|
Swords () is the county town of Fingal in County Dublin, Ireland. It is variously defined as an expansive satellite town within commuting distance of Dublin proper, as a large suburb of the capital and as an emerging city in its own right. It is about 13 km north of Dublin city centre. The name "Swords" may also be applied to the townland,〔(Placenames Database of Ireland ) Swords Demesne〕 the civil parish or to the local electoral area. At the 2011 census the total urban population of greater Swords was 42,738 but when local electoral area definitions are taken into account, the population is 68,583. It lies in Dublin's K67 postal code routing area, commonly known as eircode in Ireland. Fingal County Council's Strategic Vision for Swords is to create a sustainable new city. They have referred to Swords as an "emerging city" and project that the population of Swords will rise towards 100,000 by the year 2035.〔(Your Swords, an Emerging City, Strategic Vision 2035 ) Fingal County Council〕 The town is the seventh largest urban area in the country, and the second largest in County Dublin. In 2012, Swords was named the third best town in Ireland to live in. The survey conducted by Retail Excellence Ireland took into account safety, retail, dining, entertainment, events, car parking and overall attractiveness of the town.〔(Retail Excellence Ireland Survey 2012 )〕 Since the mid-1990s Swords has seen improvements in shop fronts, public buildings and footpaths and the restoration of Swords Castle. In 2003 the Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) Survey scored Swords the worst litter blackspot in the country.〔(Irish Business Against Litter Survey, 2003 )〕 Following a huge improvement to litter in the town, in their 2011 survey Swords was declared the second cleanest town in Ireland.〔(Irish Business Against Litter Survey 2011 )〕 == History == The town's origins date back to 560 AD when it was founded by Saint Colmcille (521–567). Legend has it that the saint blessed a local well, giving the town its name, ''Sord'', meaning "clear" or "pure". However, ''An Sord'' also means "the water source" and could indicate a large communal drinking well that existed in antiquity.〔http://swordsdublin.net/_dublin_history.html〕 St. Colmcille's Well is located on Well Road off Swords Main Street. ''Sord'' may also refer to a "sward", an 'expanse of grass'.〔Hickey, Raymond, 2005: ''Dublin English: evolution and change''〕 The most ubiquitous landscape indicators of Early Christian Settlement are the ecclesiastical enclosures. In Swords case the street pattern has been influenced by the circular alignment of the settlement. The medieval town developed in a linear pattern along the Main Street in a north – south direction. Swords has one of the best examples of this settlement pattern in the Dublin region. The round tower, 26m in height, is also an indicator of early Christian settlement. At the northern end of the street stands Swords Castle, 200m northeast of the ecclesiastical site, which was built in the early 13th century. A short distance north of the Castle is an elevation known as Spittal Hill, where a hospital once stood.〔(Barrysparks Local Area Plan – Environmental Report ) Fingal County Council〕 In 1994, Swords became the county seat of the new county of Fingal after the breakup of the former County Dublin; in 2001, it also became the administrative centre for Fingal, upon the completion of Fingal's County Hall. In June 2006, the R.N.L.I. Ireland officially opened its new all-Ireland headquarters at Airside Business Park, within greater Swords. The new Irish H.Q. was officially opened by President Mary McAleese. In attendance at this Presidential ceremony was Admiral Sir Jock Slater, RN, a former British First Sea Lord then serving as Chairman of the Executive Committee of the R.N.L.I.. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Swords, Dublin」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|