A monk called Mosacra founded a settlement close to the site of the village in the 7th century.[3] The name Saggart derives from Teach Sacra, meaning "house of Sacra" in Irish, and the area was known as "Tassagart" for a period.[3]
Archaeological evidence of ancient settlement in the Saggart area, includes a pair of megalithicstanding stones in Boherboy, that are known locally as Adam and Eve.[3][5] Also nearby is the Raheen Standing Stone, a megalithic standing stone in a field on the Blessington Road, near Crooksling.[6]
A monastery was founded in the area in the 7th century.[3] The remains of this monastery are found on the grounds of an equestrian centre approximately 1.5km from today's Saggart Village. After its founder, St Mosacra died, it became a nunnery with over 80 nuns living there until the Viking attacks of the 9th century.[citation needed]
By 1207, Saggart, or Tasagart, as it was then called by the Normans, had been made a prebend of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin. In 1615, the church was reported as being in good repair but fifteen years later the church is stated to have fallen down, and the Protestant parishioners attended Rathcoole church. The current church at Saggart, the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was built between 1847 and 1849.[3]
The Catholic church in Saggart was dedicated in August 1849
The boundaries of the Catholic parish of Saggart include the areas of Rathcoole and Brittas, and the parish works in conjunction with the neighbouring parish of St. Finian's, Newcastle.[8] Saggart's parish church was built in 1847 and dedicated, to the "Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary", in August 1849.[3] It is within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin.[9]
Amenities
Saggart is a heritage village. It is home to the Citywest Hotel, which has been used to host a number of annual events including the Irish Masters (snooker), several award ceremonies, and political ard fheiseanna.[citation needed]Citywest Business Campus is located just to the north of Saggart village. The Citywest Shopping Centre, anchored by Dunnes Stores, is the only major shopping centre in the area and has a pharmacy, cafés and several other shops. There is also a service/petrol station, restaurants and a 4,000-seat convention centre at Citywest. The Citywest Business Campus also includes a Dublin City University facility. Jacob's Bar was established as a public house in the village by members of the Jacob family in 1901.[10]
As of 2021, a section of walking trail, incorporating the Slade Valley and adjacent to Saggart Reservoir, was under construction in the area.[11][needs update] The development of the Slade Valley trail was marked as one of the "key actions" under the South Dublin County Council Tourism Strategy 2015-2020, in which it was proposed to take in Rathcoole, Saggart and Brittas.[12][needs update]
Coolmine Equestrian Centre was established here in 1989. The equestrian centre is home to the remains of the 7th-century monastery of St Mo Sacra.[citation needed] The centre and CEAD-Ireland host equestrian activities and competitions and CEAD-Fest during the summer months.[citation needed]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
