The Suburbanisation of the Greater Cabragh Townland 1935 - 1960

Abstract

This study examines the transformation of the rural townland of Greater Cabragh into the Dublin suburb of Navan Road between 1935 and 1960. This evolution was an instance of the twentieth century suburbanisation of Dublin, as the previously centralised city burst its boundaries and spread into its hinterland. This change had its origins in early 20^th century, when a substantial portion of Dublin’s population lived in overcrowded, insanitary tenements in city’s centre. A series of reports proposed that a healthier future lay in re-locating much of the populace to the city’s fringe. The subsequent suburban colonisation of areas to the north and west of the city would see the percentage of County Dublin’s population living outside the canals grow from 47% in the 1936 to 75% in the 1961. With the map of Dublin being remade, the transformation of Greater Cabragh was an instance of the impact of macro suburbanisation processes on a landscape, a legacy community and an incoming community. The initial land holdings in the townland are charted, revealing a district dominated by farmland belonging to religious institutions and a small number of private land holders. Using land valuation records, the paper maps the decade by decade transition as land passed to private developers and co-operatives, who constructed owner-occupier homes for the lower middle classes.