History
: Dolphin's Barn Scout Group
: Coombe Women’s Hospital
: Dolphin’s Barn & Ice Skating
: Dolphin's Barn and the Irish National Anthem
: Dolphin's Barn Community Garden
: Dolphin's Barn Fire Station
: Dolphin's Barn Public Library
: Dolphin's Barn - where did the name come from?

Dolphin's Barn Scout Group
The 42nd Dublin Scout Group began its second life in January 2006.  Prior to this Scouting in Dolphin's Barn had existed for a number of years.  Most recently the Scout Centre has been used by a number of National and Dublin Metropolitan Provincial Teams from Scouting Ireland including the Training Team, National Venture Scout Team and Water Activities Team as a city venue for their meetings.  The Scout Centre has also been and continues to be the Dublin Metropolitan Provincial Office of Scouting Ireland where Ger Smith, the Provincial Support Officer is based.  Prior to this (c. 1997 - 2001) the Scout Centre was the location of Scouting Ireland CSI's (as it was known then) National Office before moving to Larch Hill National Campsite.  Prior to this the Scout Centre unfortunately laid unused for a number of years after the original Scout group closed circa 1992.  The current Scout Den was funded by Dublin City Council and was opened circa 1985.

Scouting in Dolphin's Barn has gone a full circle in 40 years. Late in the year of 1964 the Scouters of the 42nd Dolphins Barn were discussing the long waiting list of boys who wanted to join Scouts. They decided to form another troop. They applied to National HQ for a number, as they felt that the new troop should have its own number and so the 91st Dublin Scout Group came into being.

The first meeting of the new troop was held on 11 February 1965 in Dolphins Barn. The young leaders appointed to head the new troop were Dermot Murphy and his assistant Liam Doyle both young leaders from the 42nd Dolphins Barn. The 91st. troop did very well and soon grew in strength and was up to 30 in numbers within a year.  In 1966 both 42nd and 91st Troops held their Annual Camp in Lough Key Forest Park Boyle, Co. Roscommon. In 1967 Dermot Murphy received an invitation to start a Scout Troop in Bluebell, from Fr. Granville, he discussed it with all the leaders in Dolphins Barn, and it was decided that the 91st should leave Dolphins Barn and start up a new unit in Bluebell, and so in July 1967 Our Lady of the Wayside was founded.

Fourty years later in 2005 Rialto Youth Project, Canal Communities Regional Youth Service and Leaders from the 91st Dublin Scout Group identified the need to re-start Scouting in Dolphin's Barn.  Stuart Garland, Christine Hughes and Samantha Sutcliffe originally from the 91st Dublin Scout Group became the first leaders of the new Group in Dolphin's Barn.  The first Annual Expedition of the new Venture Scout Group was to Crawfordsburn Scout Centre in Northern Ireland July 2006).

The group started with a co-educational Venture Scout Group and will later develop a Rover age group programme (18+) in line with Scouting Ireland's RAP process to be completed in 2007.  It is hoped to add other programme sections for young people as the need is identified and as additional leaders and volunteers come on board.

Dolphin’s Barn & Ice Skating
The first documented ice facility built in Ireland was The Dublin Ice Rink located on the south side of the city in Dolphin's Barn. The rink was converted from an old cinema, and originally catered primarily to public skating. The ice surface was quite small compared to today's standard; it was roughly only 1/3 of regulation size. When the doors were open to public skating, the rink was inundated with people who wanted to learn how to skate. Due to enormous interest in the new facility, it was not long before rink management discovered ice hockey could be an additional source of income, and the first Irish ice hockey players took to the ice. Irish ice hockey was born.

As the 90's approached, Ice hockey teams found difficulties maintaining player lists and trouble keeping in the good favour of rinks' management. Since demand was high for general public skating, ice hockey often took a back seat at times.  Teams were apparently headed towards folding, but in retrospect this was probably for the best. For a few Irish players committed to the sport, new challenges arose to keep hockey alive in Ireland. The core players of the Rockets and the Flyers united in an effort to continue the progress of Irish ice hockey, and the new and reformed Dublin Flyers were created.

