Welcome To Our Website
The aim of the Kilmacud Stillorgan Local History Society is to promote and sustain an interest in our culture, heritage and history, particularly with regard to Kilmacud Stillorgan and the adjoining areas
On 27 November 2024, Kilmacud Stillorgan Local History Society featured on Dublin South 93.9 FM in ‘’Community Connection”. You can hear the broadcast on playback by clicking HERE.
We are back with a full and interesting programme of talks for 2024/25.
Please note the new venue for this season - St Laurence's Parish Centre, Lower Kilmacud Road, Stillorgan (A94 CV63).
Our next talk will be held in St Laurence's Parish Centre, Lr Kilmacud Road, Stillorgan (A94 CV63), on Thursday 12 December. Our Speaker is John Lennon and the talk is titled :
Main Street: The Heart of Dundrum
This history of Main Street Dundrum paints a vivid picture of a village that has grown over four centuries and retained much of its built heritage throughout that time. Local historian John Lennon has faithfully chronicled the changes in Dundrum Village from the 17th century to the present day. He reminds us of the imperative to protect that rich heritage and to blend it sensitively into the planning for the future of the village.
John is a retired engineer living in Dundrum. His early years stamp collecting gave him an interest in distant lands and in the early 1970s he got a chance to go to some of them. Seeing ancient historical sites led him to a course in field archaeology run by Rathmichael Historical Society in 1976. John has been a member ever since. He has participated in many excavations, especially at Dundrum Castle, which strengthened his interest in local history.
Can You Help?
We are always glad to get help running our Society's activities. If you would like to help with specific tasks or if you would like to join our committee, we would be delighted to hear from you.
Articles for Obelisk
If you have an idea for an article, we would like to hear from you. The first step is to contact us and we will provide you with more detailed suggestions and hints to help you develop and write your article.
Unwanted History Books / Journals
If you have any books or journals of a historical nature that you no longer require please let us know. We may be able to find new homes for them at our monthly talks. If you have any questions or would like more information on our activities please to contact us.
The nineteenth edition of the Society’s annual journal, Obelisk, was launched in the Function Room, Glenalbyn on Friday 22 November. Click HERE to see some photos from the night..
As always we pay a special thanks to our contributors for their very enthusiastic response with material and without whose stories there would be no Obelisk. Over the years Obelisk has accumulated a rich trove of articles that help to give us a fuller picture of daily life and the streetscape of times past.
Click on image for the list of contents.
Obelisk 2025 is available at our monthly talks and from our usual outlets at €7 a copy :
South Dublin Credit Union, Lower Kilmacud Road, ’Nearby’, Lakelands Store, Lakelands Road, Kildunne’s Centra, Drummartin Road, Adrian Peters, Newsagent, The Rise, Mount Merrion, The Village Cafe, Glenalbyn House, Stillorgan, Kennedy's Centra, Stepaside Village, and through our Online Shop. Online purchases for local addresses in Kilmacud, Stillorgan and surrounding areas that can be hand delivered will have any postage paid refunded.
We will also be selling Obelisk from our stall on the Mall in the Stillorgan Shopping Centre on Friday 6th, Saturday 7th, Friday 13th and Saturday 14th December. We would love to meet you there.
Copies of Obelisk No.18 2024, Obelisk No.17 2023, Obelisk No.16 2022, and Obelisk No.15 2021 are available at €7 each (postage extra). Copies of Obelisk No.14 2020, Obelisk No.13 2019, Obelisk No.12 2018, and Obelisk No.11 2017 are available at €5 each (postage extra). Copies of Obelisk No.10 2016, Obelisk No.8 2014, Obelisk No.7 2013 and Obelisk No.1 2006 (reprint), are available at €3 each (postage extra).
Take a few minutes and look at our video presentation on back issues.
To purchase our journals please click Online Shop. In the shop, there are three Postage & Packing rates available, based on your geographical location – Ireland, Great Britain and Rest of the World. Note also that for local area deliveries the postage will be refunded.
If you need any assistance or have any questions on the above or our other publications, please contact us.
A limited number of earlier editions is available from Kennedy’s Centra, Stepaside Village.
Our last talk was held in St Laurence's Parish Centre, Lr Kilmacud Road, Stillorgan (A94 CV63), on Thursday 14 November. Our Speaker was Dr Bruce Dudley Misstear and was titled :
Holy Wells
Holy wells are important features in Ireland’s local histories. Mapping in the 19th century recorded around 3,000 holy wells, and many of these are still visited regularly, especially on the pattern day of the named saint. Visitors to holy wells perform certain rituals, and sometimes seek cures for ailments such as eye diseases or arthritis. The range of topics included: illustrated examples of holy wells and their different landscape and geological settings, the chemistry of the well waters and whether there may be potential links between the water properties and their reputed cures.
Dr Bruce Misstear is a Fellow Emeritus of Trinity College Dublin, where he has taught hydrogeology and environmental engineering for 30 years. He has worked on groundwater projects in UK, Africa, Middle East and Asia, as well as in Ireland. He is the author or co-author of 200 publications, including his recent book “Wells and Wellbeing: The Hydrogeology of Irish Holy Wells”, which was published by Geological Survey Ireland in 2023. Bruce is a former Secretary General of the International Association of Hydrogeologists.