of Perth) and one in Victoria (33 km north of Melbourne). There also seems to be a couple of Donnybrooks in the United States, one in North Dakota (pop. 106!), and one which is a suburb of Montvale, New Jersey. There is a Donnybrook in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and a Donny-Brook in the Eastern Cape (thanks to Elaine O'Hanlon for bringing these to my attention). This web page is about the original Donnybrook, which as mentioned above is in Dublin, Ireland (not Dublin, Ohio or Dublin, California -- although for all I know there may be Donnybrooks there too!).

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