Unfortunately Dolphins Barn Ice Rink closed in the 1990’s due a decline in public interest.  The building remained in place vacant until 2004 when the building was knocked down as part of the redevelopment of the Dolphins Barn area.  An apartment block has now been built on the site of the Ice Rink / Cinema.

Coombe Women’s Hospital
Established in 1826, the Coombe Women's Hospital is currently celebrating more than 175 years of caring for women and their new born babies. Today the hospital provides the most extensive health care service in Ireland for mothers and infants, with more than 7,000 babies born every year. The story began in October 1770 when Lord Brabazon laid the foundation for a new general hospital in the Coombe area. In 1867 the Coombe Lying-in Hospital was granted a Royal Charter of Incorporation, which gave the hospital its legal status. In 1926 the hospital celebrated its centenary by hosting the first international medical congress to be held in Dublin.

In 1964 the foundation stone of the hospital's current site in Dolphin's Barn was laid by the then Minister for Health, Sean McEntee. The new hospital opened in 1967 has experienced great expansion over the years, including taking responsibility for providing maternity services to St James Hospital patients in 1987.  On December 8, 1993 the hospital was renamed The Coombe Women's Hospital.

Dolphin's Barn and the Irish National Anthem
The Irish National Anthem, Amhrán na bhFiann (The Soldier's Song) has been the subject of much comment in recent years. The National Anthem "Abhrán na bhFiann" (The Soldier's Song) was composed in 1907 by Peadar Ó Cearnaigh (Kearney) and by Patrick Heaney. Kearney was born at 68, Lower Dorset Street, in Dublin in 1883, and grew up in the Dolphin's Barn. He was educated at The Model School, Schoolhouse Lane.  Leaving school at 14 years he worked mending punctured bicycles during the day, he carried meals to the artists of the Gaiety Theatre at night time, before becoming a house painter. There is some evidence to suggest that Seán Rogan may have assisted with the music. Kearney was working in Wicklow at the time he composed the lyrics (1907) and he was teaching Irish at night, among his students was author and playwright Seán Ó Casey.

Dolphin's Barn Community Garden
In early April 2004, a small group established a community garden at Dolphin's Barn. This garden is on the bank of the canal opposite the public library, close to the bridge at Dolphin's Barn, behind the walls of a factory. Before the first trees were planted, the area was a disused, overgrown area of grass. This area of grass has now been planted with trees, vegetables, herbs, and flowers. We have already harvested some potatoes, scallions, and lettuce.

We want to promote the ideas of community and the environment. The idea is to create a positive space which all the community can access. There are similar initiatives in Cork and Belfast, but for more information about the Dublin garden call in to the library at Dolphin's Barn.

For a map to the garden, visit http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=70821

Dolphin's Barn Public Library
For more information visit:
http://www.dublincity.ie/living_in_the_city/libraries/find_your_library/dolphin_s_barn_library.asp

Dolphin's Barn Fire Station
Opened in 1964 as a training centre, Dolphins Barn is Dublin Fire Brigade’s oldest existing station and one of the most busiest.  Dolphins Barn is serviced by 80 personnel across all the shifts. It has a District Officer, Station Officer and two sub-officers. Each Watch comprises about 17 members.

Dolphin's Barn - where did the name come from?
Was it simply a barn where they used to keep Dolphins?  Well not really. The Gaelic is Carnán Cloc, The rocky cairn in English.  In Francis Ball's "History of Dublin" that the original name of this area was Karnanclonegunethe (now Carnán Cloc) and came into the possession of the Dolfyn family in the 13th century. Before the Grand Canal was built the village had about eleven houses and two mills.   In state papers dated 1488 it is listed as Dolfynsberne. Its Gaelic name of Carnán Cloch (na Gunethe) derives from the rock cairn raised in memory of their fallen by the Dunphy clan.